The Ordinary Princess

Here is one of my beloved childhood books. As an ordinary girl myself, The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye appealed to my desire to find a fairy-tale ending despite the lack of princessly charms. The cover of my book is now a bit worn, its pages yellowing and smelling faintly of damp basement, but I still find the story appealing after all these years.

Despite precautions taken to ensure a successful christening for seventh daughter Princess Amethyst, the fairy Crustacea proclaims, "You shall be Ordinary."

And from that moment she was. From her mousy brown hair, freckles, and turned up nose, Princess Amy is nothing like her older sisters with their fair skin and golden hair. Ordinary suits her though. Amy has no interest in stuffy princes or boring princess activities. And she's quite willing to seek her own adventure to find happiness.

Sometimes ordinary can be the greatest gift of all. And that truth is the greatest treasure I know of to give a young girl struggling to find her own identity in a world dominated by the glamorous. It may be thirty years old, but this story still has relevance for today's tweens, perhaps more so than ever.