“The main message of the book is that our actions count, that we can change the future for better or worse. This book made me feel that what I do matters.”
BRONTE
“Do you like books that are funny and with great illustrations of monsters? Then The Princess in Black might just be what you’re looking for. It’s part of a series of books about Princess Magnolia. She looks like your normal princess for the most part – pink dress, golden crown, white stockings, lives in a castle – but Princess Magnolia has a secret: she’s actually a monster-fighting superhero-in-disguise! She has a glitterstone ring which goes off like an alarm when the monsters in her kingdom try to escape from their caves. Princess Magnolia swaps her pink frilly dress for a black mask and black cape and rides off on her horse, Blackie, and wrestles monsters back underground. It’s a really fun book, easy to read, and has LOTS of really great pictures that help tell the story. It’s a great book for boys or girls. The Princess in Black is not your normal princess, she even has some really cool ninja skills! I like that it’s part of a series of books, meaning once you have read one you can go and find all the other ones and read them too!”
“Are you tired of the princes in the story always rescuing the princesses? Are you sick of all the princesses wearing fancy pink dresses? Well if what I just said applies to you, then you will probably enjoy The Princess in Black. This story is about Princess Magnolia, who has a magic gemstone ring that lets her know when the kingdom is in trouble. She transforms into her secret alter ego, the Princess in Black, and confronts a big blue monster who tries to eat the kingdom’s adorable goats. Will she be able to stop him before the nosy duchess Wigtower discovers her secret identity? This book would be popular with kids around the ages of 6-7 years old, but I am 9 and I found it a bit young. Some of the reasons I say that are that the writing is pretty big, the monster isn’t that scary and while having a princess rescuer is good because it goes against the stereotype, she’s still a princess. On the plus side, it has a lot of action, good illustrations and it’s perfect for kids who are just getting into reading chapter books!”
Reviews by Felix and Clara
“The Letterbox Tree by Rebecca Lim and Kate Gordon is a story about hope, a reminder that we are all unique and powerful and that we can change the world. The two main characters, Bea and Nyx, live in Tasmania. They are so close to each other in distance but so far apart in time, one living in a beautiful green paradise and the other living in dry fire and flood-ravaged land. Through The Letterbox Tree, their friendship grows. The main message of the book is that our actions count, that we can change the future for better or worse. This book made me feel that what I do matters.”
“Do you like books about the future and friendship? Then The Letterbox Tree by Rebecca Lim and Kate Gordon could be a great book for you … I really enjoyed the great descriptions and how connected you feel to the story and the characters. It feels so real. I did find it a bit sad and scary sometimes because of this, but I also felt hopeful. The book really shows that what we do now can affect the future.”
“… Bea helps Nyx change her and Nyx’s future for the better. I found that this book wasn’t too easy or too hard to read. After reading the book, I feel like it is most suitable for children aged 10-12. I loved how the authors set the scene and how each chapter was a different character, and how we got an insight on both worlds.”
Reviews by Bronte, Alice and Molly
