Who's The Fairest?

Princess School #2

by Jane B. Mason, Sarah Hines Stephens

Can Snow White's friends help her face the wickedest witch of all...her own stepmother?

The Maiden Games are fast approaching and Snow White is frozen with fear. It's bad enough that Princess School will be facing off against the nasty witches who attend the nearby Grimm School. But Snow's awful stepmother, Malodora, is one of the Grimm School's judges, and her icy stare alone is enough to make Snow quake. She's sure something terrible will happen. But if she doesn't participate, Snow will be letting down her whole school, including her best friends. Snow needs Rapunzel, Ella, and Rose more than ever. But what match are the princesses for a powerful witch like Malodora?

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Middle Grade, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Fairy Tale Retellings, Retellings

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

Jane B. Mason grew up in a large family in northern Minnesota. She has written books for kids of all ages under many names and on many subjects, among them ghosts, Jedi, detective duos, princesses, twins, mean girls, and slam books.

Jane has lived in the midwest and on both coasts, but appears to have settled in Oakland, California, and writes almost every day at either a friend's dining room table or a little studio in her back yard, where she has a purple loveseat, a whole lotta books, and an odd selection of trinkets she has unwittingly been collecting since she was a child.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not particularly like this book. I am not going to go out of my way to read the other books in this series. It was a slow read for such a short book. It was difficult to follow at places and some of the characters were just annoying.

[Amy Schmelzer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is about several Brothers Grimm fairy tale princesses who all go to the same school. It is that time of year when the Princess School competes against the witches from nearby Grimm School in the Maiden Games. You will recognize the characters although some names have been changed to prevent Disney from slapping a copyright lawsuit against the author and publisher.

This is poorly written. I have read other books aimed at this age group that are better. The most annoying flaw is the constant need to restate each character’s name multiple times a paragraph. Does the author think the reader is so stupid that she (this is marketed towards girls) can’t remember that it was Snow White talking just a sentence ago?

[María Sol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una saga de libros que leí de muy pequeña. Me faltaba leer este, el de medio, de los tres que se publicaron en español. Si bien la escritura me resulta entrañable y la personalidad de las chicas, la traducción es español es muy mala. Y, la trama principal le falta un poco de sustento. Me hubiera gustado que explicaran un poco mejor esos escalofríos que sentía Blanca. Que de verdad se debieran a que la madrastra la perseguía. El libro da a entender que eso en realidad no sucedió. Sólo Blanca tenía mucho miedo. Me gusta que agregan capítulos de perspectiva de Ceni y de Rapunzel y que le den también su propia pequeña trama. Siento que eso hace que la historia quede balanceada y ahonde en la personalidad de las chicas.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

“’ We could use a little rivalry to shake things up!... There’s nothing going on at my school except chivalry. I wish I were a girl!’”
-
I know I definitely enjoyed this more when I was nine than I did when I just reread this, which means I am now Too Old. Snow, who is usually so happy and easy-going, is anxious because her stepmother is being creepy and “watching” her because she doesn’t want them to win in their school rivalry game or whatever. Ella is getting more attention ever since she became belle of the ball. Rose is jealous of Ella. Rapunzel is their class’s team captain for the game, and she is being too harsh on everyone.

[✨Jinglemarco✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice reinterpretation of the Snow White and the seven dwarves fairy tale in a childish manner! This series is so easy and simple and cute!

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story for young kids, has a lot of good lessons about jealousy.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a little disappointed in this one. The games turn out to be less like the hunger games or the triwizard tournament and more like field day at elementary school. Or a company picnic.

There are some interesting little competitions. The three-legged race, not so much. But full contact maypole. Awesome. Each team is going one way around the maypole and the first team to get a player's ribbon wrapped 10 times around the pole wins. Reminded me a little of what I know of roller derby. (What I know of roller derby is very little.)

Meanwhile Snow White is angsting about her wicked stepmother, who's headmistress of the witch school. And she has a crisis of confidence. While Sleeping Beauty is jealous of all the attention Cinderella's been getting.

And they all learn to stand up to wicked stepmothers, stop being jealous, and um.. work together as a team to defeat the evil witches.

Which is my major problem with the book. All of the witches at the Grimm school are portrayed as ugly and mean. No good witches? No even.. kinda neutral witches? I guess I'm particularly annoyed by this because if /I/ lived in this world, it'd be the witch school I'd be attending. Even if I was a squib! No way you're putting me in a princess school. And the witches aren't even allowed to use magic during the games! Discrimination, that is.

I am, perhaps, committed now to keep going.

Oh, and they're definitely 10. I made note of that this time.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I read it on an afternoon when I was suffering from a cold and didn't have the brain power to handle a longer book. The story is rather straight forward, rival schools compete for a prize that is awarded once a year. Our heroine must conquer her personal fears to help the Princess School beat the Grimms (Witch School). The book is peppered with cute references to the various fairy tales these princesses are taken from and anyone who is familiar with the stories can guess at things to come in this story.

MrCaligula is currently about half way through the book and also enjoying it. His main comment is that it's "very dramatic" and that the main characters tend to live their lives through exclamation points!!!!

[Kelly]

The Maiden Games(a game for princess)were approching and Snow White was frozen with fear because er evill step-mother was grading the games and she was very scared of her step because her step made her father lost in the dark and stormy weather all alone and was planning to make Snow White leave the house but when she found out that her father didn't leave because h needed too her step made him so Snow White ran away and her step was very happy.

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is sweet and simple. The viewpoint will switch from the main princess's point of view to a different point of view every other chapter. They teach about the importance of friends, family, forgiveness and bravery. The girls may become jealous of each other, they may become angry, but they will eventually apologize. They are forgiven and the girls band together to help sort out whatever problem was being dealt with in that book.

[Melodee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute series. No big exciting twists or anything, but perfect for my 3rd grade girl. It's a fun idea to put Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Cinderella in Princess Training school together and they work together to solve their problems. I enjoyed seeing them develop their own personalities. It's age appropriate, which is about all you can ask for at this level.

[Shaylee Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. If you love the story Snow White, this has the same concept and theme to it, but it is also different with what happens and what this Snow White goes through. There are many twist throughout the book as well which makes it very interesting!

[Lori Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daughter's book report book - Cute little story using the popular Disney princesses.

[Allyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't care if this book is considered too young for me. I love this series and I will continue to keep reading it!!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love little short books about things like princesses its the little 2 year-old in me

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book because it is different than the movie of Snow White, so I learned new things about her.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is really cute. it is about snow white and her princess freinds.

[Mackenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

i read this in the 3rd grade! hahaha

[Taylor]

2nd one in the series. about teen princes
like snow white and others.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good: don't be jealous of your friends, don't doubt your friends, and stay away from apples.

[Maya]

nice

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun series.

[Twyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

snow white and princess school were playing maiden games against another school wich is a school for witches.auryn 8yo

[Doremili · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una historia muy mona. Buena para niñas y sin muchas emociones

[Kaitlyn Shelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books were my favorite when I was little. It was so nice going back and rereading each one. :)

[Tasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, and cute

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was a great one to!!!!!!!!!!!

[Vinita 12]

Awesomeess

[Helen Pugsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14492475