The Princess in Black and the Mysterious Playdate

My daughter thought this was the funniest one yet! She loved it.

One of the things that I love most about this series is the idea that anyone can become a hero no matter how rough around the edges you might be. In this fifth book in the series, the Princess Magnolia finds herself up against a rather tricky foe. As she travels to visit Princess Sneezewort in a neighboring kingdom, a monster has, unknown to her, hitched a ride on her carriage. As she and Princess Sneezewort enjoy their 'playdate' the monster attempts to eat several pets in a park nearby. Naturally, the Princess in Black rushes to the rescue, but this time she gets help from a surprising source. Princess Sneezewort, having read an article about the Princess in Black, is determined to be a hero, so she dons a disguise and rushes off to help as the Princess in Blankets. But the monster is particularly tricky and can change his shape. Only by working together, using their own unique talents, can the two princesses defeat this monster. Once again, the Hales have written a delightfully funny and adventurous story about following one's own path. Pham's illustrations are gorgeous and complement the story beautifully. A truly winning series that is bound to be loved by young readers.

My 7 year old first grader LOVES these books. They are so fun inside with colorful pictures, the writing isn’t too small and the stories keep her wanting to read more. She reads each book in about two nights, And begs me to get her the next one. I ended up buying the whole series on here because she was so excited to read the next book once she finished one of them. I was so excited to see her so excited about reading and not wanting to put down these books.

I bought this book for my 7 year old, 1st grade, granddaughter. I was visiting for a week and she begged daily to read with me. She finished the book in 5 days. My grandma heart is over the moon! Another reader has been born! The key take aways from the reading teacher are: easy to sound out words that follow the rules, this particular book is great for practicing ea says e. Engaging text that made my granddaughter laugh. It really helps if you like what your reading. Just the perfect amount of sight words. Fabulous pictures, her 4 year old brother like to sit close so he could see the pictures. He loved looking for the hiding monsters. Shannon Hale thank you!

We love the princess in black series!!!

My kids LOVE these books. This one is a great addition to the set. 5 stars. HOWEVER, I returned this paperback after buying it here on Amazon because it's a bigger size than the paperbacks we already have. I guess when you order through the scholastic book orders at school they have smaller books. I wanted this new one to match the rest of our set. Hope that helps anyone else who has ordered other books through your school.

My daughter received the 1st book as a Christmas gift. We read it in a couple nights! She was in love. It will also be a great option for when she is reading independently

My niece loves this series. She's 4 and a half and really enjoys having chapter books (that we read to her). You can get a little breathless when she says, "again" at the end but it's a pretty fast read to do the whole book. I also wanted a comic book starter book for her since I love comics and this was recommended. It isn't written in panels, but it does have that superhero dynamic. Plus, a million extra points for having a female protagonist! The writing is also fun and quirky. There's usually a word choice or phrase or two in each book that makes me laugh. She laughs even more. It's also fun to shout, "EAT GOATS!" Try it next time you're in an elevator with strangers.

Very cute series. My 6 year old can read the whole book in one sitting. She doesn’t want to put it down. Can’t wait for books 7 and 8 to come out. I’ve recommended it several times and they fall in love with these books too. Also look into Diana Princess of the Amazon’s

My 6 year old was in that transition between reading picture books and chapter books. She wasn't really wanting to read the chapter books. I found the first of these Princess in Black books at the store and decided to give it a try. And she's hooked! It is simple enough that she is able to read most of the words on her own. But still has the occasional picture to make it less "boring" on the surface. And the stories themselves are pretty easy to follow for early readers. They have been successful in our home!

My daughter thought this was the funniest one yet! She loved it.

One of the things that I love most about this series is the idea that anyone can become a hero no matter how rough around the edges you might be. In this fifth book in the series, the Princess Magnolia finds herself up against a rather tricky foe. As she travels to visit Princess Sneezewort in a neighboring kingdom, a monster has, unknown to her, hitched a ride on her carriage. As she and Princess Sneezewort enjoy their 'playdate' the monster attempts to eat several pets in a park nearby. Naturally, the Princess in Black rushes to the rescue, but this time she gets help from a surprising source. Princess Sneezewort, having read an article about the Princess in Black, is determined to be a hero, so she dons a disguise and rushes off to help as the Princess in Blankets. But the monster is particularly tricky and can change his shape. Only by working together, using their own unique talents, can the two princesses defeat this monster. Once again, the Hales have written a delightfully funny and adventurous story about following one's own path. Pham's illustrations are gorgeous and complement the story beautifully. A truly winning series that is bound to be loved by young readers.

