By Sarah Courtauld
Eliza and Lavender are two sisters who live on Old Tumbledown Farm in The Middle of Nowhere in the land of Squerb. Lavender dreams of being a princess while Eliza does all the chores. One day Lavender decides to go out and be rescued by a prince, just like in the fairy tales she reads. Instead of a prince, Lavender is captured by the villainous Mordmont, who thinks she is a princess because of her pointy hat. Eliza must rescue her sister, whether she wants to be rescued or not. This humorous tale includes dragons, a small giant, the black death, more dragons, and a dandelion-eating goat. I read this with my 10 year old son and we both enjoyed it. Courtauld gets a little heavy with the “play on words”: ie. “They caught their breath, and then threw it, and then caught it again….” This happens constantly throughout the book and gets a bit tedious, especially since many young readers won’t recognize the phrases she’s playing with. Other than that, this is a fun, quick read for middle readers.
Review by Teresa Edmunds, Westbrook Elementary Media Center
Rating: ★★★★✩ (4 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 2-5
The Perilous Princess Plot (Buckle and Squash, #1)
By Sarah Courtauld
Feiwel and Friends
186 pages
Release Date: May 5, 2015
