Hey everybody! I would like to welcome you to the Princess Academy Book Club.  The book Princess Academy is by Shannon Hale and the genre is Fantasy. Shannon Hale is a New York Times bestselling author, and has also won three Newberry Honors. Shannon Hale has been writing books since she was 10, and has also written a book with her husband, Dean Hale. One of the Newberry Honors has been awarded to the book we’ll be reading, Princess Academy!

Tasks

Respond– Based on the front and back cover, the title and the illustrations what do you think this book will be about?

Read– 1-61

Welcome Back-

When Miri wanted to help out in the quarry, she didn’t know why her pa didn’t want her to go. When the traders come, the people of Mount Eskel didn’t know that the chief delegate was going to come. He told them that they would be taking the girls away to an academy to decide whom the prince will marry. When the trading is over Miri doesn’t bring home everything that she wants to. The next morning soldiers arrive to take the girls away to the academy. While at the academy the girls get sent to the closet or get palm-lashings when they get punished, but when Miri was talking to all of the girls while leaving the classroom she ruins the chance for all of the girls to visit their families. When Tutor Olana shows the dress the academy princess gets to wear, the girls get more motivated.

Tasks

Respond– How would you feel if you had to leave home and go to an academy/school like Miri?

Read– 62-122

Welcome Back-

When Olana throws out a parchment, Miri takes to practice reading. When Miri’s “friends” start ignoring her, she starts to think that they were never really her friends. Miri steals a book from Olana and when she tries to put it back gets sent to the closet, where she starts to learn how to use quarry-speech. While reading about Commerce, Miri learns that the traders are ripping them off by not giving them enough stuff. Miri goes on a walk with Britta and gets her to open up. The girls take an exam to see who can go to the Spring Festival back home in Mount Eskel, but only Miri and Katar can go because they passed the exam. So, the girls run away from the academy using quarry-speech and a game they used to play called Rabbit and Wolf.

Tasks

Respond- Whom would you talk to and what would you say if you could use quarry-speech?

Read– 123-177

Welcome Back-

The girls return to Mount Eskel and go to the Spring Festival. While they are there at a campfire, Miri tells everybody about Commerce and how the traders are ripping them off and not giving them enough stuff. While on Mount Eskel the girls come up with a plan to make Olana let them stay at the academy. When returning to the academy, the girls use diplomacy to persuade Olana into letting them study at the academy. The girls leave to help the villagers trade, and get 3 gold coins per linder stone. While they are still at Mount Eskel, Marda falls down the mountain and breaks her leg. While Miri is running home she runs in Doter and learns about her mother.

Tasks

Respond-If you were dealing with traders what would you do?

Read– 178-241

Welcome Back-

In this section, Miri asks some of her friends if they think she’s a burden. And their reply was “No.” While Marda’s leg is broken, Miri starts to teach her to read. The girls must take a test to see who gets to go to the ball, and use quarry-speech to help each other with the answers. When the girls vote for Academy Princess, they majority votes Miri. Miri and Katar are talking about who wants to marry the Prince. The girls have time to study on their own before the Prince arrives. All the girls get fitted for their dresses and Miri is thinking she forgotten. The Prince arrives at the academy and all the girls are trying to get a better view of him. All the girls attend the ball except for a sick Britta. After the Prince’s departure, bandits break into the academy and hold the girls, Olana, and Knut hostage.

Tasks
Respond-How would you react if you were put in a position where you were held hostage?
Read-242-314

Welcome Back –

In this section about half the girls run but get caught and dragged back to the academy. While trapped it their room, Miri starts quarry-speeching with Peder and asks him to bring help. The next day Peder brings the villagers to help the girls. So, when the bandits are sleeping the girls try to escape through a window. But the last few girls barely get out before the bandits wake up and end up getting caught. Some of the bandits throw the girls they caught on the ground and run away scared. When Dan, the leader of the bandits, gets close to a cliff Miri stabs him in the wrist with a linder hawk. When both Miri and Dan are hanging on the cliff Miri’s father throws a mallet at Dan’s head and makes him fall to the ground.The villagers, Knut, and Olana return to Mount Eskel for winter and wait ‘til Prince Stefen returns in the spring.While there Britta tells Miri the truth that she knows the Prince and that her parents aren’t really dead.The Prince chooses to marry Britta.When Peder and Miri walk back to Mount Eskel they are holding hands.

Tasks
Respond – What would you do if you were crowned Princess?