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Bad Princess: True Tales from Behind the Tiara
Forget everything you thought you knew about princesses...
Welcome to Bad Princess by Kris Waldherr (author of Doomed Queens), where you'll discover what really happens after "Happily Ever After." From the war-torn Dark Ages of Medieval Europe to America's Gilded Age, and all the way up to Kate Middleton, Bad Princess explores more than 30 true princess stories, going beyond the glitz and glamour to find out what life was really like for young royals throughout history.
A mix of royal biography, pop culture, art, style, and pure fun, Bad Princess is a whip-smart, tongue-in-cheek spin on the traditional princess narrative, proving that it takes more than a pretty crown to be a great leader.
Welcome to Bad Princess by Kris Waldherr (author of Doomed Queens), where you'll discover what really happens after "Happily Ever After." From the war-torn Dark Ages of Medieval Europe to America's Gilded Age, and all the way up to Kate Middleton, Bad Princess explores more than 30 true princess stories, going beyond the glitz and glamour to find out what life was really like for young royals throughout history.
A mix of royal biography, pop culture, art, style, and pure fun, Bad Princess is a whip-smart, tongue-in-cheek spin on the traditional princess narrative, proving that it takes more than a pretty crown to be a great leader.
128 pages, Hardcover
Published January 30, 2018
12 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Kris Waldherr
49 books379 followersKris Waldherr is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books for adults and children include Bad Princess, Doomed Queens, and The Book of Goddesses. The New Yorker praised Doomed Queens as “utterly satisfying” and “deliciously perverse.” The Book of Goddesses was a One Spirit/Book-of-the-Month Club’s Top Ten Most Popular Book. Her picture book Persephone and the Pomegranate was noted by the New York Times Book Review for its “quality of myth and magic.” Waldherr is also the creator of the Goddess Tarot, which has a quarter of a million copies in print. Her Kirkus-starred debut novel The Lost History of Dreams was named a CrimeReads Best Book of the Year and her Unnatural Creatures: A Novel of the Frankenstein Women was an Editor's Choice at the Historical Novels Review.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
February 20, 2018
Waldherr, famous for her beautiful and inventive tarot books, has written a first rate account of Princesses, both real and fictional, for Scholastic. This is a lovely, illustrated book about how girls became princesses and what happened to them. The author also explores other social concerns and great trivia. This is a book that every mother should buy their daughter or granddaughter. It's clever, charming and just plain delightful. I bought my granddaughter a copy for her library at home. She's already texted me how much she loves it.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
May 9, 2021
This was a cute look at princesses throughout history, both real and in fairytales (and mostly in Europe), and how the role of a princess has evolved over the years, and how also sometimes being a princess wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Give this to the kiddo interested in royal history.
October 31, 2017
A terrific showing from Waldherr. I enjoyed the witty, tongue in cheek voice, the tidbits about princesses I knew and those I didn't, and the lovely and clever drawings that grace the pages. In particular, I delighted in the princess board game. I look forward to gifting this to my tween daughter and her friends.
January 31, 2018
Bad Princess is a super cute and fast read! I don't know about some of you, but I have been obsessed with princesses since I was little, both of the real and make-believe variety. That's the premise that Waldherr works off of, girls (both young and old) and their obsession with all things princess. But then she puts a spin on it, looking at some of the more "rebellious" or "risqué" princesses throughout history.
Along the way, she also adds in explanations of different royal terms/ideas, like where did "blue blood" come from? And what the heck is the diff between an Earl and a Duke? And were "Disney Princesses" like Ariel and Aurora based on real life ladies? The mix of pop culture and historical explanations makes this book jam-packed with interesting tidbits!
But what I feel really makes this book stand out is the diversity that Waldherr includes. While the majority of the royalty/aristocrats explored are European, Waldherr does include more Modern-day examples of royalty like Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini of Swaziland and Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum of Dubai, showing that a girl doesn't have to be white to be a princess. I think this is an important point, and one I wish was expanded on throughout the whole book.
Both fun and informative, Waldherr strikes a great tone between the historic and the modern, the realistic and the fantastical. I think this is a great book for a mother/daughter pair to read, and is a gateway into more in-depth historical fiction and biographies. In stores now, go grab a copy of Bad Princess: True Tales from Behind the Tiara by Kris Waldherr today!
