The Princess Protection Program

Fairy tale–based messages of empowerment come through loud and clear in this fun yet thought-provoking adventure by London (Search and Rescue). After waking to a strange prince’s lips on hers, 16-year-old Princess Rosamund, or Sleeping Beauty, arrives at Orphans’ Home Educational Academy, or HEA, with no clue as to how she got there. She is soon absorbed into a training program for “wayward fairy-tale characters, to prepare them for new and happy lives in the wide world known as ‘reality.’ ” With her two new friends, princesses Sirena and Rana, Rosamund begins exploring reality which, “as the teachers reminded her all day long, was no fairy tale.” She’s particularly engrossed in Pizza Arcade, an establishment run by three teen boys and their mother. The more time passes, the more comfortable Rosamund becomes in her new normal, until story-specific beasts called Uponatimes arrive, determined to drag each escapee back to their origins. In this tale of tales whose protagonist sometimes reads as too mature for the target audience, Rosamund evolves from a timid princess archetype into an inquisitive heroine who uses her voice to question what she’s told and shake up the status quo. The narrative’s emphasis on the power of embracing change and standing together against adversity provides a solid foundation for an engaging, lighthearted adventure. Ages 8–12. Agent: Robert Guinsler, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Feb.)