The Fix-It Princess by Janeen Brian

Title: The Fix-It Princess

Author: Janeen Brian

Genre: Humour, Fantasy

Publisher: Walker Books

Published: 8^th March 2023

Format: Paperback

Pages: 160

Price: $17.99

Synopsis: A twisty-turny fantasy romp, with heart, humour, do-it-yourself projects and a singing dragon.

Two days ago, Mum-Queen and Dad-King happily flew off in the Wing-Thing that Princess Shona, the Fix-it Princess, had made them. Shona hasn’t sighted them since. And that’s a worry.

But Shona is a princess with a Can-Do attitude. After all, she isn’t called the Fix-it Princess for nothing. She is great at solving problems. Surely, the Fix-it Princess can work out a way to find a Wing-Thing and a pair of missing parents. Surely …

~*~

When Mum-Queen and Dad-King set off for their birthday celebration adventure in the Wing-Thing their daughter Princess Shona made them, they expect to be back soon. But two days later, they still haven’t come home. And Shona is worried. Everything is breaking, so before she sets off to find them, she uses her Fix-It skills to fix the castle and prepare herself for the search – to get what she needs. And Shona the Fix-It Princess is determined to find them. Shona is determined to find them, and fix things – including a dragon who can’t fly in this fun adventure.

Janeen Brian’s latest book is for junior readers and is very different to another of her books I read a while ago. Where Eloise and the Bucket of Stars is a fairly serious and mystical historical fiction novel for middle grade readers – typically eight-to-twelve-year-olds, The Fix-It Princess is aimed at readers who are beginning to emerge from shorter books into longer chapter books. So, it is a great book for a child to grow their reading confidence – alone, or with a parent, as it is also a wonderful read aloud to build language skills and enjoy a really good story.

Princess Shona is not the type of princess that everyone imagines. She can take care of herself, chase after chickens, and teach a dragon to fly again, and all before finding her parents – well, that’s if she can! This is such a fun story, turning the role of a princess on its head and giving it new life with a princess like Shona. She’s a great role model for girls – proving that even if a girl is a princess and wears dresses and maybe does some of the things that we expect girls to do – girls can still do things that society and stereotypes think they shouldn’t do. Showing girls doing all sorts of things in fiction is great because it allows kids of all ages and genders to understand that they can do anything and be whoever they want. They don’t need to be a certain way based on gender stereotypes.

I like books like this, that deviate from books that once posited boys and girls in certain roles, and even put dragons in certain roles. Spinning these expectations around shows that there are many possibilities when creating these characters in stories for all ages.

Janeen Brian’s stories are always fun and there is always lots of adventure within them – each type of adventure perfect for the plot, the stories, and the audience. And she also manages to capture the whimsy and wonder of imagination across genres and age groups – which is why so many of her books work so well and why I think she has done such a good job writing for a wide range of audiences. Within her books, everything comes to life in unique ways and each story is special with its own message and joy that readers will love.

I loved this book, and it is a great chapter book for kids just starting to read these sorts of books, and I hope it finds some wonderful readers.