The Princess Pawn by Maggie L. Wood Date of Publication: 2003 ISBN: 1894549295 Number of Pages: 299

REQUIRED READING ABILITY: Average
GENRES: Fantasy, Adventure
THEMES: Family, Coming of Age, Appearance versus Reality, Good versus Evil, Prejudice, Isolation

SUMMARY:
Willow thinks she is just an ordinary 14-year-old. Just like any typical high school student, she is concerned with clothes, boys, friends, and fitting in. Being 5’9” doesn’t help.

Over the years she has listened to her grandmother's stories of a princess from the enchanted realm of Mistolear. Now her grandmother is getting older and is in failing health. Upon her death, Willow is transported from Earthworld to Mistolear. There she discovers that she is Princess Willow, heir to the throne of Gallandra, and that her Nana was really Nurse Beryl, who had been entrusted with the young princess’ safekeeping years earlier.

Mistolear is under attack, and an evil elf prince named Nezeral has turned people into chess pieces. The “Game spell” is just like real chess, where the queens have all the power. As this game is played, the players are disappearing, and the only one who can stop the evil game is Willow.

With the help of three friends, Willow eventually wins the game and defeats Nezeral, and her family changes from chess pieces back to their natural forms. Willow realizes her full potential as a spell-caster and a princess, and learns to accept who she is and be proud of it.

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...

• marches to his or her own drum
• is struggling with self-identity and how to fit in
• likes the strategies involved in the game of chess
• like medieval stories about kings and queens
  

WHAT ELSE?
This is a 2005 Red Maple Award Nominee and was nominated for the Canadian Library Association’s YA Book of the Year in 2004. It is the first published young adult book by Maggie Woods, though she’s working on a sequel. It has some interesting things to say about where we learn prejudice, and students who love fantasy and fairy tales should appreciate the author’s interpretation of these genres.

RELATED LINK:
Author's Website