My 7 year old first grader LOVES these books. They are so fun inside with colorful pictures, the writing isn’t too small and the stories keep her wanting to read more. She reads each book in about two nights, And begs me to get her the next one. I ended up buying the whole series on here because she was so excited to read the next book once she finished one of them. I was so excited to see her so excited about reading and not wanting to put down these books.

I bought this book for my 7 year old, 1st grade, granddaughter. I was visiting for a week and she begged daily to read with me. She finished the book in 5 days. My grandma heart is over the moon! Another reader has been born! The key take aways from the reading teacher are: easy to sound out words that follow the rules, this particular book is great for practicing ea says e. Engaging text that made my granddaughter laugh. It really helps if you like what your reading. Just the perfect amount of sight words. Fabulous pictures, her 4 year old brother like to sit close so he could see the pictures. He loved looking for the hiding monsters. Shannon Hale thank you!

We love the princess in black series!!!

My kids LOVE these books. This one is a great addition to the set. 5 stars. HOWEVER, I returned this paperback after buying it here on Amazon because it's a bigger size than the paperbacks we already have. I guess when you order through the scholastic book orders at school they have smaller books. I wanted this new one to match the rest of our set. Hope that helps anyone else who has ordered other books through your school.

My daughter received the 1st book as a Christmas gift. We read it in a couple nights! She was in love. It will also be a great option for when she is reading independently

My niece loves this series. She's 4 and a half and really enjoys having chapter books (that we read to her). You can get a little breathless when she says, "again" at the end but it's a pretty fast read to do the whole book. I also wanted a comic book starter book for her since I love comics and this was recommended. It isn't written in panels, but it does have that superhero dynamic. Plus, a million extra points for having a female protagonist! The writing is also fun and quirky. There's usually a word choice or phrase or two in each book that makes me laugh. She laughs even more. It's also fun to shout, "EAT GOATS!" Try it next time you're in an elevator with strangers.

Very cute series. My 6 year old can read the whole book in one sitting. She doesn’t want to put it down. Can’t wait for books 7 and 8 to come out. I’ve recommended it several times and they fall in love with these books too. Also look into Diana Princess of the Amazon’s

My 6 year old was in that transition between reading picture books and chapter books. She wasn't really wanting to read the chapter books. I found the first of these Princess in Black books at the store and decided to give it a try. And she's hooked! It is simple enough that she is able to read most of the words on her own. But still has the occasional picture to make it less "boring" on the surface. And the stories themselves are pretty easy to follow for early readers. They have been successful in our home!

My daughter (7) loves these books! Very cute and fun. Great for beginner readers.

This book was great for my kindergartener!

Such a cute book. It’s my 5-year olds favorite of all the Princess in Black books—and pretty much all books. She loves this book!

My 3 1/2 year old granddaughter loves this series! They are a bedtime favorite, and she feels so grown up because they are chapter books. The characters' names are humorous and she delights in retelling the stories about them to me.

Great book series for 1st- 2nd grade readers

These books are so cute! My daughters love them, I got the new one for them for Christmas. It’s so nice to have a girl princess super hero, and they’re funny too. We really enjoy reading these together!

Princess in black series has been my daughter's favorite series for two years. She absolutely has loves growing with these characters and this playdate was great because she loves princess Sneezewort! I love the chapter books with full color pictures and streamlined story making it easy to read lengthy full story books stressing me daughter's reading intelligence. Shannon Happy is a favorite in our house as my husband loves the comics she writes for.

Love the princess in black! My girls love her, and her dual personality. Received as a gift and then bought as a gift as we love them so. Fun to read and our 6yo friend enjoyed reading them to herself.

My 6&7 year old love this series

Such a cute story, my daughter LOVES this series.

My children love this series! It has adventure, intrigue, and lots of fun! I like that the text is mostly fairly simple and easy for children to read, but it also introduces some higher level vocabulary that is fun to discuss. I keep buying these as soon as they come out. My kids eat them up.