Along the way, she also adds in explanations of different royal terms/ideas, like where did "blue blood" come from? And what the heck is the diff between an Earl and a Duke? And were "Disney Princesses" like Ariel and Aurora based on real life ladies? The mix of pop culture and historical explanations makes this book jam-packed with interesting tidbits!
But what I feel really makes this book stand out is the diversity that Waldherr includes. While the majority of the royalty/aristocrats explored are European, Waldherr does include more Modern-day examples of royalty like Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini of Swaziland and Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum of Dubai, showing that a girl doesn't have to be white to be a princess. I think this is an important point, and one I wish was expanded on throughout the whole book.
Both fun and informative, Waldherr strikes a great tone between the historic and the modern, the realistic and the fantastical. I think this is a great book for a mother/daughter pair to read, and is a gateway into more in-depth historical fiction and biographies. In stores now, go grab a copy of Bad Princess: True Tales from Behind the Tiara by Kris Waldherr today!
January 23, 2018
There have been many little girls that have dreamt of becoming princesses. The surge of the princess obsession has been made popular by Disney. There have been Disney Princess movies, dolls, tiaras, and costumes. While many girls dream of becoming princesses and living happily-ever-after, Mrs. Waldherr states that in real-life many princesses did not end up with a happy ending. She takes the reader on a romp through history analyzing real-life princesses from the Dark Ages to the present day.
I enjoyed Mrs. Waldherr’s previous book, Doomed Queens, so I was very excited to read this one. It was a quick, light read, with many parts of the book in pink text format covered with many illustrations of both fairy-tale princesses and real-life princesses. However, it was filled with a lot information that I did not know. There were also many princesses that I really didn’t know. One example is Hodierna of Tripoli, a princess of Jerusalem. I was also intrigued with the story of Louis XIV’s daughters and America's "Dollar Princesses". Another little fact that I did not know was that before WWIII, males used to wear pink and girls used to wear blue.
Overall, this is a small book but filled with fun new information. While the target is for teenage girls, this book can be for anyone who is interested in royalty. I love the author’s message of what a true princess means in the end. While a princess can be beautiful, wear fine dresses, and a glittering tiara, a true princess must help others and try to change the world. That is a message that we can all aspire to. Thus, Bad Princess is not only perfect for fans of fairy-tales and history lovers, but also for those who love Princesses Behaving Badly, Bad Girls Throughout History, and Rejected Princesses.
(Note: This book was given to me as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.)
I enjoyed Mrs. Waldherr’s previous book, Doomed Queens, so I was very excited to read this one. It was a quick, light read, with many parts of the book in pink text format covered with many illustrations of both fairy-tale princesses and real-life princesses. However, it was filled with a lot information that I did not know. There were also many princesses that I really didn’t know. One example is Hodierna of Tripoli, a princess of Jerusalem. I was also intrigued with the story of Louis XIV’s daughters and America's "Dollar Princesses". Another little fact that I did not know was that before WWIII, males used to wear pink and girls used to wear blue.
Overall, this is a small book but filled with fun new information. While the target is for teenage girls, this book can be for anyone who is interested in royalty. I love the author’s message of what a true princess means in the end. While a princess can be beautiful, wear fine dresses, and a glittering tiara, a true princess must help others and try to change the world. That is a message that we can all aspire to. Thus, Bad Princess is not only perfect for fans of fairy-tales and history lovers, but also for those who love Princesses Behaving Badly, Bad Girls Throughout History, and Rejected Princesses.
(Note: This book was given to me as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.)
February 4, 2018
A quick read that teaches girls that being a princess isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's rather dark in parts (say hello to Elizabeth Bathory, the "Blood Countess!") - so something to keep in mind depending on the age/maturity level of the reader. Not surprising, it does tend to run European-centric, but the author does include a few modern day princesses from Africa and Dubai and Princess Ka'iulani from Hawaii warrants her own section. Outside of, what I felt, was an overly simplistic view of Princess Diana (although the intended readership of this book wasn't born yet when Diana died!) - the author does a good job of melding history and mythology without talking down to her audience and including a few pop culture references to help grease the wheels of understanding.
