Laurie Coulter

Embellished with quotes and historical asides, Cowboys and Coffin-Makers does a superb job of capturing the 19th-century work world. Some of the jobs included are exactly what you'd expect to find---frontier farmer, coal miner, robber baron---but Coulter covers several lesser known occupations as well---hokey pokey seller, breaker boy, sandhog---and presents all of them with fresh facts and a good dose of humor. Personally, I've come to the conclusion that salt maker might have been just the job for me in 19th-century America...and maybe I'd have written a dime novel or two on the side.… (lisätietoja)

There are probably several books out there doing a beter job of introducing these princesses to kids (the Royal Diaries series comes to mind) and getting them to ´connect´ with these historical figures.
On the other hand, the texts are concise, and a decent introduction to both the princesses and non-fiction reading, even though it only scratches the surface on both.
Not very effective, however, if you want to break the Disney-bewitchment.
That the selected bibliography suggests 4 books by Carolly Erickson, who is known to be a bit... cavalier with her historic facts and sources, also casts a bit of a shadow on this tome.… (lisätietoja)

I thought this was a simple, yet interesting read. I know a lot about most of the families that were presented, but always love the chance to learn more. This book gives short biographies on twelve different princesses. Rather than discussing the frills and pomp’s of royal life, this book highlights the struggles and hardships they faced. It would be a great introduction for older children to get an honest perspective on life as a princess throughout history. I also liked the inclusion of the Indian and Hawaiian princesses, shining a light on royalty outside of Europe.
Although it is meant to be a short biography for children, I feel as though the author could have done a bit more. For example, when discussing Marie Antionette, twenty years of her life was completely skipped over. It just seemed a bit rushed and sparse at times. Ultimately, it would be a great read for any child who is interested in royal history.… (lisätietoja)