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The Birthday Ball
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The Birthday Ball Hardback - 2010 - 1st Edition

by Lois Lowry; Jules Feiffer (Illustrator)

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Princess Patricia Priscilla is bored with her royal life and the excitement surrounding her sixteenth birthday ball. Doomed to endure courtship by three grotesquely unappealing noblemen, she escapes her fate—for a week. Disguised as a peasant, she attends the village school as the smart new girl, “Pat,” and attracts friends and the attention of the handsome schoolmaster. Disgusting suitors, lovable peasants, and the clueless king and queen collide at the ball, where Princess Patricia Priscilla calls the shots. What began as a cure for boredom becomes a chance for Princess Patricia Priscilla to break the rules and marry the man she loves.

Summary

Princess Patricia Priscilla is bored with her royal life and the excitement surrounding her sixteenth birthday ball. Doomed to endure courtship by three grotesquely unappealing noblemen, she escapes her fate—for a week. Disguised as a peasant, she attends the village school as the smart new girl, “Pat,” and attracts friends and the attention of the handsome schoolmaster. Disgusting suitors, lovable peasants, and the clueless king and queen collide at the ball, where Princess Patricia Priscilla calls the shots. What began as a cure for boredom becomes a chance for Princess Patricia Priscilla to break the rules and marry the man she loves.

Reader reviews for The Birthday Ball

From the publisher

Lois Lowry is known for her versatility and invention as a writer. She was born in Hawaii and grew up in New York, Pennsylvania, and Japan.  She is the author of more than thirty books for young adults, including the popular Anastasia Krupnik series. She has received countless honors including  Newbery Medals for two of her novels, NUMBER THE STARS and THE GIVER. Ms. Lowry now divides her time between Cambridge and an 1840s farmhouse in Maine. To learn more about Lois Lowry, see her website at www.loislowry.com

Details

  • Title The Birthday Ball
  • Author Lois Lowry; Jules Feiffer (Illustrator)
  • Binding Hardback
  • Edition number 1st
  • Edition 1
  • Pages 186
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Houghton Mifflin, New York
  • Publication date 2010-04-12
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9780547238692 / 054723869X
  • Weight 0.7 lbs (0.32 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.8 x 5.6 x 0.9 in (19.81 x 14.22 x 2.29 cm)
  • Age range 07 to 10 years
  • Grade levels 2 - 5
  • Reading level 810
  • Category Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction
  • Library of Congress subjects Conduct of life, Schools
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2009032966
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

"Lowry, who has often turned to new genres and made them her own, now freely adopts certain conventions of the romantic fairy tale to create a fresh story buoyed by wry wit and occasional schoolyard humor. The many idiosyncratic characters are drawn with swift, sure strokes in both the writing and in Feiffer's inimitable ink drawings, notable for their economy and assurance of line as well as their pitch-perfect expression of personality, attitude, and emotion. An original fairy tale with a decidedly comical twist."—Booklist, starred review

"Lowry uses her knack for cleverly turning familiar stories on their heads (last seen in The Willoughbys) in this tale about a princess who's utterly bored with privileged palace life...Throughout, Feiffer's wiry ink illustrations paint the characters in offhand caricatures, adding to the merriment. Employing elements from the "Prince and the Pauper" as well as ample doses of humor and slapstick, Lowry sets the stage for a rowdy denouement."—Publishers Weekly

"This is a captivating but gentle fairy tale with memorable characters and wonderfully swirly, evocative, energetic character sketches by the fabulous Feiffer."—School Library Journal

"In her clever fairy-tale reconstruction, Lowry transforms the traditional princess into a refreshingly egalitarian heroine with a mind of her own. The hilarious, original and truly loathsome suitors are aptly memorialized in Feiffer’s spritely black-and-white caricature illustrations. Guaranteed to generate giggles and guffaws."—Kirkus Reviews

"A lighthearted concoction overflowing with wordplay and alliteration. . . . [Readers] will laugh themselves silly."—New York Times Book Review

"Lowry draws on wicked humor, sly wordplay and stock characters to propel this pleasantly predictable romp . . .[she] again proves her range."—San Francisco Chronicle

"Newbery Medalist Lois Lowry and acclaimed illustrator Jules Feiffer throw one not-to-be-missed party witih The Birthday Ball"—Family Fun Magazine

"Feiffer's frenetic lines and distinctive caricatures maintain the offbeat tone while adding a charming quirkiness in their own right. Youngsters who like thier fair share of mischief will get a kick out of this fractured fairy tale either on their own or as a readaloud."—The Bulletin

"Happiness radiates out from the Birthday Ball, zings down to the village and up again. A great story when read aloud."—Chicago Tribune

About the author

Lois Lowry is known for her versatility and invention as a writer. She was born in Hawaii and grew up in New York, Pennsylvania, and Japan. She is the author of more than thirty books for young adults, including the popular Anastasia Krupnik series. She has received countless honors including Newbery Medals for two of her novels, NUMBER THE STARS and THE GIVER. Ms. Lowry now divides her time between Cambridge and an 1840s farmhouse in Maine. To learn more about Lois Lowry, see her website at www.loislowry.com

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The Birthday Ball
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The Birthday Ball

by Lowry, Lois

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780547238692 / 054723869x
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The Birthday Ball
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The Birthday Ball

by Lois Lowry

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Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, April 2010. Hardcover. Very Good - Cash/Very Good. Minor rubbing and edge wear to cover, with light reader wear to pages. Still great condition. Dust jacket has minor surface and edgewear. Stock photos may not look exactly like the book.
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The Birthday Ball

by Lowry, Lois

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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1. Very Good. With dust jacket. It's a well-cared-for item that has seen limited use. The item may show minor signs of wear. All the text is legible, with all pages included. It may have slight markings and/or highlighting.
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The Birthday Ball

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The Birthday Ball

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HMH Books for Young Readers. 1. Very Good. It's a well-cared-for item that has seen limited use. The item may show minor signs of wear. All the text is legible, with all pages included. It may have slight markings and/or highlighting.
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The Birthday Ball

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HMH Books for Young Readers, 2010. Hardcover. Good. Disclaimer:A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include previous owner inscriptions. An ex-library book and may have standard library stamps and/or stickers. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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The Birthday Ball

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Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. 2010. Hard cover. Very good in very good dust jacket.. Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 186 p. Contains: Illustrations, black & white. Audience: Children/juvenile. . Private school library copy with no envelope. Clean, tight pages. No bent corners. No remainder mark. .
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The Birthday Ball

by Lowry, Lois

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by Lowry, Lois; Feiffer, Jules [Illustrator]

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