February 12, 2020
Loved it!
August 31, 2022
This book is… okay as an introduction to the subject. It presents the information in an entertaining and light-hearted manner that does a good job of catching the readers attention and keeping it. It’s somewhat limited in scope, however, with a large part of the historical section focusing primarily on only a few countries (and princesses) over the centuries - the usual Western European lineup, with only a few deviations.
I’m not sure how trustworthy a source this is, either, since there were a few places I noticed information being repeated that I’ve seen debunked elsewhere. And it’s quite heavily biased by the authors’ own opinions, I think - some of the actions that are heavily frowned upon in the text (like Pauline modelling [granted, nude] for a statue, or Georgette spending a fair bit of money on clothing are… not really that big a deal. Not to mention, not necessarily uncommon for that time period.
I did like the second part to the book, which focused on the American ´dollar princesses’. These were women who belonged to ´nouveau riche’ families from the United States, who originally had trouble finding partners from their own social class (mainly due to the old money families known as the knickerbockers). You’d think coming from families that built their own way up they’d be less focused on class, but… instead they headed overseas and found a vast number of money hungry heirs and spares from the European aristocracy looking for an infusion of cash to help with the upkeep of their sprawling estates - and decaying manor houses.
It was really interesting to learn about some of these women (one of whom was the mother of Winston Churchill). Some of them, despite the mercenary roots of their marriages managed to form happy lives with their partners. Others… not so much.
The story about Churchills’ Mother took me aback a bit. We associate him with a somewhat more modern era - world war 2 - and the Victorians as an era where they were starting to form the basis of modern medicine. We went from doctors bleeding patients and diagnosing based on humours to successful surgeries and anesthesia. So it was surprising to hear that she died of something that we think of as easily fixable, like an infection from a broken ankle. Like, how did it even get infected? Did the bones break the skin? Or just injured vessels and muscle dying off?
For history fans who have read a lot on the topic, you might not find much that is new here. But as an introduction for young readers it’s pretty good, although the tone might earn a few eye rolls for trying too hard - like the joke of having a parent or grandparent fail at incorporating new slang they don’t understand into their vocabulary.
I’m not sure how trustworthy a source this is, either, since there were a few places I noticed information being repeated that I’ve seen debunked elsewhere. And it’s quite heavily biased by the authors’ own opinions, I think - some of the actions that are heavily frowned upon in the text (like Pauline modelling [granted, nude] for a statue, or Georgette spending a fair bit of money on clothing are… not really that big a deal. Not to mention, not necessarily uncommon for that time period.
I did like the second part to the book, which focused on the American ´dollar princesses’. These were women who belonged to ´nouveau riche’ families from the United States, who originally had trouble finding partners from their own social class (mainly due to the old money families known as the knickerbockers). You’d think coming from families that built their own way up they’d be less focused on class, but… instead they headed overseas and found a vast number of money hungry heirs and spares from the European aristocracy looking for an infusion of cash to help with the upkeep of their sprawling estates - and decaying manor houses.
It was really interesting to learn about some of these women (one of whom was the mother of Winston Churchill). Some of them, despite the mercenary roots of their marriages managed to form happy lives with their partners. Others… not so much.
The story about Churchills’ Mother took me aback a bit. We associate him with a somewhat more modern era - world war 2 - and the Victorians as an era where they were starting to form the basis of modern medicine. We went from doctors bleeding patients and diagnosing based on humours to successful surgeries and anesthesia. So it was surprising to hear that she died of something that we think of as easily fixable, like an infection from a broken ankle. Like, how did it even get infected? Did the bones break the skin? Or just injured vessels and muscle dying off?
For history fans who have read a lot on the topic, you might not find much that is new here. But as an introduction for young readers it’s pretty good, although the tone might earn a few eye rolls for trying too hard - like the joke of having a parent or grandparent fail at incorporating new slang they don’t understand into their vocabulary.
January 11, 2020
I love historical fiction. In fact, I usually love learning about the Tudors, but something about this book bugged me.
