The Birthday Ball, by Lois Lowry
Sixteen year-old Princess Patricia Priscilla and her cat Delicious are absolutely bored with castle life and seek to have an adventure outside the castle walls before the princess' upcoming birthday ball, when she will have to select one of the awful noblemen to marry. Trading places with her chambermaid and disguised as a peasant, Patricia attends the village school and makes friends with the locals. A very funny read for grades 3 and up, one that a parent and child would enjoy reading together. As in The Willoughbys, Lowry doesn't shy away from larger words, which add to the humorous descriptions and dialogue in the story. The characters (especially the less than appealing suitors) are brought to life with fabulous ink illustrations by Jules Feiffer.
-Deirdre
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