‘Is it morning?’ Marda leaned up on one arm and squinted at the firelight. The orange light brightened, pushing his huge shadow against the wall.

Pa stirred the hearth embers and added goat dung. She pulled her wool leggings and shirt over her sleep clothes, but she had not yet laced her first boot when a crunch of pea-pods told her that someone else had awakened. For a week she had harboured an anxious hope to run to the quarry today and be already at work when her pa arrived. Wincing at the rustle of her pea-pod mattress, Miri stood and stepped carefully over her pa and older sister, Marda, asleep on their pallets. This time of year, all the villagers felt the rush for the last trading of the season, to hurry and square off a few more linder blocks and make that much more to trade, that much more to eat during the snow-locked months. Her father believed today was the day their wagons would squeeze up the mountain pass and rumble into the village. Then she remembered the traders, kicked off her blanket, and sat up. Though still half asleep, she was aware of the late autumn chill hovering just outside her blanket, and she wanted to curl up tighter and sleep like a bear through frost and night and day. The world was as dark as eyes closed, but perhaps the goats could smell dawn seeping through the cracks in the house’s stone walls. Miri woke to the sleepy bleating of a goat.

We're both really looking forward to reading more about Miri and her adventures. My daughter was so sad to see the book end, and then she was very excited when I told her that this is actually just the first book in the series! We can't wait to get started on the second book, and are actually going to the bookstore tomorrow to pick it up. The story itself was so enjoyable to read.

She is exactly the kind of role model I want for my daughter - someone open-minded, sensitive, driven, intelligent, kind, and thoughtful. That is what Princess Academy was for both me and my daughter.I really enjoyed reading about Miri. It's a rare and wonderful discovery to find a book that not only has a strong solo-female lead, but is beautifully written and fun to read. A lot of adventure stories are either about boys, or they pair a boy with a girl. I like to read her classics, and as she gets older, she likes to hear about people having adventures. Since before she was born, I have read out loud to her every single night before bed, and we really enjoy that time together. I chose this book to read out loud to my daughter.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale