I had the great pleasure of being of Cybils Awards round 1 judge again this year in the Easy Reader and Chapter Book categories. I read wonderful books that I may not have had a chance to read and then vote on the best with other judges. There were so many great choices this year that we had a hard time choosing the finalists. Unfortunately, there were books that impressed the judges but just didn’t make the finalist list. Today I’d like to share two that kids will love.
The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem and The Princess in Black and the Bathtime Battle written by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale and illustrated by LeUyen are books seven and eight in the popular Princess in Black Series published by Candlewick Press in 2020 which bring back a familiar cast of characters facing fantastic problems that they need to overcome.
The Princess in Black and the Bathtime Battle finds the Princess and her friend Goat Avenger dealing with rancid cloud stinking up the goat pasture. Unfortunately, as they work to get rid of the smell it blows into the other kingdoms. Fortunately, other masked hero friends and their amazing pet companions arrive to help identify the source of the odor and rid the kingdoms of the stench.
In The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem, the Princess in Black joins her friends Goat Avenger and Princess in Blankets to build a snow monster but a giant arrives and smashes their monster and everything else in his path. The giant is too powerful for them so they call for help. ALL the other princesses in disguise come to the rescue and they celebrate with a snow party.
These two additions to the series are hilarious and filled with puns, twists, and turns and should definitely be added to transitional chapter book collections.
Check out the Princess in Black website to learn more and to download a timely story, The Princess in Black and the Case of the Coronavirus.
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