April 1, 2004
In the fifth book in Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries series, Princess in Pink, high school drama centers on the prom for Mia Thermopolis and her friends. A citywide strike threatens the very existence of the prom (which, horrifically, Mia's boyfriend isn't even interested in attending) and various friendships are tested.
October 1, 2004
Gr 5-9 -The fifth installment of the Princess Diaries series (HarperCollins, 2004) finds Mia Thermapolis, high school freshman and Genovian princess, encountering many of the same dilemmas she did in the previous four books. There are more princess lessons, never-ending algebra homework, the elusive accomplishment of reaching self-actualization, and a crises or two with her boyfriend Michael. However, things are beginning to look up for Mia. She is the newest staff member on the school's newspaper, albeit in charge of the weekly lunch menu, and her 15th birthday is only days away and so is Michael's senior prom. Unfortunately, Mia's obsession about attending the prom appears to be all for naught as Michael would rather go bowling than attend a "lame" dance. This shocking announcement is a precursor of things to come. During Mia's birthday dinner at a high class French restaurant, Grandmere's hairless toy poodle creates panic among the customers, causing a busboy to drop a tray of lobster bisque onto Grandmere. When the busboy is fired, Mia's best friend, Lilly, promptly organizes a service worker's strike, which in turn causes the cancellation of the prom. In the end, everything works out to Mia's satisfaction. Narrator Clea Lewis, returns as the perfect voice of Princess Mia while maintaining the ability to shift flawlessly between supporting characters. Author Meg Cabot continues to accurately portray the roller coaster emotional ride between the lows of teen angst and highs of teen love in this continuing saga. Libraries circulating the previous books in this series should continue to meet the demands of Cabot's fans with this lighthearted adventure.-Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH
Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
April 25, 2005
In the fifth book in the Princess Diaries series, high school drama centers on the prom for Mia Thermopolis and her friends. A citywide strike threatens the very existence of the prom and various friendships are tested. Ages 12-up.