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The Seventh Princess

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After falling asleep on the school bus, Jennifer finds herself waking up in a strange land where she is a real princess, but her joy over the new situation is suddenly changed when it is discovered that an evil duke has his mind set to make her his next victim. Original.

107 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

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Nick Sullivan

2 books2 followers

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5 stars
248 (45%)
4 stars
182 (33%)
3 stars
87 (15%)
2 stars
20 (3%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
Profile Image for Abby.
387 reviews65 followers
June 29, 2008
Okay, I was sitting in church today, thinking about writing a review for this book online. I would have listened to the speakers, except...they were boring. I'm sorry! They are nice people. But really boring.

So anyways, this has to be one of the best books ever written, of all time. I read it 500 times (I could be exaggerating) between 3rd and 5th grade. I LOVED this book. I still have it.

It's about a girl named Jennifer who falls asleep on the school bus one day, only to awaken to find herself in a strange land where everyone calls her a princess! And she meets mysterious and interesting people. Then it turns bad. Because actually, the people take some sleeping girl every year (for the past 7 years - hence, she is the "Seventh Princess",) and send her off to some wicked witch that lives somewhere else. I think she's a witch, at least. Then she turns them into harpies (these mystical flying creatures), and she's mean to everybody.

So Jennifer is a hero and fights the witch lady, saves the day, and returns all the other princesses to their homes.

Once I tried to explain this awesome book to Dale (my husband), and he said it sounded dumb. Apparently he is retarded. This book was awesome!

This reminds me about one time when Dale asked me what teenage girls fantasize about. I said, "Well, I would fantasize that I was a beautiful princess. And I had evil, wicked parents for the king and queen of my land, who I hated. One day, I'd get kidnapped and held for ransom by these people who are trying to stop my wicked parents. One of the captors is a handsome prince from another far off land, whose family was dethroned by my evil parents. He is in charge of being my personal bodyguard while we travel. He thinks I am so beautiful, but he knows he cannot possibly fall in love with the princess of the wicked kingdom whose parents they are holding me ransom from.

Then something happens and we are ambushed, and we run off into the forest together, just me and him. I kind of have a Stockholm Syndrome thing going, and I have come to agree with him that my parents are evil. Particularly my mother. We try to resist, but we are pulled to each other. We make out in a tent. (I don't know where the tent comes from in the fantasy, but I don't like the idea of rolling around just on the floor of the forest. Pine needles are very pokey.)

Anyways, we fall in love, maybe we make out some more (or do other stuff, too, and it's awesome), and then we go back together and save the kingdom from my wicked mother and we rule as king and queen over an enormous kingdom (his old kingdom, plus mine combined), and I have lots and lots of beautiful dresses. And then we live happily ever after."

Dale seemed a little confused by my high school girl love fantasies. I think he said, "When I was a teenage boy, I used to imagine how awesome it would be to come home and have a naked girl in my bed. That's about it."

So anyways, obviously Dale never read my favorite book ever, The Seventh Princess. And that is why he will never understand why every girl, ever, period, wants to be a princess.
Profile Image for Marcia.
34 reviews3 followers
January 8, 2015
I dearly loved this book when I was in elementary school. It was the first fantasy book I read where the damsel wasn't in distress. I would highly recommend it to anyone, young or old, who enjoys a thoroughly good tale with monsters and castles. Also, if you can find a used copy so much the better, as the old cover illustration (with the main characters looking scared and giant talons coming down from the sky)captured the story much better than this new one.
Profile Image for AlyKat.
21 reviews
August 19, 2025
Great read for children! Simple, yet captures the imagination in a fast-paced adventure. I'm not sure how an adult would feel reading this book (I have so much nostalgia tied to it), but kids will love it