It tries to be relevant with games and by using current pop culture references. Sometimes it seemed fun, other times, it felt out of place. I think it is supposed to be a girl power type book (which I am over. Let us all be equally important instead of making one feel less than the other). As you can see by the title, it highlights the bad the princesses did. They were not good people.
I found myself bored until it finally got to Grace Kelly and Princess Di. At that point they did show the good princess could to. It highlights a few princesses who are doing amazing things. So I read the end and skipped the middle.
I read this the same time that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are stepping down as senior royals. It looks like Meghan is taking the opposite path from Grace Kelly. Right now I am more intrigued to see what the future holds instead of the killer princesses of the past.
It tries to be relevant with games and by using current pop culture references. Sometimes it seemed fun, other times, it felt out of place. I think it is supposed to be a girl power type book (which I am over. Let us all be equally important instead of making one feel less than the other). As you can see by the title, it highlights the bad the princesses did. They were not good people.
I found myself bored until it finally got to Grace Kelly and Princess Di. At that point they did show the good princess could to. It highlights a few princesses who are doing amazing things. So I read the end and skipped the middle.
I read this the same time that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are stepping down as senior royals. It looks like Meghan is taking the opposite path from Grace Kelly. Right now I am more intrigued to see what the future holds instead of the killer princesses of the past.
March 31, 2018
I was so excited to discover that Kris Waldherr had written another book about royality. I had enjoyed Doomed Queens and so was expecting a book more like. Instead this book felt very dumbed down and included too many pop culture references for a book on history even if it's for kids. Maybe I would of enjoyed it more if I was a kid or teen.
April 29, 2018
For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle
I loved this book! Awesome non-fiction book for young readers. This is a wonderful book. Not only is the subject matter fascinating, but the design and writing style are very entertaining. This is the perfect book to make reading non-fiction appealing to young readers.
Growing up, I thought I didn't like non-fiction books. Many I tried to read as a kid were overly simplified or extremely boring. This one combines history, myth, and fairy tales and rolls them into an awesomely engaging book that is entertaining as well as educational.
Lots of facts and great illustrations. I can't get enough of this design.
The book goes through a simple history of some of the world's most famous princesses (real and fictional). From Greek mythology all the way to modern princesses, this is a fascinating book that shows the evolution of princess ideology. I really liked how empowering the book was at the end.
There is even a game board included in the pages where you can compete with your friends for the crown. Fun and hilarious. And the best part? Everyone has to go to the chapel where a dice roll will determine if you have to marry a prince or not. The fact it's even an option to not get married and do charitable works instead is pretty awesome.
Great book. A fascinating read. There are a lot of pop culture references (Kardashians) that may date the book, but it is overall a wonderfully entertaining read.
I loved this book! Awesome non-fiction book for young readers. This is a wonderful book. Not only is the subject matter fascinating, but the design and writing style are very entertaining. This is the perfect book to make reading non-fiction appealing to young readers.
Growing up, I thought I didn't like non-fiction books. Many I tried to read as a kid were overly simplified or extremely boring. This one combines history, myth, and fairy tales and rolls them into an awesomely engaging book that is entertaining as well as educational.
Lots of facts and great illustrations. I can't get enough of this design.
The book goes through a simple history of some of the world's most famous princesses (real and fictional). From Greek mythology all the way to modern princesses, this is a fascinating book that shows the evolution of princess ideology. I really liked how empowering the book was at the end.
There is even a game board included in the pages where you can compete with your friends for the crown. Fun and hilarious. And the best part? Everyone has to go to the chapel where a dice roll will determine if you have to marry a prince or not. The fact it's even an option to not get married and do charitable works instead is pretty awesome.
Great book. A fascinating read. There are a lot of pop culture references (Kardashians) that may date the book, but it is overall a wonderfully entertaining read.
February 18, 2018
As I've said before, I like books that present a collection of bios of little-known women famous--or infamous!--for something. I have a special (physical) bookshelf just for them. These books have several things in common: a breezy modern, often sardonic, voice; a generally sympathetic and/or admiring tone towards women who did remarkable things in a trying time/environment; and lots of gossipy nuggets of information that most serious biographies bury or avoid.
