Alissa, Princess of Arcadia

I loved these books when I was ten, and eight years later I still do. they give a great look at medieval times, and young girls in particular, will enjoy watching Alissa grow up and become have fun at the same time.

This is the first book about Alissa from the Stardust Classics series. The Alissa books are about the adventures of a ten-year-old girl who is the princess of Arcadia, a Medieval fantasy kingdom. As the only child of the king, Alissa will one day be the queen of Arcadia, a Medieval-esque fantasy kingdom. She recently had her tenth birthday, and her life has changed as a result. Instead of being able to spend her days having fun, she must learn etiquitte with her great aunts. And with an important alliance ceremony with a neighboring kingdom coming up, in which Alissa will play a role, there is extra pressure to learn to become a proper princess. Then she meets a wizard, Balin, who lives in a secret room in the castle. He begins to give her lessons in magic, which she is eager to learn. However, Balin foresees that a danger threatens the alliance and could lead to war for Arcadia, and he believes Alissa is the only one who can find who the villain is. Will she solve the riddle in time? This is a good fantasy story for young girls. The character of Alissa will appeal to them; she is a strong female character. The setting of the kingdom is not described much, and the story is very simple, but young girls, including reluctant readers, are sure to enjoy this book, and want to read the rest of the books about Alissa's adventures.

My daughter, a tough critic, enjoyed these books so much that she has asked for the entire Stardust Classics series. I was delighted! The books portray strong characters in fairytale settings. The books are wholesome, imaginative, and well-written. Highly recommended.