Thursday, May 8, 2008

Princess Ben by Catherine Murdock - ESSENTIAL


Murdock, Catherine Gilbert Princess Ben, 344 p. Houghton, 2008.

EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

Princess Ben finds herself the heir to the throne of Montagne after the deaths of her king, her mother and her father. Taken to the castle by Queen Sophia for training, Ben's penchant for laziness and selfishness locks the two into a battle for control, which Ben seems to be losing. In desperation one night, Ben discovers a secret chamber where she can learn to control magic. And only magic can save her from humiliation and outrage when she learns that she is to be wed against her will. But Ben's life has many more twists and turns to complete before she can mature into a person worth holding the throne of an entire kingdom. And Ben also has to learn that she may be her own greatest enemy.

This tale may read as a rather light, fun, fairytale, but it actually has incredible depths of theme and plot. A younger student may read it on one level, while an older student can enjoy its subtler points.

Cindy

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to know that you loved this one. I have been waiting for this book ever since I heard it was coming out, both because I like books with fairy tale elements, and I lovedlovedloved Murdock's other two books.