The Fix-it Princess
Age 7+
Family & Home Stories
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 …
Resources
Creators
At age sixteen Janeen Brian trained as a primary teacher and at eighteen stood in front of her first class of year five students. Her teaching career saw her work in junior primary, primary, drama and as a teacher-librarian. While raising a family, she began a four-year career with a professional children’s theatre company, both acting and writing. She has also been involved in over 100 television and radio commercials as well as dozens of voiceovers for radio and video. She began dabbling in writing in her thirties. Since then she has written over 100 books both in trade and education, and in genres ranging from picture books to poetry, short fiction, nonfiction and novels. Janeen is an award-winning author and poet and many of her books have been translated and published overseas.
Cherie Dignam has always loved drawing, nature, and all animals, especially cats. An aspiring picture book illustrator currently working on her own project, she hopes to self-publish in the near future. Her first book with Walker Books is The Fix-it Princess, written by Janeen Brian. Cherie enjoys working with a variety of mediums, including coloured pencils and watercolour, but she is at her happiest with a good old-fashioned dip pen and ink. When she’s not working to keep her pet cat Boris supplied with endless tins of tuna, Cherie creates from her home, a short walk from the beach in sunny Perth, Australia.
Reviews
This is a quirky adventure with a wonderful main character who devises many solutions to her problems – although her solutions normally do not work! And while dragon has a wonderful singing voice, he encourages Shona not to sing while they fly so that he can concentrate (but the real reason might be because she sings terribly!). This is an ideal novel that is full of humour for developing readers aged 7 to 10 years.
Lamont Books
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…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.
Ashleigh Meikle
Janeen Brian’s novel is a great in-between book that bridges from Junior Fiction into Middle Grade. With relatively short chapters, interspersed with the wonderful illustrations of Cherie Dignam, readers are drawn to the cheery, positive character of the Fix-it Princess. The themes of resilience, having a go, independence, friendship and family play throughout the story and give the reader a lovely light hearted positive experience.
One More Page Podcast
The Fix-It Princess is a wonderful imagination-fuelled adventure. Great for independent readers, and for encouraging critical thinking and creative behaviour.
Kids Book Review
The Fix-it Princess is a light-hearted fantasy story, with kindness, humour, do-it-yourself projects, and a singing dragon. I thoroughly enjoyed this fantasy adventure complete with all it twists and turns. Recommended for young independent readers 8 + who enjoy a fun-filled fantasy romp.
Reading Time