I love that Jennifer is not special... not destined for greatness. She woke up in a magical world because she fit a description. She is a hero because she CHOSE to be courageous. Granted, she's brave because she believes she's dreaming and has nothing to lose, but that's kind of a cool message... Lesson being, "You'd be amazed what you can accomplish when you are unencumbered by fear."
Profile Image for Kristina.
10 reviews
September 5, 2010
I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS BOOK FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME!
I first read it in the fourth grade, and I loved it so much, but I ABSOLUTELY could not remember what the title was, or who the author was! I'm so glad I found it!
Profile Image for Kaitlin.
58 reviews12 followers
August 7, 2023
I must have read this book 100 times in elementary school! I have been trying to track down the title for years and finally found it!
Profile Image for Lacey.
75 reviews1 follower
September 23, 2013
Interestingly enough, I still read this book sometimes. It's not very long at all, but I love the plot and the storyline. This book was the very first I read that introduced me to a fantasy world.At the time I read it when I was about 8, it intensely captured my interest and perpetuated my desire to continue reading books with fantasy themes.
368 reviews
Read
February 5, 2016
After YEARS of having slight memories of this book, I finally stumbled back across it by total accident. I'm so happy!!! I remember reading it over & over again and liking it so much in elementary school -- maybe 4th or 5th grade? I'm looking forward to reading it again as an adult - primarily because I want to see what comes back in my memory.
Profile Image for J.
3,965 reviews33 followers
May 7, 2018
***Actual Rating: 3.75***

When I first came across this book it was in my middle school and as a part of a book swap that my grade was hosting. The title is rather vague but the cover art was at that time rather attractive to me so it was a book that I chose to read. At the time I know that I thought the story was pretty decent at the most but also yet at the same time quite attention-grabbing that it is hard to forget the book even after one read.

Unfortunately it isn't a book that stands the test of time, though. The writing is very simplistic, immature and at times quite boring to an adult reader as the plot is quite easily guessable. And being as basic level a fantasy book as one can get it doesn't really have any scary parts that can compare to any really good Disney villain scene nor does it really leave a reader guessing what might happen as the turns are all really foreseeable to some degree.

All in all it may attract some younger readers who may be starting to explore the various genres, especially fantasy, or even for those readers who want a spunky female girl hero. Otherwise for adult readers who weren't introduced to the book as child this is one fantasy book that is better left to the younger readers.
Profile Image for Victoria Yang.
230 reviews49 followers
May 27, 2021
Jennifer, an ordinary girl who falls asleep on her school bus, finds herself in a princess' carriage in a magical kingdom. While adjusting to her new life, she discovers that she's the seventh girl to be brought to this realm by a spell, made a princess only to serve as a sacrifice.

I loved this book as a child, and my continued appreciation of the fantasy genre can certainly, in part, be attributed to it. It's well written, has a solid adventure, and a fun cast of characters. It's a book that evokes a lot of nostalgia for me, and I imagine that young readers starting their foray into chapter books today would still find it captivating.
Profile Image for Shar.
107 reviews7 followers
January 7, 2010
This was a re-read I just pulled off my bookshelf. I've probably read it at least 20 times and it's not very big or very deep but it's a fun little adventure... If I ever wrote a novel it would be like this!
28 reviews1 follower
April 15, 2010
Another children's book with a plot so vivid it has stuck with me all these years and I had to look it up on the internet (bless the internet!). A tale of an ordinary girl transported to a magical world where she is a forgotten princess with special powers to stop the evil harpies. Awesome!
Profile Image for Bevin Kutluoglu.
45 reviews15 followers
November 21, 2023
This was one of the first books that made me love reading. From the look of my copy, I’ve probably read this more than 100 times. I do believe that guess because despite something like 35 years passing, I remembered every bit of this story.

I notice some reviews criticizing this for simplistic writing or story, but y’all, please remember that the difficulty level is going to be driving this bus. Yes, it’s a chapter book with no pictures, but let’s keep in mind what 8 year olds read.

Sent these thoughts to a friend who asked if it was still as good as she remembered:

✨ Good little story
✨ Serious vibes of The Tempest with characters called Prospero & Miranda (would have to reread that because I haven’t read it in 20 years)
✨ Possibly slightly overused tropes & clichés BUT the book is 40 years old, so were they overused back then? Also clichés are such because they are true. Also kids don’t quite know things are overused or clichés yet, so still would’ve been enjoyable for this reading level
✨ If I had a kid aged 8-10, I would totally give this book to them
✨ Bonus: she dismantles a toxic patriarchy by being difficult & asking questions — possibly this book was more formative than I realize?

TL;DR this book holds up.
Profile Image for The Book and Beauty Blog.
205 reviews27 followers
March 6, 2020
Back in my day, my school had a book fair type event where you could choose one book for free. I believe I was in the fourth grade when I discovered The Seventh Princess at one of those events. The cover and the title immediately drew me in so I snatched it up before one of my grubby classmates could get it. It went on to be one of my favorite and most read books.

As I was reading this book again for the first time as an adult, I was surprised at how good I still found it to be. This is a solid fantasy story. If it was a little more fleshed out and more mature, it could easily be a Young Adult book.

