Happily Ever After [Hardcover]

Anna Quindlen (Author), James Stevenson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1997 | Age Level: 6 and up

One day, while holding her treasured baseball mitt, Kate makes a wish. And poof! -- she turns into a princess in a fairy tale. But being a princess isn't at all what Kate imagined. Before long, she's fighting off dragons, entertaining witches, and teaching the ladies-in-waiting how to play baseball. With Kate around, fairy tale land will never be the same again!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Eight-year-old Kate is a tomboy, but not your typical tomboy. She loves baseball and hates wearing dresses, but she can often be found in her room reading a good old fairy tale and imagining herself as the beautiful princess. One day, while dreamily staring at the princess's crown, Kate magically wishes herself into the fairy tale. Now Kate is the princess and she will soon find out that being royalty isn't all that it's cracked up to be. After rescuing herself from the evil knight (the "wimp" of a prince couldn't manage this on his own), teaching a witch and troll to play jacks, and training her ladies-in-waiting in the art of baseball, Kate finds the princess life pretty dull and wishes her way back home. Kate realizes that being her old tomboy self, minus the crown, isn't so bad, and in fact it's pretty great. Author Anna Quindlen's charming story will appeal to all children interested in dragons, knights, adventures, and living happily ever after. (Ages 5 to 9)

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4. Kate is a fourth grader who plays shortstop for her Little League team and runs faster than anyone in her class. She also loves fairy tales. One day while reading with her Aunt Mary's "very special" baseball mitt under her pillow, Kate wishes she were a princess and is granted her wish. However, she discovers quickly that being a princess isn't all it's cracked up to be: the handsome prince is rather wimpy and castle life is boring. After saving herself from the requisite dragon, witch, and black knight, Kate teaches the Ladies-in-Waiting and serving maids to play baseball and then happily returns to the present. The clever text is short and simple, subtly contrasting the different roles of a girl growing up in medieval and modern times. Kate is an insouciant and likable heroine, brought to life admirably by Stevenson's humorous illustrations. The theme is no longer new, but this is a lively and entertaining treatment.?Judith Constantinides, East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile; First Edition edition (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670869619
• ISBN-13: 978-0670869619
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,630,400 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Fairy Tale for Girls, May 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Happily Ever After (Hardcover)

I love this book and have read it more than 10 times. One reason I like this book is because the main character, Kate, has mixed interests. She's a good athlete, and a tomboy, but also likes fairy tales. She's a real girl and not a goody two-shoes. The plot has lots of twists but is fun to follow. Kate is funny and shows the medieval court subjects that girls can be more than princesses. Every time I read this book, I feel like I am in the story, watching Kate. This book is like eating my favorite dessert and I love it!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars And You Thought She was a Normal Girl, March 26, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Happily Ever After (Puffin Chapters) (Mass Market Paperback)

I loved Happily Ever After. I think that Kate spoke very differently from the people in the story and she taught them a lot.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A BEAUTY OF A BOOK, March 3, 2004

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Happily Ever After (Hardcover)

She's adorable; she's audacious; she's fairy-tale-loving, tomboy Kate in Pulitzer Prize winning Anna Quindlen's Happily Ever After, illus. by James Stevenson.

When Kate's wish to be a princess comes true, she straightens up a kingdom by popping the black knight with a chamber pot and teaching the Serving Maids how to play baseball.

Undaunted by a dragon, she reminds us that living happily ever after is being who we are.