Cabot, Meg, (2000). The Princess Diaries. New York: Harper Trophy. ISBN:0380314021. 283 pages.

Summary and Evaluation: The first in the series (so far there are 7!) about Mia Thermopolis, a simple New York girl who suddenly finds out she's heir to the small country of Genovia. While other girls might be overjoyed with this news, Mia just wants to keep it secret since she's already seen as gawky and awkward within her school. Still, she makes a deal with her father that she will take "Princess Lessons" with her grandmother (a woman who's eyeliner is tattooed on and someone I imagined looked a bit like a female Yoda without the nice demeanor). These lessons force her to change her appearance, which puts a huge strain on her best friendship with Lilly, since she won't tell Lilly the truth about why she has begun to be driven around in a limo among other things.

On top of the Lilly drama and the Princess mayhem, Mia's love life is nonexistent. Meanwhile Mia's mother (her parents are not married or together) has been dating Mia's algebra teacher--the one subject Mia is failing. One of the best moments in the book is when Mia walks into the kitchen of her house only to find her mom in a bathrobe and algebra teacher in his boxers. With Lilly not speaking to her, the only person she can tell is Lilly's brother, Michael.

Told in diary format, Mia's voice is very humorous, and at times candid. Interspersed between entries are random To-Do lists, algebra problems and instant messages. While I was initially apprehensive of reading this book that spawned two Disney movies, this was a quick and fun read, and I had trouble putting it down. I've heard mixed reviews of the follow up books, so I am not sure I will pursue further books in the series (though I am curious if she and Michael get together), but I would certainly pass this book on to those in search of a romantic comedy.

Booktalk: Because of the movies, this book would be easy to link to those, especially making a comparative difference between the Grandmere in the book and the Julie Andrew's version. It would be nice to use a tiara during the talk, if I had one. Also, I could read have the audience try their luck at being a Princess by taking all or part of "Grandmere's Text" (pp. 167-169).