The world building is simple and doesn’t have much depth but you’re still able to get a clear picture of the land of Eladeria. It’s a standard fantasy world filled with royalty and magic but there’s darker elements as well; such as the harpies that have the faces of young girls and the sacrifice that must be made every full moon… I wasn’t exaggerating when I said this could be a YA fantasy and I really wish it was because I want more of this story.

This is one of my most treasured books. If you have any middle grade fiction readers in your life, this would be a great way to introduce them to the fantasy genre.

For other reviews, go to https://thebookandbeautyblog.com/
Profile Image for Angela.
991 reviews
May 26, 2018
As a child, I loved this book. The one I read is my original copy with my terribly hand-written name, flowers, and cursive capital S’s turned into ducks all over the inside of the cover.
I read this book to my students as it was almost a sixth grade reading level and it was short. I prefaced it as every once in a while, you have to read a princess book. As a result, there wasn’t much of a buy in at first. They enjoyed it about 30-40 pages in. They kept asking me to read it in our free time.
As for me, I relearned a lesson of how we grow up and some of the stories we loved seem superficial and while interesting, are not thought provoking or perfectly crafted. That said, I’ll keep my original copy and maybe try again in another 20-30 years (if it holds up that long, it’s taped together and was very well-loved).
169 reviews
February 21, 2021
I read this as a child through the scholastic book club at school. It was one of the books that cemented my love of fantasy books. I was reminded of it recently and found a copy through the open library. It is still a great read though a lot shorter than I remember it! Timing and emotional complexity is simplified because it is a story for children but it contains all the other elements of a good book - plot, world and character building. It's lively with great imagination. Glad I found it again.
Profile Image for Kimberly Karalius.
Author 7 books232 followers
January 20, 2019
This was actually a fun book with a lot of creativity in the world-building (the villains were great) and the use of some fav fantasy tropes. It took me a while to get used to it though because the cover had almost no connection to the plot. Like, animals are only mentioned as background info but there’s a whole menagerie on the cover! And this book is a lot darker and adventurous than the peaceful smiling girl and bright blue sky.
Profile Image for Kim Simone.
21 reviews1 follower
November 6, 2017
This was one of my favorites when I was probably 11 or 12 years old, read it until the cover fell off and the pages started to crumble. That was 30 years ago (oy) and I've just read it to my children for the first time, having saved my old copy all these years. I'm so happy that they liked it, we read a lot of fantasy stories and I love to pass on a little of my childhood to them.
Profile Image for Emi.
110 reviews1 follower
May 3, 2018
A book I found on my grandmother's shelves as a kid and read four or five times. I have no idea what happened to my copy of it, but it remains a favorite. The way that the story is crafted is truly remarkable
Profile Image for Tigerbeats.
13 reviews
Read
December 4, 2022
I’ve been looking for this book for years! I read it in 1996 or so and have been wondering if I dreamt it up. The “was it a dream or…?” trope feels very of its time but this cute little book mostly holds up! Aside from the jester character.
Profile Image for Caroline.
405 reviews
March 25, 2019
I must have read this book a dozen times as a kid. I don’t remember a single thing about it but I spent many moments gazing at this cover, so much so that it is forever etched into my brain.
Profile Image for eve.
123 reviews5 followers
July 4, 2020
Randomly remembered this book today. I read this at least 5 times between the ages of 8-10, loved it so much!
Profile Image for Betsy.
7 reviews
August 28, 2020
This was my all-time favorite book in elementary school. I read it over and over until I not only broke the binding, but several pages fell out. Classic.
Profile Image for Tea.
766 reviews9 followers
July 11, 2022
We re-read this book so many times as kids
Profile Image for Nikki in Niagara.
4,392 reviews174 followers
March 31, 2011
Reason for Reading: This is another book from the Randomly Selected Bookshelf that I am reading from this year. I have not read this before but I have always had a copy of it. One of the purposes of reading from this shelf is to move books out of the house. This one will be sent off to Bookmooch.

Jennifer is on her way to school looking out the window at the forest, daydreaming when suddenly she is inside a horse drawn carriage, taken to a palace and everyone is calling her Princess Miranda. She quickly makes friends with the dwarf Jester, Samson, and it doesn't take her more than a few minutes to realize that the High Chancellor is an evil man. She finds out that her fate here is doomed, but also that the fate of Elandria itself is in peril and she is given the secret on how it may be possible to save not only herself but the whole country from evil.

