The Princess and the Page

by Christina Farley

Overview

A dark secret lurks in Keira's family. She comes from a long line of Word Weavers who bring their stories to life when they use a magical pen. But Keira's mom is unable to face the truth of the family's history because the Word Weavers have been hunted for generations for their power. And so, she forbids Keira to write. Oblivious to the family's secret ability, and angry at her mom's rule of no fictional writing, Keira discovers her grandma's Word Weaver pen and uses it to write a story for the Girls' World fairy tale contest, believing it will bring her good luck. But when Keira decides to have her fairy tale reflect her family's imperfect life, and has the princess in her story vanquished to a dark tower for eternity, she starts to wonder if anyone ever truly lives happily ever after.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545924115
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	03/28/2017
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
Lexile:	660L (what's this?)
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

CHRISTINA FARLEY is the author of the bestselling Gilded series. Prior to that, she worked as an international teacher and at a top secret job for Disney where she was known to scatter pixie dust before the sun rose. When not traveling the world or creating imaginary ones, she spends time with her family in Clermont, Florida with her husband and two sons where they are busy preparing for the next World Cup, baking cheesecakes, and raising a pet dragon that's in disguise as a cockatiel. You can visit her online at ChristinaFarley.com.

Editorial Reviews

"The pace is effective for building a deep sense of mystery . . . in Keira's first-person narrative, readers will discover clues right along with her." — Booklist"Keira's first-person, present-tense narration . . . works. The story's overarching theme of the power of words is timely and poignant . . . A smart, peppery, action-packed plot teams up with playful, astute characters." — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Keira’s life is dominated by her mother’s strict rules: no stories, no fantasies; only facts and science. But when she discovers her grandmother’s magic pen, her mother’s rules go out the window, because the pen makes anything she writes come to life. What a perfect time to enter a fiction-writing contest! Winning the contest earns her a trip to France, and while she’s living a real-life fantasy, she starts to realize that she and others are in danger. Meanwhile, she’s trying to save the princess she wrote about, but there are potential consequences: she may end up trapped in her own story. The tale unfolds slowly in short chapters, which might make this a challenging read for some, though the pace is effective for building a deep sense of mystery. Slowing down works for the overall mystery, though, particularly since, in Keira’s first-person narrative, readers will discover clues right along with her. Drawing inspiration from many classic fairy tales, this would be a good pick for fans of Melissa de la Cruz’s The Isle of the Lost (2015). — Kristina Pino

Booklist

02/01/2017
Gr 4–6—A lackluster novel of magic, history, and the power of a well-written tale. Keira is frustrated with her family and their strange rules. Her mother does not allow pens or stories in their house. With the help of a friend, Keira secretly enters a writing contest. It turns out that she holds the power to write stories that come to life. When winning the competition takes her to an amazing castle in France, Keira goes on an adventure of a lifetime with her grandmother's magical pen. Readers may not be all that enchanted, as each character is a tired archetype seen in many middle grade fantasies. The plot is uninteresting and reinforces stereotypical portrayals of French culture. The pacing is muddled by a myriad of escapades and minutia about the rules of the magical world Keira inhabits. VERDICT A disappointingly unoriginal offering. Middle grade readers who like action, adventure, and stories coming to life should instead seek out Cornelia Funke's "Inkheart" series, Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted, Christopher Healy's The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, Brandon Mull's "Fablehaven" books, or Suzanne Collins's Gregor the Overlander.—Jessica Bratt, Grand Rapids Public Library, MI

School Library Journal

2016-12-06
A magical pen leads 12-year-old white Keira Harding on a dark fairy-tale adventure. During a robbery at her home, Keira runs to her parents' bedroom to find a phone and call for help. Instead, she finds a glowing antique pen and, in desperation, writes a list of what to do. To her amazement, everything on the list appears to come true. Keira keeps the pen (hiding her possession of it from her parents) and uses it to write a fairy tale for a story contest—in direct contravention of her mother's seemingly unreasonable command that she not write any stories ever. When her story wins the contest and Keira, her mother, and Bella, Keira's brown-skinned, black-haired best friend, go to France to stay for a week in the Château de Chenonceau as the prize, the girls are thrilled—at first. At the castle, strange events transpire, and Keira cannot help but notice that they have an eerie resemblance to the fairy tale she wrote. Keira's first-person, present-tense narration, with a close eye to detail, oscillates between mature observations and lighthearted girl-stuff. It works. The story's overarching theme of the power of words is timely and poignant—but the book's cover art imparts a clichéd Disney-esque look that may turn off more serious readers. A smart, peppery, action-packed plot teams up with playful, astute characters. (Fantasy. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews