Princess and the Absolutely Not a Princess (Miranda and Maude #1)

Emma Wunsch has written movie reviews for The Washington Free Press, worked in a used bookstore, taught college-level writing, and published short fiction and journalism in a variety of publications including The Best of Bellevue Literary Review. In a starred review of her YA debut, The Movie Version, Publishers Weekly called Wunsch "a writer to watch." This is her first chapter book. She lives in Lebanon, New Hampshire, with her husband and two daughters.Jessika von Innerebner is an artist who's worked with clients including Disney, Nickelodeon, Highlights Magazine, and Fisher Price. She lives in Kelowna, Canada, and enjoys dancing, long-boarding, and traveling. www.jessvoni.com

This series opener is a short and sweet chapter book, decorated with von Innerebner's child-friendly illustrations as well as the drawings that Maude makes in her journal. Wunsch weaves in lessons of empathy and withholding judgment in an accessible, nonpreachy way. She ably captures and expresses feelings of misunderstanding and loneliness, all while creating laugh-out-loud scenes in which the girls ramp up the competition . . . This unlikely combination of royalty and social justice delivers fun, learning, and laughs.