This is what one might call a "first fantasy". It has all the ingredients needed for a fast paced fantasy story and is populated by Kings, Evil power hungry men, dwarfs, harpies, wicked witches and missing real prince and princess. The plot is quite simple. The "twists" were no surprise to this adult reader but I think they will be just enough for the young reader just discovering this genre. The characters are rather stereotypical of the parts they play but the two main characters Samson, the dwarf and Jennifer are fully fleshed causing the reader to root for them on their various dangerous outings. While not the best book ever written, this has a certain something to it that makes it endearing to the reader. I'm not sure just what it is but I think it may be Jennifer's spunk and pluck which she shows right from the beginning to the most evil man in the land, unbeknownst to her, and that lets the reader know what to expect from her for the rest of the book. This is obviously a girl's book. What little girl wouldn't want to suddenly find herself being called Your Highness, waited on hand and foot, then finding she is the heroine who must save the day! An action-packed story for youngsters just venturing into the genre.
Profile Image for Mary Ellen.
535 reviews17 followers
May 5, 2025
Middle-school aged Jennifer fell asleep on a bus on her way to school and woke up in a carriage on her way to a castle where everyone called her “Princess Miranda” and within moments of arriving and meeting the (deathly ill) king, she was adopted and became an official princess. However, in a moment of strength, the king broke through a sort of spell and warned Miranda that she was in danger, and he was able to secretly give her a hint about how to break a spell. With some help of some friends, Miranda learns about an evil sorceress, the fate of six princesses that had come before her, and begins to form a plan to break the spell.

This book sat on our bookshelf at home for as long as I can remember. It must have been one of my older sister’s because it was published when I was just an infant. I always meant to read it, but somehow never got around to it. Earlier this month, when my 9 year old daughter and I were visiting my parent’s house, I saw this on the shelf and decided to take it home with us. We just finished reading it together! It was actually very impressive. There was so much I was surprised by. First, the language was beautiful. It was a lot more flowery than your typical middle-grade fiction book is now. The descriptions were beautiful. I bookmarked several pages to show the writing students I tutor. Second, the story was unique! Unique for this age group, anyway. It was simple, yet still full. It was concise. We’ve gotten a little series obsessed now that the publishing companies are primarily concerned with big profits. This was a short story that just said enough in an entertaining way. It reminded me of so many good books from when I was a kid. Don’t get me wrong, I know there are a lot of good things going on in fiction right now. I am feeling so nostalgic lately though. I’m nearing 40. My oldest will be going to college in a couple years. I’m trying to cram as much of my childhood into my kids’ lives as I can, now that I am recognizing how fast it all goes.

Anyway- solid read. I miss these days.
Profile Image for Danielle.
554 reviews242 followers
August 31, 2008
So, I was expecting something different from this book. I actually spent the first 50 pages (granted, they're quick pages) cursing Abby and Danae for having read and liked this book. I just assumed it was something "grown-ups" could appreciate, but I spent the entire time feeling like I was back in 5th grade. And I probably wouldn't have liked it all that much then.
For one thing, every character was so grievously stereotypical (even down to their names) that I could predict their dialogue before it was spoken. (e.g., "Don't cross me, you little fool!" Hissed the Bad Guy). I know, I know, it's written for 10-year-olds, it can't get too original, but still!
I could overlook that, though, for an entertaining or meaningful story, but...yeah, I didn't get that. The "twists" were forecast chapters in advance (again, child readers, I know), and while I'm all for happy endings, it's just less moving when I knew from page 1 exactly how happily they were all going to end up.
Okay, this book has already earned more reviewing time than it ever warranted. It was a quick read, which is why I finished it, but I didn't get much out of it, and was vaguely annoyed for most of it. You owe me, Danae!
2 reviews1 follower
July 9, 2015
This was my favorite book as a young girl. It was the first book that my mom bought me from the scholastic book fair in the second grade and I was so excited. I can't remember how many times I read this book growing up, it's defiantly had a big impact on my life and is probably the origin for my love of fantasy/science fiction books. I think all young girls should have that chance to read this book.
Profile Image for Annie.
252 reviews17 followers
May 6, 2013
I loved this book when I was in middle school. I think this was my first introduction to fantasy books and I remember really loving the feeling of losing myself in a book. Can't wait to reread it and see if it stands up to time. I'm sure it won't be as good to a 30 year old as it is to a 5th grader but that's ok.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews

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