Frogged

Gr 5–8—Imogene Eustacia Wellington, 12, is sure that she is failing miserably at being a princess. The book her mother has given her, The Art of Being a Princess, tells her to be everything she thinks she is not. (The novel's chapter titles are princess rules, qualified by Imogene, a clever touch.) Taking a break from reading, she wanders down to the mill pond where she is conned into kissing a talking frog to break a witch's curse. Disgusted and shocked to find herself in the body of a frog and the so-called prince turned back into a common wainwright's boy, she is determined to break her spell without passing it on to another unsuspecting victim. Along the way, she is kidnapped by a traveling theater troupe and forced to perform with them. Humorous antics and lots of adventures eventually lead Imogene back to the castle and home. This fractured tale ends happily. Imogene learns that she does have what it takes to be a real princess and saves herself without needing a handsome prince to come to her rescue. Princess-loving girls will be charmed by this story.—D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH