Princess Ben, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (Houghton Mifflin, 2008)

Ben is as unlikely a princess as you’ll find, lacking in beauty, charm, composure and training. When her parents are killed, she’s taken in by Queen Sophia, who subjects Ben to a harsh, relentless training regimen in order to make her a proper heir. When that fails, Sophia locks Ben in a tower, out of the way. There, Ben finds a secret room, and begins to train herself in magic, a journey of self-improvement and discovery that will transform her for the better. But will she be able to save her kingdom from exterior threats in the process? Princess Ben is a fun story, with a realistic heroine and an intriguing plot, a well-crafted fairy tale that’s sure to please.


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