We love the Princess in Black stories. They are a great transition between picture books and chapter books because the story is longer but it has pictures on every page! My five year old wants to be the princess in black for halloween. This story did not disappoint and was a fun addition to the series.

My daughter loves the series- even though she’s older we can’t get enough of Shannon Hales quality of writing. I recommend this book series to any girl that is in the 1st, 2nd grade, or even just an easy quick read for someone in 3rd (even though the reading level is more appropriate for 1st, 2). Recommended

My great=granddaughter has all the Shannon Hale "Princess in Black" stories and she can't wait for the next book!!! The stories are intriguing and captivating!!!! The illustrations are perfect!!!! The colors and words and pictures all make for delightful and very enjoyable reading. Dear Shannon Hale...PLEASE KEEP THESE DELIGHTFUL BOOKS COMING!!! Thanks!!!!!

I am a Literacy Coach for K-2nd graders. I struggle to find high interest trade books to meet the needs of kids moving out of beginning readers and into more advanced books like Julie B. Jones. This whole series is a SLAM DUNK! I have yet to encounter a kid, boy or girl, who didn't immediately engage in this book!

8 year old granddaughters loked this book. Will get her the next in the series

My 6 year old loves the combination of super hero and princess. She can read alone. As soon as we got the book, she wanted to read it on the way to school and afterwards. Great gift idea for 6 year old girl!

❤️❤️❤️ Got my niece her missing books. She cried. Best response ever for this book giving aunt.

My girls 5 & 4 love the princess in black series and this was no exception. We read it in 2 nights and they asked to read it again the next day. Highly recommend this series for kids that are moving past early readers but are not quite ready for lengthy chapter books yet

This series is great. The pictures are fabulous, the story is fun and compelling, and the heroines are funny and smart. We have the whole series, and this one did not disappoint. They're great for reading out loud and perfect for independent readers and emerging readers to engage with.

my daughter and son both love these books and ask me to read them on a weekly basis. They are well enough written that I do not mind the re-reads. I was excited for Princess snodgrass to get in on the action. Looking forward to the next book.

The Princess in Black series is great for early readers who are able to read longer chapters, but still need or enjoy the larger print and lots of photos. The pictures and interesting story line have kept my reluctant reader interested and progressing.

My 7 year old LOVES this series. She cannot put the books down. She loves to read, but does not usually sit for too long. These books are perfect for an adventurous princess kind of girl!

Book arrived in great condition. My kids love all of the Princess in Black books!

My daughter loves these books! Great quality soft cover book, lots of colorful art, fun story!

We absolutely adore this series. My 9 year old daughter, my husband, and I all find them funny. My daughter now reads them to us, or without us, and there is a lot of re-reading happening! More please!

My 6 year old daughter LOVES this series! She keeps all 5 in her backpack and reads them throughout the day. Great chapter book to encourage her to read books! Cause princesses can also be superheroes. :)

Great book

My granddaughter has all the books in this series, even though she's reading above this level she enjoys them, and that's always a plus in my book. She's already asking about the next book.

My daughter loves these books! She's 6 so she is starting to read on her own, so these are still a bit above her reading level but we enjoy reading them for bedtime. This is one spunky princess!

My daughter is right in between reading picture books and chapter books. These books are a great way to transition to chapter books, and they have fun and engaging stories.

Great price! Wonderful first chapter books for 5 year old +.

Great series, especially for grades Pre-K to 3.

These are such cute books, we love the fun story! The book arrived in perfect condition & has very sturdy thick pages.

I am buying two sets as they get released, for both of my grand daughter. They can be read to at night and as they learn to read, they can read again on their own.

My 2nd grader enjoys reading this series.

The kid loves the pictures and storyline.

Great books for ninja princesses like my kiddo. She does karate in a dress so these books are perfect for her.

My 5 year old loves this series! I have a feeling she will still love it in a couple years when she can read it by herself.

My almost 4 year old is obsessed with these books! Thank you for writing such a great series to intro kids into chapter books. Twinkle twinkle little smash!

I love that the Princess in Black is a strong female character, my nieces love her adventures!

