2018, Children's Books, Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths
WISE Score
Amazon
A clever, funny flip on the princess trope that asks what happens when the 'replacement' kid is no longer needed.
4.8
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If your kid is tired of the same old 'chosen one' fantasy, Pretend Princess is a refreshing palette cleanser. It’s a smart, funny look at what happens when you’re the placeholder in someone else’s fairytale.
It’s the first in a series, so if they like the vibe of Concordia, there's more to dig into. It’s less about magic wands and more about the weird social gymnastics of being a 'borrowed' royal, which makes it feel much more grounded and real than your average tiara-fest.
Perfect for the 8-12 crowd. It's sophisticated enough for older elementary kids but safe enough to read aloud to a 7-year-old who loves a good kingdom story.
Explores complex family dynamics and the meaning of belonging with humor and warmth. It avoids the typical 'mean girl' tropes often found in princess stories.
A clever subversion of the 'secretly a princess' trope. The 'one foot in a palace, one in a cottage' setting provides a fresh perspective on the genre.
Standard middle-grade fairytale content. No red flags for violence, language, or mature themes beyond the emotional weight of being a 'temporary' family member.
Great for building empathy regarding identity and displacement. It asks kids to think about what makes a family beyond biological ties.
Most princess books are about a girl finding out she has a secret destiny. Pretend Princess is the opposite: Olive knows exactly what she is, and it’s a job description. She’s there to keep the Queen company. It’s a fascinating setup because it places the protagonist in a position of precariousness. She isn't the heir; she's the stand-in.
This creates a unique tension that most middle-grade fantasy ignores. When a biological child finally arrives, the book doesn't shy away from the awkward reality of Olive's position. It’s a great entry point for talking about identity and self-worth that isn't tied to a title or a bloodline.
Olive is a relatable lead because she's essentially navigating a 'code-switching' environment—palace life vs. cottage life. Many kids today deal with similar shifts between different households or social circles. The humor keeps it from feeling like a 'lesson book,' but the heart of the story is definitely about finding where you actually fit when the role you were cast in changes.
If your reader liked The Land of Stories or The School for Good and Evil, they’ll appreciate the way this tweaks established fairytale rules without being mean-spirited about it.
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