The Ruby Princess Runs Away

Jewel Kingdom #1

by Jahnna N. Malcolm, Neal McPheeters (Illustrator)

Young sisters Roxanne, Sabrina, Emily, and Demetra, princesses of the Jewel Kingdom, are the stars of a new series that pairs each princess with a jewel of power, and in the first installment, Ruby must earn her tiara. Original.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Middle Grade, Fiction, Magic, Dragons, Chapter Books

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Jahnna N. Malcolm is the pen name for husband-and-wife team Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartner. Together they've written four musicals, two movies, three CD-ROM games, and nearly one hundred books, including the popular series The Jewel Kingdom. They met in the theater and were married on the stage using Marlowe's famous love letter from "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" as their wedding vows.

Reviews

[ECH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading this one. It was a big deal to me as a child and very much part of my internal landscape. So it's funny after the fact to come back and find it could almost be a parody. I took it so serious as a kiddo. Still sweet and wholesome though.

[Lizzy Seitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0 out of 5 stars!

Loved these during childhood and love these still!

[Liana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Jewel Kingdom series is honestly by FAR one of the best children's princesses series I've ever read in my life! These short little books have a big simple plot and lovable energetic characters that are both memorable and enjoyable.

The Ruby Princess Runs Away in the first book in the series where the four young Princesses are crowned, and are each given their own land to rule by their parents. (HOW COOL IS THAT?!)

This book focuses on Roxanne, who will be crowned as the Ruby Princess and rule over the Red Mountains. But Roxanne doesn't want to be a princess and rule, so she runs away instead. Eventually, she meets some gnomes from the Red Mountains who have been attacked and robbed by the evil Darklings, which lights a spark inside her to protect her future people. ...But before she can even THINK about returning to her parents, she finds out that an impostor will be crowned the Ruby Princess instead! A very evil impostor!

I wish these Jewel Kingdom books were more well known! They are small stories, but have a great amount of depth and development in them for their size. They are very pleasant and easy to read too, I would strongly recommend the series to anyone, especially to young girls . :)

[Savannah Teel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this series when I was a little girl. My grandma ordered them for me from the scholastic book fairs. They came with a little ring attached in the book, to match the gem of whatever princess character the book is about. This series is by far one of the best series for children. Im 26 yrs old, so its probably been at least 15 years since I read them, but they have always stayed with me in my heart. I even used to take a jewel book to the bathtub and lay quietly and carfully (to not get them wet) in a hot bath. Grandma used to come in and check on me afraid I had drowned because I was "too quiet".

[Malia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one, I want to read more of them.

[Shase Lindell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read with a compelling plot and very immersive story. I appreciate that this book is for children as it quickly sets up a whole world and plot in just eight chapters. While the exposition dumps would be questionable in another series, this children's book is fast paced enough to interest me in the next part of the narrative. The author does an excellent job keeping the words dissimilar which is perfect for a parent reading to their kid or for a rather inquisitive child. Imagery is presented in a fantastical manner, which would easily enrapture and delight the imagination of a child. I love the message of the story, which, spoiler, is about an anxious princess who does not believe she is ready to accept her throne and her journey into finding the means and resolve to reclaim her throne with a magical artifact, a dragon and her own resolve. Highly recommend to younger readers.

[Anna Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good for early elementary kids as a read aloud or as a first chapter book type of reader. The wording and plot is simple to follow, but still entertaining to keep reading.

Roxanne is going to be crowned the Ruby Princess and obtain her own part of the kingdom to rule. However, she doesn't feel like she's ready. She sets off on her own and meets new friends, uncovers an evil plot, and learns more about herself along the way.

I think this series is great for young kids as it teaches them not always to follow by the rules. Sometimes it is better to stand up for yourself, but also to show kindness to those who you meet. One of the main lessons Roxanne learns is how to be a leader by showing gratitude and love towards those she leads. It's got good lessons in it for young children and is empowering for young girls as well.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an adorable intermediate read about a princess who isn't ready to rule. She runs away and finds out what har people really need in a ruler. But will she get to her coronation in time, or will an imposter steal her crown?

This is a great story about growing up and helping others. Kids new to chapter books will enjoy this adventurous read.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter LOVED this book and could not stop talking about it. She somehow talked both me, her dad, and 9 year old brother into also reading the book. We already have books 2-4 of the series ordered and I sure hope they arrive soon. I highly recommend giving this book to girls who love reading about princesses. I wish this series had been around when I was a little girl.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the original The Ruby Princess Runs Away in 1997. I was deeply saddened when I discovered that my local library sold the original series, and then, by coincidence, I discovered that it had been remastered last year (2020). This new version is still as delightful and fun as the one I remember from my childhood.

[♡Rina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this series as a child & I have such fond memories of these books. I decided to reread them again (as an adult) for nostalgic purposes.
This story is nice for a young child to read, the pacing is good, there's an important lesson & even though it's about 100 pages, it's got a lot of characters, descriptions & plot.

♡ Rina

[Kelsey Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations have been updated to be more inclusive than original. This is a great early chapter book and explores themes of inadequacy and responsibility. My 4 & 6 year old both really enjoyed it.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to love these books as a kid in the 90s and once I saw the reprints in Target I knew I had to buy it and reread it.

5/5 stars and of course, I recommend for families of little girls who want to be a princess. They will love these and have fun with them.

[Jordan MacKinnon · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a blast from the past! I loved this series growing up and I am delighted to read it again! Roxanne always had a special place in my heart as I always wanted to be the ruby princess! And even years later, that hasn't changed !

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emily enjoyed it, but thought the witches were a little too scary (the drawings were a bit scary). It was a cute, shallow, predictable story - I wanted to learn more about the imposter and the evil Lord Bleak. I haven't read the rest of the books (2-4) but Emily has and seems to think they're okay.

[Olivia Hannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roan Read!
I loved these books when I was younger, and they’re the perfect reading level for Roan at the moment (pretty similar to magic treehouse in terms of difficulty). We have the next 2 in the series at home already and Roan is super excited to read them together!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very cute book. I read the newer illustrated version, which I think is a more appealing version as the illustrations added to the feel of the book.
A great lesson to be learned... ruling is about listening and being a friend. Lovely!

[Harlyn Rengel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked it! Kind of… I don’t like these short books, I like the longggggg books! My favorite character is hapgood the dragon but I also like marigold and her husband!

Fun fact for this book:

Did you know that Jahnna N Malcolm stands for Jahnna and Malcolm! They are husband and wife.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this series as a kid and wanted to re-read it for fun. The series now reminds me of the modern day popular Rainbow Magic Fairy series by Daisy Meadows.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book for young readers. Nothing objectionable. As with most books aimed at this age, it's predictable.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Childhood classic

[Manda]

I loved these books (and the free necklaces) when I was a kid. I used to order them through Scholastic Book Club.

[Myka Gilliam · Rating 3 out of 5]

My seven year old loved this book! She would beg me to read it nightly. It was perfect for a young reader.

[HappyGay Bakunzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love. I grew up reading these.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids really liked it

[Alexander · Rating 2 out of 5]

The movie is better.

[Shreya Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe that Ruby left her house and met a dragon and 2 little dwarfs! Such an exciting book. I encourage kids to read it!

[Gillian Brownlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extra star for nostalgia.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute book for early readers, part of a very cute series.

[Mella aka Maron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to my kids at bedtime and it’s seriously so cute! 🥰 I had fun reading it.