The princess in black and the mermaid princess by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale. Illus. by LeUyen Pham

This is a wonderfully powerful series that turns the much-loved princess concept of young girls into one of agency, adventure and comraderie. This latest instalment sees the sassy Princess in Black and her friends the Princess in Blankets and the Goat Avenger delighted to meet a mermaid princess named Princess Posy. When Princess Posy finds out her new friends are heroes she asks for their help to protect the sea goats in her kingdom from being eaten by the hungry Kraken. It comes to light that Princess Posy is so busy following her princess rule of being nice to everyone that she isn't using her voice to speak up and make positive changes in her kingdom. With the support of the Princess in Black and her friends, Princess Posy learns that she already has the skills to manage her kingdom. 

Full-colour illustrations and short chunks of text make these books ideal for newly independent readers. They are quirky, humorous and full of action. Most importantly, they contain incredibly positive female role-models but still cater to the many princess and mermaid lovers in this age group. It's a modern tale with a fairytale feel that will please and delight both adults and children.

Themes: Mermaids, Heroes, Speaking Up, Princesses.

Nicole Nelson