The Princess vs the Mediator
Meg Cabot, of Princess Diary fame, has written about more than Princess Mia. Her geeky girl turned royalty series captured the imagination of many a tween (and Disney studios.) Surprisingly, these admitedly fun books aren't her best work! Protaganist Princess Mia is like fluffy pink cotton candy when compared to the rich chocolate mousse of the lead characters in the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You series. Or maybe those ladies are more like Ruby Tuesday's Chocolate Tall Cake, that glorious connfection of devil's food cake and chocolate mousse topped with caramel, ice cream, oreos, fudge sauce and whipped cream. Mmmm.
But I digress. In any case, I think it is a shame that Cabot's most famous novels aren't actually her best. If you have a teenager in your life who enjoys a good read, be sure to give her a copy of Cabot's Teen Idol, or All-American Girl. Each of these stand-alone novels feature spunky everyman characters. Of course in this case they are everywoman, which, in my opinion is all the better. Don't hesitate to read these gems yourself. I've found more and more that there are great literary treasures to be found in the young adult and teenage sections of your local bookstore or libary. If you aren't quite brave enough to venture into the kiddie sections, never fear! Meg has made forays into adult lit, too. Look for Boy Meets Girl, or Every Boy's Got one in the big girl's romance sections.
Since you are reading this blog on a computer in the first place, you may also be interested in Meg's message board, co-moderated by another great author, Tamora Pierce. http://www.sheroescentral.com/ and sister site http://www.sheroesfans.com/ are all about grrl power, and offer discussion forums for fans of the books, as well as empowering tidbits and facts about women through the ages.
I haveto admit that I have not yet read any of the adult books I've listed here. They are on my "to read list," but will have to wait. Right now I'm head to Ruby Tuesday's for a Chocolate Tall Cake. Mmmm.
But I digress. In any case, I think it is a shame that Cabot's most famous novels aren't actually her best. If you have a teenager in your life who enjoys a good read, be sure to give her a copy of Cabot's Teen Idol, or All-American Girl. Each of these stand-alone novels feature spunky everyman characters. Of course in this case they are everywoman, which, in my opinion is all the better. Don't hesitate to read these gems yourself. I've found more and more that there are great literary treasures to be found in the young adult and teenage sections of your local bookstore or libary. If you aren't quite brave enough to venture into the kiddie sections, never fear! Meg has made forays into adult lit, too. Look for Boy Meets Girl, or Every Boy's Got one in the big girl's romance sections.
Since you are reading this blog on a computer in the first place, you may also be interested in Meg's message board, co-moderated by another great author, Tamora Pierce. http://www.sheroescentral.com/ and sister site http://www.sheroesfans.com/ are all about grrl power, and offer discussion forums for fans of the books, as well as empowering tidbits and facts about women through the ages.
I haveto admit that I have not yet read any of the adult books I've listed here. They are on my "to read list," but will have to wait. Right now I'm head to Ruby Tuesday's for a Chocolate Tall Cake. Mmmm.
posted by Talia @ 7:02 PM
1 Comments:
At 10:42 AM,
Talia said…
Nothing screwy in that question. I really enjoyed Anne Hathaway's portrayal as Princess Mia, and Julie Andrews is always a pleasure. Yet the books just have so much more to offer. In fact, by the time you get to the third or fourth book, Mia's crazy best friend goes on a rampage over a "made for TV movie" about them that she doesn't feel is fair. It is a riot to see the movie skewered by the very characters it is about, even in this subtle manner.
Post a Comment
<< Home