Bad Princesses is an excellent example of the genre geared to tweens/teens. I very much enjoyed the framing theme of fairy tale princesses vs. the lives of real princesses as a sly poke at the Disney-fication of the princess image. In fact, the purpose of the book is to introduce some much needed reality to the princess myth for girls and young women and slyly redefine the role of "princess" in more modern terms. The gorgeous illustrations provided by the author are an added bonus.
My only gripe is the Euro-centric nature of the bios. A couple of non-European princesses are included in a rapid review of modern princesses doing interesting things at the end of the book. Among the many princess books on my shelf are the stories of historical South Asian, African, etc. princesses. It would have been nice to have a couple of their stories included in the main text. Still, Bad Princesses is a fun read and imparts an important message. Highly recommended.
Bad Princesses is an excellent example of the genre geared to tweens/teens. I very much enjoyed the framing theme of fairy tale princesses vs. the lives of real princesses as a sly poke at the Disney-fication of the princess image. In fact, the purpose of the book is to introduce some much needed reality to the princess myth for girls and young women and slyly redefine the role of "princess" in more modern terms. The gorgeous illustrations provided by the author are an added bonus.
My only gripe is the Euro-centric nature of the bios. A couple of non-European princesses are included in a rapid review of modern princesses doing interesting things at the end of the book. Among the many princess books on my shelf are the stories of historical South Asian, African, etc. princesses. It would have been nice to have a couple of their stories included in the main text. Still, Bad Princesses is a fun read and imparts an important message. Highly recommended.
March 19, 2018
This review originally appeared on The Magical Buffet website on 03/19/2018.
When I learned that Kris Waldherr, author of the wickedly fun book “Doomed Queens”, had a new book called “Bad Princess” coming out I knew I had to read it. I didn’t care that it was intended for ages 9-12 years-old. And yes, “Bad Princess: True Tales from Behind the Tiara” is geared for younger readers, but it still has much to offer anyone interested in learning about the true nature of royalty.
In spite of its slender 130 pages of larger size font, “Bad Princess” is full of interesting and fun facts about the fate of royal daughters throughout history, folklore, and fiction. As you may surmise from the title, being a “good” princess in the past seems less desirable than the way “bad” princesses lived their lives. Along with tons of factual information Waldherr maintains her reputation for fun by also including a “Tournament of Princesses” which pits Princesses of history against Princesses from stories. There is also a cute board game called “Princess: Paths to Power”. In it you try to dodge getting tossed into dungeons, avoid bad marriages and squabbles with other Princesses, to ultimately take your place as Queen.
“Bad Princess” by Kris Waldherr is fun read for everyone.
When I learned that Kris Waldherr, author of the wickedly fun book “Doomed Queens”, had a new book called “Bad Princess” coming out I knew I had to read it. I didn’t care that it was intended for ages 9-12 years-old. And yes, “Bad Princess: True Tales from Behind the Tiara” is geared for younger readers, but it still has much to offer anyone interested in learning about the true nature of royalty.
In spite of its slender 130 pages of larger size font, “Bad Princess” is full of interesting and fun facts about the fate of royal daughters throughout history, folklore, and fiction. As you may surmise from the title, being a “good” princess in the past seems less desirable than the way “bad” princesses lived their lives. Along with tons of factual information Waldherr maintains her reputation for fun by also including a “Tournament of Princesses” which pits Princesses of history against Princesses from stories. There is also a cute board game called “Princess: Paths to Power”. In it you try to dodge getting tossed into dungeons, avoid bad marriages and squabbles with other Princesses, to ultimately take your place as Queen.
“Bad Princess” by Kris Waldherr is fun read for everyone.
October 15, 2019
4.25 stars In the era of Princess obsession it was nice to read about the real truth.
It isn't all Disney' Cinderella, and prince charming. It is well, dirty Windsors Prince Bertie (Albert Jr). and Let's be honest, Princess Charles... loser. He married Diana because his mommy said to even though he was still doing 'stuff' with Camilla! . (Though poor Diana was in love... poor thing) I also think The Queen had Diana killed, but that is just my opinion!