My granddaughter loves these books

Great story

This series is exciting and adorable that my 6 year old loves! Can't wait for Sept. when the next one comes out

This is a great beginner book for introducing kids to chapter books. We were at a fair and the library was giving away new books, the librarian helped my daughter pick out this series. My problem with this book is that the horse is named “blacky”… I’ve tried to get over it… but I can’t. It doesn’t even sound right coming out of anyone’s mouth. I get that she’s the princess in black, but why not name the freaking horse midnight??? Or shadow??? I’m whiting out the name and changing it to midnight and we’ll have to find a different series.

Great price and this is one of my daughter's favorite series. Great for a first grader!

My 5-year-old loves the snappy text and pictures in this series. It's fun for grownups to read, too!

My daughter is in 2nd grade and she loves this series and she reads them so quickly!

strong female character...easy to read for my 8 year old...as a read aloud, would probably work for ages 4-8

My kid love it.

My grand daughter loves this series of books. They’re very cute stories. She’s seven years old and is very into chapter books.

Love these books. Great for our ninja princess kid.

My daughter loves it. we read and re-read the entire series. she loved this story too.

My kids love this series. It is a quick read for them. The kids find the stories funny.

My daughter couldn't put this down when she opened it on Christmas. So glad to have another book in this series!

Satisfied

My 8-year old LOVES this series. Great job to the author/illustrators. Keep making more!

My kids can't get enough of this series. Fun stories, cute pictures. Love them.

Great books for girls when you are looking for engaging early chapter books with female protagonists without purely superficial story-lines.

love this series! great for a reader ready for easy first chapter books, and the princess in black rocks!

Love this book for my daughter. Will buy more if they have a series

My daughter who is 6 years says this is her favourite series!

My grandkids love these books and they are fun to read to them. I hope there will be more!

My 5-year-old daughter loves this series. We read it out loud to her. My 8 year old niece loved reading them herself.

My 5-year old girl loves this series! She started reading 6 months ago.

Good plot, good mix of pictures and words, my 6y/o girls love these books!

Great book

Good books in series granddaughter loves them she is 7 and read Spanish and English

7 year old loves this series. Cute books.

These are greatest little series of books! My daughter loves them!

My granddaughter loves this series!

My 5 years loves the book. Nice read before bedtime.

Absolute perfection!!!

This is my little girl’s favorite series!

My 5 yr old adores this series!

Cute story. Bought as party favors for party.

My granddaughter loves this book.

My 9 year old loves these books

My granddaughter loves the series.

Gift for granddaughter. She loves this series.

Not sure why but kids love it!

This series is fantastic! My 5 year old loves it!!!

My third graders LOVE these books!

My 8 year old loves this series!

My daughter loves these books.

My daughter hates reading but she finished this book.

Six year old girl likes it.

Doesn't disappoint!

One of my daughter’s favorite series books!

My daughter loves these books!

Daughter loves the story

One of my daughters favorite book series (age 6)

Kids like the series

Cute story, just as good as the first.

Child was happy

Our six-year-old granddaughter loves this series.

Great book.

My granddaughter loves the series!

Good book

Princess Magnolia is a secret monster fighting princess. When she hears the monster alarm she changes into her superhero outfit and becomes ‘The Princess in Black’. One afternoon after sending another monster back to his world, the princess heads off for a playdate with her friend, Princess Sneezewort. What Princess Magnolia hadn’t realised was that another monster had crept out of his hole and was now following the Princess. He wanted to eat goats but would settle for anything that looked or smelt slightly like one. Whilst playing at Princess Sneezeworts castle the two hear screams coming from the park that a monster is there. Princess Sneezewort always wanted to be a hero and knows that she needs a disguise to become one, so she wraps herself in blankets and becomes ‘The Princess in Blankets’ and heads off to fight the monster, but when she arrives he has disappeared but The Princess in Black in there looking for the monster too. Can the two find the monster, keep their true identities from one another and finish their playdate? This is the second book that I have read featuring ‘The Princess in Black’, the first ‘The Princess in Black Takes a Holiday‘ I read back in July 2018. The books are written by husband and wife team, Shannon and Dean Hale. What I like about these stories is how they combine a fairytale-Esq book with a strong, confident, fighting female who is really a Princess and when she’s not fighting monsters can be found doing her royal duties. The story is enjoyable and the text is large for younger readers. The book is also filled with bright, colourful illustrations too which bring the monster fighting Princess to life. The whole plot was enjoyable and it’s wonderful to show that girls can be feminine and kick-ass. Book Reviewed on Whispering Stories Blog *I received a free copy of this book, which I voluntarily reviewed

I love these books. They are creative and engaging for both child and parent. I know that they are stretching our imaginations. Thank you. Great job!

