Emily's Tiara Trouble

May 1, 2016

Gr 3-5-An Australian import from a debut author about four 10-year-old best friends. A diverse group of girls (Emily the mathematician, Bella the architect, Grace the jock, and Chloe the scientist) are determined to turn the princess stereotype on its head. In Emily's Tiara Trouble, the girls form the Anti-Princess Club, whose motto is "We Don't Need Rescuing," and begin to develop missions that support their goals. These missions are established with each girl in mind and completed within each book of the series. In Bella's Backyard Bullies, the Anti-Princess Club develops a huge Internet following and becomes the target of bullies. While the girls go after the bullies who destroy their clubhouse, they display bullying tendencies as they do so, which confuses the message for young readers. Australian slang and spellings make this series difficult to read at times but not prohibitively so. Though there is a need for powerful female characters, this series doesn't quite hit the mark, highlighting power through righteousness rather than unity. VERDICT A little more balance is necessary to make this a successful series. Look elsewhere.-Lisa Nabel, Dayton Metro Library, OH

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