I think we like the idea of princess because we girls are all Cinderella's and we are dying for a Prince Charming to take us away from it all. It is a fantasy! Is there really a prince charming looking for his Cinderella? No, he probably wants someone skinny, dumb, uneducated, and just arm candy. He doesn't really want the maid who sleep near the fire place or a personality, he want... hot, young, ! If someone wants to show me different, I WOULD LOVE TO BE PROVEN WRONG!!
Anyways, this was very interesting and well written. I enjoyed it!
It isn't all Disney' Cinderella, and prince charming. It is well, dirty Windsors Prince Bertie (Albert Jr). and Let's be honest, Princess Charles... loser. He married Diana because his mommy said to even though he was still doing 'stuff' with Camilla! . (Though poor Diana was in love... poor thing) I also think The Queen had Diana killed, but that is just my opinion!
I think we like the idea of princess because we girls are all Cinderella's and we are dying for a Prince Charming to take us away from it all. It is a fantasy! Is there really a prince charming looking for his Cinderella? No, he probably wants someone skinny, dumb, uneducated, and just arm candy. He doesn't really want the maid who sleep near the fire place or a personality, he want... hot, young, ! If someone wants to show me different, I WOULD LOVE TO BE PROVEN WRONG!!
Anyways, this was very interesting and well written. I enjoyed it!
March 11, 2018
Forgive me for comparing this book to another work by this author, but this book just didn't hold up to the expectations Doomed Queens gave me. This book is obviously written for younger readers, and it shows, so it seemed just a little overindulgent in pop-culture references for me. Some young readers may get the tongue-in-cheek jabs at Disney Princesses, but I suspect that most people who pick up this bright pink book will be Disney Princess fans.
This book was also overwhelmingly Euro-centric, a real disappointment because many of my favorite chapters in Doomed Queens were about eastern queens I'd never learned about before.
Still, I think there are few writers that can make history as engaging and sensical as Kris Waldherr and I applaud her for another excellent collective biography. I loved reading these stories and would happily recommend this book to anyone looking to read up on some interesting women from history.
This book was also overwhelmingly Euro-centric, a real disappointment because many of my favorite chapters in Doomed Queens were about eastern queens I'd never learned about before.
Still, I think there are few writers that can make history as engaging and sensical as Kris Waldherr and I applaud her for another excellent collective biography. I loved reading these stories and would happily recommend this book to anyone looking to read up on some interesting women from history.
April 28, 2018
Not a bad selection for middle grade readers looking for nonfiction, but I did have a few issues.
The coverage of royals also includes women who married into their royalty or simply had extremely high ranking titles (like the Duchess of Devonshire). Despite this flexible use of the term “princess,” there’s very little diversity. At the end of the book there’s an attempt to cover a wide variety of modern royals, but this stab a diversity feels too little too late. I was most intrigued by Sarah Culberson, but she only gets a short paragraph.
I was also a little thrown off by a two page spread at the end. There’s no real discussion of morality in the book (which made me glad), until you get to the totally unnecessary “Tournament of Princesses” at the end. In this section, suddenly Pauline Bonaparte is downgraded for posing nude, and everyone else gets moved around with no rhyme or reason.
The coverage of royals also includes women who married into their royalty or simply had extremely high ranking titles (like the Duchess of Devonshire). Despite this flexible use of the term “princess,” there’s very little diversity. At the end of the book there’s an attempt to cover a wide variety of modern royals, but this stab a diversity feels too little too late. I was most intrigued by Sarah Culberson, but she only gets a short paragraph.
I was also a little thrown off by a two page spread at the end. There’s no real discussion of morality in the book (which made me glad), until you get to the totally unnecessary “Tournament of Princesses” at the end. In this section, suddenly Pauline Bonaparte is downgraded for posing nude, and everyone else gets moved around with no rhyme or reason.
April 14, 2018
Okay, I honestly love doomed queens so I thought that I'd give this one a try. I did not finish it because it is dreadfully boring. I had such a desperation to put it down that I felt like throwing up. Honestly, the first quote is from Meg Cabot, Abandon and I was put off. This book claims that pink was for boys and blue for girls before WWII and accredits the color change based on the breast cancer and PMS (a color printing system) trademark of this modern time. They also make references to that bomb of a movie Maleficent and other insignificant rubbish. When I started reading about the princesses, there is so much unimportant information and backstory that I was dizzy by the time I got to some semblance of a point.
August 31, 2018
This one was ok. I would say it could be good for a high interest lower level reader. I liked the study of princesses of the past and what was considered necessary to be a princess. Th tie in of the American millionaire princesses was good along with the brief discussion of Disney-fied princesses. I think the overall execution of the book could have been better. Some parts seemed dumbed down while others discussed more adult issues. Also a lot of the side content interfered with stories. I would have to read ahead a few pages and then go back to read one of the side notes. And I really did not understand the brackets for the ultimate princess. How were winners determined? There was no criteria given.
Good for ages 13 and up
Good for ages 13 and up
July 2, 2018
I picked up this book at my local library along with others. I was attracted by the bright pink cover, but judging it, I thought this is probably some silly young girls fiction book. Then I read the description and thumbed through the book and it wasn’t what I expected. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a non- fiction book that tells about many princesses throughout history. There are many pictures and it’s a fun easy read. It spans through history all the way too prince William and Kate. This book was published before prince Harry got hitched. It also tells about princess Diana. I enjoyed reading about these princesses that I didn’t know that much about. I wish one of the three libraries near me had his other book “Doomed Queens” I believe it’s called, because I’m itching to read it now.
February 10, 2020
I enjoyed this book! It would be great for kids who are interested in princess books but want a mixture of fairytale facts and real life facts about princesses who didn't fit the "pretty pretty princess mold" or who behaved outside the normal expectations.
Their is a lot of snark and sass within this book while maintaining age-appropriate language and even staying away from the coarser information about some of these princesses that some adults might have concerns with their children reading.
Their is a lot of snark and sass within this book while maintaining age-appropriate language and even staying away from the coarser information about some of these princesses that some adults might have concerns with their children reading.
December 1, 2018
I'll be honest. I bought this book because it was being sold at a discount at our school's Scholastic Book Fair. I didn't even really need it. I think I needed the buzz of a cheap book.
I'm glad I did. It was interesting. The author has a tongue-in-cheek way with words. Even though I knew of many of the princesses, I learned something new in an amusing way.
I'm wishing now I'd bought more copies. I think this would be an interesting book for our nonfiction book circle next unit.
I'm glad I did. It was interesting. The author has a tongue-in-cheek way with words. Even though I knew of many of the princesses, I learned something new in an amusing way.
I'm wishing now I'd bought more copies. I think this would be an interesting book for our nonfiction book circle next unit.
March 3, 2019
I bought this for my Jr. High library and then wondered if it was appropriate for this age group. It is. It was really well. It was funny, informative, and interesting. The author did a great job of explaining bigger words or happenings of older days, which makes the book so much more interesting. Some books just use the words and don't explain them. I really enjoyed this book and hope my princess loving students do as well.
March 9, 2018
This was a fascinating read! I learned so much about royal history that I didn't know before, and Kris Waldherr's storytelling is fun and engaging. The book itself is beautiful and I love the art inside. It has trivia facts I enjoyed, like why princesses are associated with the color pink. A word of warning: some of the bad princesses were reeeeeeeeealy bad.
August 30, 2019
I knew it sucked to be a Princess, but this book made me realize just how much. This was a very engaging read and I was done with it before I knew it.
I also loved the drawings and writing-style! I'll definitely be checking out Doomed Queens.
I also loved the drawings and writing-style! I'll definitely be checking out Doomed Queens.
November 12, 2020
This was cute, but sometimes hard to follow and for that reason I probably wouldn’t recommend it to my students. However, I really enjoyed the graphics and the author’s sense of humor. These elements made this a fun and engaging read.
December 18, 2021
Daughter got this from her school library; we read some of it together, then finished it individually. A fun, light read that introduces girls to looking at history through a feminist lens. Not a deep dive by any means, but some good info on several different “princesses”.
January 7, 2018
Review of princess from long ago to today. Wish more time was spent on modern princesses. Like the philanthropy bit.
May 16, 2018
Interesting, review to come.
September 1, 2018
Creepy history that the kids will love!
September 20, 2018
Very quick and fun read. I enjoyed all the little bits of info.
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