The Princess in Black thinks all the monsters have been vanquished so she sets off for a playdate with Princess Sneezewort. But a sneaky monster has slipped past the Princess in Black and the Goat Avenger and is threatening the pets of the land. In the midst of Princess Magnolia and Princess Sneezewort's playdate, a cry for help is heard. The Princess in Black and the Princess in Blankets are trying to catch the monster, but it is pretty sneaky. Can they both keep their secret identities in tact and catch the monster and have a good playdate? Another delightful adventure with the Princess in Black. This is the sneakiest monster she's come across yet. Kids will love that they can find the monster hiding from the Princess in Black even though she can't seem to see it. I like the addition of the Princess in Blankets and her trusty steed too. They're very fun. A delightful superhero read for lower grades.

Wiggle your bum, shout "Calloo!" and do a victory dance for the fifth book in the Princess in Black series! Princess Magnolia is enjoying a playdate with Princess Sneezewort when the girls hear shouting and crying from a nearby park. Princess Magnolia excuses herself from the playdate so she can transform into the Princess in Black and save the day. Not wanting to ignore the needs of her kingdom, Princess Sneezewort whips up a disguise of blankets and dashes to the park to help. By the time the two heroes arrive the danger has passed - the goat-eating monster has disappeared. Or has he? This book is chock full of laugh-out-loud moments, nail-biting action and some seriously good dance moves, and the colorful illustrations complement the text perfectly.

While we (my 5 and 7 year old daughters and myself) love this whole series, this one is our particular favorite. We LOVE the princess in blankets! So funny and clever! These are a joy to read aloud to my daughters, but are also perfect for readers just beginning to read independently.

I really really really really really really love this book 📖, I think 💭 it rocks!😍😊😁😀😃😆🎸❤️💜❤️💖💗💖 Yay 😀 yay 😁 yay 😃

My 6 year old loved the book. The princess fighting monsters is her favorite and the best thing she says is they always save the day !!!

Book was not included in shipment that contained 2 other books.

This book is about princesses and people that fight monsters.😍😂❤️❤️❤️💕😎what’s not to like about that says Grace! Easy to read.

Such fun books! Love the language, they are fun to read with dramatic voices and accents. My 6 year old loves them!

4.5 stars. I read this with my 4 year old son and he wanted to read the entire thing in one sitting just like the rest of the books in the series. It was a really fun and sweet story. I liked seeing the princesses' friendship and how they worked together and my son loved finding the hidden monster throughout the story.

This was a very sweet book with princesses and monsters. Not scary at all. My 7 year old daughter and I devoured this book in one sitting. We could not put it down!

My granddaughter and I love this series

Kids

Love this book, but was delivered with gum on the front cover! Gross.

Definitely recommend great book great story really good with helping kids read and get the feel for chapter books!!

My daughter loves to read and even if she is not into princess she does like girls that are strong powerful and just amazing this series of books keeps you as a mom or dad also entertained I think we have most of the collection so far

My daughter absolutely adores this series, I had gotten a couple from an Usborne rep and she loved them so much she wanted the rest. I searched on here and they were slightly cheaper so I ordered the rest and my daughter has read them all within a few days and just keeps reading them. Thanks to the Author for a great series.

My 4 yo loves these. She has two and is asking for more. She may be a little young imo but will grow into them even more as she learns to read.

My 8 years old daughter loves this book a lot.

She enjoys them all. Great adventurous chapter books .

My daughter loves these books!!! Great book for boys or girls!

My kids love this book. We love the whole series. The book is fun and cute. Such a funny story. The pictures are great. My kids really enjoy the combination of the fun story and the pictures. We have read this book many times. This is a simple chapter book that my kids like to read themselves and together.

This book doesn't work on my daughter's Kindle when the first four books in the series did. If Amazon thinks I'm upgrading all the Kindles in my family for a new ebook format they will see my business move to Kobo.

My daughter loved it, and instead of me reading a story to her at night, she started reading to me.

These books are funny! Age appropriate and the perfect length to read in one sitting or a few chapters per night!