The Princess in Black and the Mysterious Playdate Hardcover – Illustrated, September 5, 2017

My niece loves this series. She's 4 and a half and really enjoys having chapter books (that we read to her). You can get a little breathless when she says, "again" at the end but it's a pretty fast read to do the whole book. I also wanted a comic book starter book for her since I love comics and this was recommended. It isn't written in panels, but it does have that superhero dynamic. Plus, a million extra points for having a female protagonist! The writing is also fun and quirky. There's usually a word choice or phrase or two in each book that makes me laugh. She laughs even more. It's also fun to shout, "EAT GOATS!" Try it next time you're in an elevator with strangers.

I am a Literacy Coach for K-2nd graders. I struggle to find high interest trade books to meet the needs of kids moving out of beginning readers and into more advanced books like Julie B. Jones. This whole series is a SLAM DUNK! I have yet to encounter a kid, boy or girl, who didn't immediately engage in this book!

One of the things that I love most about this series is the idea that anyone can become a hero no matter how rough around the edges you might be. In this fifth book in the series, the Princess Magnolia finds herself up against a rather tricky foe. As she travels to visit Princess Sneezewort in a neighboring kingdom, a monster has, unknown to her, hitched a ride on her carriage. As she and Princess Sneezewort enjoy their 'playdate' the monster attempts to eat several pets in a park nearby. Naturally, the Princess in Black rushes to the rescue, but this time she gets help from a surprising source. Princess Sneezewort, having read an article about the Princess in Black, is determined to be a hero, so she dons a disguise and rushes off to help as the Princess in Blankets. But the monster is particularly tricky and can change his shape. Only by working together, using their own unique talents, can the two princesses defeat this monster. Once again, the Hales have written a delightfully funny and adventurous story about following one's own path. Pham's illustrations are gorgeous and complement the story beautifully. A truly winning series that is bound to be loved by young readers.

I bought this book for my 7 year old, 1st grade, granddaughter. I was visiting for a week and she begged daily to read with me. She finished the book in 5 days. My grandma heart is over the moon! Another reader has been born!The key take aways from the reading teacher are: easy to sound out words that follow the rules, this particular book is great for practicing ea says e. Engaging text that made my granddaughter laugh. It really helps if you like what your reading. Just the perfect amount of sight words. Fabulous pictures, her 4 year old brother like to sit close so he could see the pictures. He loved looking for the hiding monsters. Shannon Hale thank you!

My 7 year old first grader LOVES these books. They are so fun inside with colorful pictures, the writing isn’t too small and the stories keep her wanting to read more. She reads each book in about two nights, And begs me to get her the next one. I ended up buying the whole series on here because she was so excited to read the next book once she finished one of them. I was so excited to see her so excited about reading and not wanting to put down these books.

One of the other parents in my circle highly recommended this series for my very girly but karate loving daughter. It's a HUGE hit with her! She absolutely loves the Princess In Black books and comments really often how great she thinks it is that there's a super hero series about girls like her (ultra feminine, ultra tough)! The characters and and the situational humor are really a win for her! After buying the first book, we went ahead and purchased the rest of the series. We highly recommend that you do the same for the princesses (or princes) in your life!

My 6 year old was in that transition between reading picture books and chapter books. She wasn't really wanting to read the chapter books. I found the first of these Princess in Black books at the store and decided to give it a try. And she's hooked! It is simple enough that she is able to read most of the words on her own. But still has the occasional picture to make it less "boring" on the surface. And the stories themselves are pretty easy to follow for early readers. They have been successful in our home!

Princess in black series has been my daughter's favorite series for two years. She absolutely has loves growing with these characters and this playdate was great because she loves princess Sneezewort! I love the chapter books with full color pictures and streamlined story making it easy to read lengthy full story books stressing me daughter's reading intelligence.Shannon Happy is a favorite in our house as my husband loves the comics she writes for.

My 6 year old daughter absolutely LOVES these stories! A brilliant and satisfying chapter book for first readers! As a teacher I would say that these are ideal for 6-7 year olds as this is the level that you’d hope a child would be by the end of year 2. Might be a bit earlier or later obviously, depending on the child’s reading ability.

We find these books perfect for our little girl with dyslexia, she has more confidence now because they are easier to read and follow

Really recommended for getting kids reading on their own, short chapters, lots of pictures. Age 6-10 I'd say. My daughter loves these, she was 8, now 9.

Gift

Great books for young children