Coombs, Kate. The Runaway Princess.
Although the cover art is not appealing, Kate Coombs first novel for children, The Runaway Princess, is a charming, entertaining read about one princess’ determination to win her own hand in marriage. In the kingdom of Greeve, the prime minister convinces the king that his daughter is old enough to be married to an eligible prince. And, he asserts, that having a contest for princes to enter would help the economy of Greeve and at the same time rid the country of some of its unpleasant inhabitants--a witch, a dragon, and group of bandits. Choosing the word of his prime minister over that of his wife and daughter, the king announces the contest and the prize at a banquet.
Meg, the princess, hears the news not from her parents privately but in front of the entire kingdom. Anger doesn’t even come close to describing her reaction. Locked away in a tower until the contest’s conclusion, Meg worries about what her father has unleashed on the kingdom. Evil princes are on the loose...if only there was a way she could escape and warn the witch, the dragon, and the bandits. Teaming up with her friends, mostly servants both male and female, Meg escapes the tower and does just that. On a mission to win the contest herself and protect the kingdom against the recklessness of greedy princes.
All the usual characters are presented in THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS, the princess, the princes, the ‘evil’ witch, enchanted frogs, fire-breathing dragons, etc. But Coombs comical take on the traditional fairy tale is unforgettably charming. Readers expecting the novel to end in the trite “and they lived happily ever after...” will be disappointed to discover that instead it is “once upon a time there was a princess who knew she was meant for more than twirling her tresses and swooning” (279).
Related books...
Levine, Gail Carson. Ella Enchanted.
Hale, Shannon. The Princess Acadamy.
Hale, Shannon. The Goose Girl.
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