Frogkisser!

by Garth Nix

Overview

The last thing she needs is a prince. The first thing she needs is some magic. . . . "An uproarious adventure" from the New York Times–bestselling author! (Publishers Weekly)
Poor Princess Anya. Stuck living with her evil stepmother's new husband, her evil step-stepfather. Plagued with an unfortunate ability to break curses with a magic-assisted kiss. And forced to go on the run when her step-stepfather decides to make the kingdom entirely his own.
Aided by a loyal talking dog, a boy thief trapped in the body of a newt, and some extraordinarily mischievous wizards, Anya sets off on a Quest that, if she plays it right, will ultimately free her land—and teach her a thing or two about the use of power, the effectiveness of a well-placed pucker, and the finding of friends in places both high and low.
With Frogkisser!, acclaimed author Garth Nix has conjured a fantastical tale for all ages, full of laughs and danger, surprises and delights, and an immense population of frogs. It's 50% fairy tale, 50% fantasy, and 100% pure enjoyment from start to finish.
"Delightful . . . wonderfully inventive creatures . . . a captivating story." —School Library Journal (starred review)
"The characters are so enjoyable readers are sure to miss them when the quest (and book) ends . . . Great fun with heart." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A delightful adventure stuffed with absurdity, magic, and a spirited young heroine. Beneath these entertaining trappings lies a heartfelt message of justice." —Booklist
"A rollicking comic fantasy . . . Well-developed characters, an unfailing sense of humor, and polished prose . . . a pleasure to read." —Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338052107
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	08/17/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	389
Lexile:	840L (what's this?)
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Garth Nix is the New York Times bestselling author of the Old Kingdom series, a modern classic of fantasy literature that includes the novels Sabriel, Lireal, Abhorsen, and Clariel. He is also the author of The Keys to the Kingdom series, Shade's Children, A Confusion of Princes, Newt's Emerald, and (with Sean Williams) the Troubletwisters series, among other novels. You can find out a whole lot more about him at garthnix.com.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Frogkisser!:* "The characters are so enjoyable readers are sure to miss them when the quest (and book) ends . . . Nix takes inspiration from classics and improves on them . . . Great fun with heart." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review* "Delightful fantasy . . . With wonderfully inventive creatures, challenging vocabulary, and a captivating story, this fantasy is recommended as a first purchase for YA collections." — School Library Journal, starred review"A delightful adventure stuffed with absurdity, magic, and a spirited young heroine. Beneath these entertaining trappings lies a heartfelt message of justice and fair treatment for all." — Booklist"A rollicking comic fantasy . . . Well-developed characters, an unfailing sense of humor, and polished prose make Nix's uproarious adventure a pleasure to read." — Publishers Weekly"Nix both pays homage to and smartly subverts familiar fairy-tale, folktale, and fantasy-genre tropes . . . . just as the comedy is deepened by thought-provoking questions, the sadness and sacrifice are perfectly balanced by warmth and loyal friendship." — Horn Book"Nix has stirred up an intoxicating brew in Frogkisser! . . . colorful adventures, full of fairytale familiarities seasoned with humor and twists . . . Readers will want a sequel." — Voice of Youth Advocates

From the Publisher

★ 2016-11-02
Princess Anya goes questing to fulfill a promise to her sister.When Princess Anya's stepstepfather, evil Duke Rikard, transforms her older sister's latest love into a frog, the self-possessed white royal promises to transform him back. Alas, the Transmorgification Reversal Lip Balm is depleted in kissing the wrong frog, and Anya is forced on a dual quest to escape death by Duke Rikard and gather supplies for more balm. The third-person narration chronicles the high jinks that ensue as Anya sets off with her faithful talking canine companion, Ardent, and the transformed prince. Anya and company fall in with various intriguing characters: Bert (short for Roberta), the strong, capable, dark-skinned leader of the Association of Responsible Robbers (think Robin Hood), who challenges Anya to examine her princess privilege; the powerful and also dark-skinned and female Good Wizard; and the Wizard's teacher, who's both Merlin and Snow White (just one way Nix cleverly and hilariously turns fairy-tale tropes upside-down); as well as the Seven Dwarves. The characters are so enjoyable readers are sure to miss them when the quest (and book) ends. Refreshingly, there's no romance plot here, and just as refreshingly, the two dark-skinned women are both beautiful and benevolent. Nix takes inspiration from classics and improves on them: he doesn't fall into negative tropes and masterfully infuses the weight of first recognizing one's privilege with humor. Great fun with heart. (Fantasy. 10 & up)

Kirkus Reviews