Princess Academy
by Shannon Hale
Grades 4-7; Genre - Fantasy; GRL V; AR pts. 10.0
While attending a strict academy for potential princesses with the other girls from her mountain village, fourteen-year-old Miri discovers unexpected talents and connections to her homeland.
Comprehension Questions
Chapter 1
- What’s the setting of this story? High in the mountains; Mount Eskel; at a rock quarry; in autumn p.14
- What message did the king’s messenger give the village? The next princess is to come from Mount Eskel and the prince will come and choose a bride; a princess academy will be created to prepare all girls ages 12-17 p.22
Chapter 2
- Why did the announcement upset the village? Work in the quarry will be limited with the girls gone; the mood is heavy at the thought of sending their girls p.25
Chapter 3
- Why does Miri wonder if her papa misses her? He doesn’t use words to express himself; he allowed her to go to the princess academy and didn’t fight to keep her home p.47
- Why are the girls nervous to speak during dinner? Olana might punish them p.47
Chapter 4
- What changed Miri’s attitude about the academy and why did she want to be the academy princess? The silver dress; She was tired of being belittled and wanted to prove that she was just as good as any lowlander p.61
Chapter 5
- Why do the other girls hate Miri? She was sassy to Olana and made everyone miss the last opportunity to go home before winter; she has risen to the top of the class and the girls are jealous p.67
Chapter 6
- How did Gerti know Miri was in the closet? The communication of quarry-speech; Miri sang a quarry song p.76
Chapter 7
- What did Miri work on in this chapter? Quarry-speech p.75
- Describe Britta’s reaction when Miri asked her to go for a walk? Surprised, thankful, happy p.83
- What incentive did Olana give the girls to work harder? She showed them a picture of a beautiful home the family of the princess would move into p.87
Chapter 8
- What did Miri learn in this chapter? That one block of linder, only found on her mountain, was worth 1 gold; now when the village traded, they’d know how much to trade for p.102
Chapter 9
- What did Miri realize she needed to do with the other girls? Find common ground to build friendships p.111
- What was quarry-speech built on? Memories p.112
- Why would these two things go hand in hand? As you build friendships, you make memories p.112
Chapter 10
- What was the outcome of the test? Everyone failed but Miri and Katar p.115
- Then why were all the girls walking home for the spring festival? Miri used quarry-speech to tell all the girls to get up and run out p.118
Chapter 11
- What are the poems at the beginning of each chapter? Quarry-speech phrases p.123
- Why were the villagers uncertain about Miri’s idea? It was new to them; they didn’t have a knowledge about trading gold and silver p.139
Chapter 12
- Predict what Olana will do when the girls return to the academy. Listen to your child’s answer
- Predict what Miri will do to help her sister. Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 13
- Were you correct in your prediction? How did the girls get Olana to take them back? They used the rules of Diplomacy p.153
Chapter 14
- Summarize how Miri’s mother died and how learning this helped her. She was pregnant with Miri and was breaking a stone in the quarry; the stone slipped and knocked her down a steep side of the mountain; Miri was born that night, but her mother wouldn’t stop bleeding and died; she understood why her father wouldn’t let her in to the quarry; she now knew that her father thought of her mother every time he looked at her p.174
Chapter 15
- How had the academy changed the entire village? With the knowledge of the value of linder blocks, they now had gold; they were able to purchase more food and other necessities; other traders came to the village p.180
Chapter 16
- Do you think it was right for Miri and the other girls to quarry-speech the answers to each other? Why, or why not? Listen to your child’s answer p.187
- Who won the academy princess title? Miri p.193
- What did Miri learn about Katar? She also felt alone and unloved; doesn’t like herself; they’re very similar p.195
Chapter 17
- What idea did Esa have? That everyone be happy for whoever is chosen by the prince p.202
- Why wasn’t Britta at the ball? She came down with an illness p.202
- Describe the interaction between the prince and Miri. They danced and later he asked her to walk with him; she asked him why he was there; he relaxed and told her that he felt a lot of pressure; they joked with each other and laughed; he complimented her p.217
Chapter 19
- Why did Pedar turn and run home? He was angry at Miri for wanting to be chosen as the princess p.228
- Predict why Esa spoke with quarry-speech and told Miri to run. Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 20
- Summarize this chapter. Bandits captured the girls, Olana and Knut; they were asking who the new princess is and they all said they had been chosen; the bandits were perplexed and decided to take them all for ransom p.231
Chapter 21
- Do you think Peder got the message? Why, or why not? Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 22
- Did Miri’s plan to escape work? No, as the girls ran to the villagers outside the building, the bandits captured them p.265
Chapter 23
- How did Miri escape Dan the bandit? She used quarry-speech to communicate with Peder to veer Dan toward the cliff; she used the hawk in her pocket to stab Dan’s hand and he let her go; she dropped off the cliff and landed on the ledge, but Dan grabbed her foot; Miri’s dad hit Dan in the head with his mallet, making him let go and fall to his death p.275
Chapter 24
- What would you choose if you were Miri? Becoming a princess or staying in the village? Why? Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 25
- Summarize the conclusion of this story. Britta was chosen by the Prince, they were childhood friends and loved each other; Miri purchased some books from Olana and was given the painting of the cottage; Peder and Miri walked home holding hands p.294
- What did you enjoy about this book? Listen to your child’s answer