The Wide-Awake Princess

By E.D. Baker

E.D. Baker pulls out all the stops in this brilliant version of a classic tale. It's a little known fact that Sleeping Beauty's younger sister, Annie, is the one who must save the day and rescue her from the evil curse. Annie is impervious to ALL magic - good and bad - and is the only one left awake when her sister pricks that finger. She sets off through the kingdom to find her sister's true love, the only person who can wake her and reverse the spell. Annie is joined by a handsome prince in disguise as she tackles Hansel and Gretel (and their witch), and many other fabulously familiar fairytale characters.

Full of Baker's trademark humour, plot twists, and with a funny and strong female lead, this will charm fans of The Frog Princess, and bring in many new ones.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: May 3, 2011
• ISBN: 9781408816707

E.D. Baker

E. D. Baker is the author of the Tales of the Frog Princess series, The Wide-Awake Princess series, The Fairy-Tale Matchmaker series, and many other delightful books for young readers, including A Question of Magic, Fairy Wings,and Fairy Lies. Her first book, The Frog Princess, was the inspiration for Disney's hit movie The Princess and the Frog. She lives with her family and their many animals in Churchville, Maryland. www.talesofedbaker.com Facebook/EDBakerAuthor

Reviews for The Wide-Awake Princess

[rvhatha · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A very clever retelling of Sleeping Beauty from the POV of her younger sister, who doesn't fall asleep after her older sibling pricks her finger on the spindle. Why? Because her overcautious parents, freaked out by the curse put on their firstborn, asked another fairy to ensure that their younger child would be resistant to magic.This is a great premise, which E. D. Baker fleshes out nicely in this middle-grades book. Apparently, fairy-tale characters are only perpetually lovely and charming and talented because they've been enchanted. But because she has no such "gifts," Annie is not only ordinary in every way, her very presence disenchants those around her. At home, this makes for a lonely existence, since no one in her family wants her anywhere near them lest they start to look old or plain. But when Annie sets out on a quest to round up a bunch of princes to kiss her sister awake, her ability to resist spells and to see through magic facades proves to be her best asset.Baker's story draws in and parodies lots of other recognizable fairy tales and tropes, so this is a fun read for grownups as well.In places, the writing is a little stilted, and the ending seems very rushed to me. But overall, a fun, quick read!

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not amazing, but a worthy read and a lot of fun. Plenty of adventure, humor, and insight. Not subtle, but it'll still make the reader think. If you're worried that your little girl is too much into princesses, this is a princess book she'll enjoy and you won't mind reading. With a less girly cover, I could imagine her brother enjoying it, too. Probably best for ages 10-12 or so, not the littlest. And of course, also terrific for us grown-ups who still have a fairy-tale loving little girl inside.

[mirandalg14 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Super cute mixture of a bunch of the better known fairytales. Could be read as a good stand alone.

[tntexas_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The story did some unnecessary meandering, and the ending was a bit abrupt. But overall, it was a fun, sweet story that the kids and I thoroughly enjoyed.

[jjmcgaffey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fun. I enjoy retellings of fairy tales, especially when they get more realistic. This one doesn't, quite - there's still the fairy story "nothing will happen because I'm the hero/princess" thing, where they go wandering blithely into what should be serious danger and then come wandering out. But Annie's protection against magic does help with that (and quite a few other things), a lot. I like Liam, too, though he should have admitted the truth earlier. Or at least hinted at it. The story is a whole mishmash of fairy tales - Sleeping Beauty as the frame, of course, but everything from Snow White and Rose Red to Hansel and Gretel to a kelpie attack...yeah. Lots. And the fairies are funny - even the human-sized ones are flutterheads (in varying degrees). I rather like Andreas, too - I hope he gets a good princess eventually. Several villains of various sorts and degrees, sneaky plots changing things in the background...Fun story. I think I'll probably read it again, in a few years when I've forgotten more of it.

[bplteen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review by: lsun The book is about Sleeping Beauty's sister rescuing her sister from the curse. During that adventure she also finds her true love. Annie (Sleeping Beauty's sister) is a very brave girl. She is not pretty or graceful, but she shows people some other great things about her. Review by: Rumor Pin my tail and call me a donkey, that really helped.

[foggidawn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Annie, younger sister of the ill-fated Princess Gwendolyn (aka Sleeping Beauty) was given only one fairy gift at her christening: Annie is impervious to magic. So, when Gwendolyn inevitably pricks her finger and the whole castle falls into an enchanted sleep, it's up to Annie to rescue her sister, and the rest of her family, from a hundred-year nap. Annie wanders and blunders through several other well-known fairy tales in an attempt to locate her sister's True Love -- and she just may find the key to her own happiness along the way.Baker's writing is light and fun. As with Gail Carson Levine's fairy tale retellings, I often find that there's not enough substance there for a really satisfying read, but The Wide-Awake Princess and books like it are a nice introduction to the genre for young readers.

[flashlight_reader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was such a cute book. I think E.D. Baker always does a fabulous job with her fairy tale retellings. The Wide-Awake Princess did not disappoint me at all. It had a voice all its own. I loved Princess Annie. I thought it was such a nice touch that the heroine of the fairy tale had no magical powers at all. In fact, at her Christening, her "gift" was the gift of no magic. How appropriate, right? As you would expect from E.D. Baker, the humor was timely and well played. Annie was a sassy and independent thing--which I loved. I get so tired of princesses being portrayed as dependent and helpless. Annie was strong-willed and resourceful. She didn't need anyone's help. In fact, she saved most of characters in the story--herself included. The other thing that I loved about this book was the subtle (and sometimes more obvious) mentioning of other fairy tales. There was Hansel and Gretel (very original take on this story) who were dining with a witch suffering from dementia. The witch had to leave reminders for herself on conversation hearts plastered to the walls of her cottage. (She also had a large pet rat named "Fluffy" that she thought was a dog.) There was the story of Rapunzel which was pretty ironic. If you think about a girl trapped in a tower with a prince that visits everyday, but never rescues her, you can't help but wonder what the draw is. Then another prince shows up on Thursday. You start to get an idea of what kind of girl Rapunzel really is with her weekly visitors. There was also a mentioning of The Princess and the Pea and a few other lesser known tales, all of which were uniquely incorporated into the story. I loved it. I'm a huge fan of E.D. Baker after reading her The Princess Frog series. It doesn't come as much surprise that I highly recommend this one. It's perfect for middle grade readers. It was quick and witty, but it didn't offer many twists and turns. Honestly, though, the complicated plot twists aren't needed. They story reads perfectly well being straight forward and predictable. I do hope that this will become a series. I would love to find out what happens between Annie and Liam (love them). Plus, there were a few other "items" that could develop into another book or two. You'll have to read the book to discover those, however.

[artsy_reader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have read all of the frog princess books and had been looking for this book in stores. I was extatic to find it in a scholastic order form from an education class! I loved this book and thought it refreshing after a break from reading E.D. Baker's books after the frog princess series ended. My next step is to look for her other book that I have not read yet. I loved this book so much! I loved how she intertwined old traditional tales, so I couldn't put the book down wondering what would happen next and who she would meet! I hope this book will become a series as the frog princess was. If so I hope Baker continues to incorperate other tradtional tales into it. The wide awake princess is about Princess Annabelle (Annie) who is sleeping beauty's (Gwendolyn) little sister. Her parents did not want a curse placed onto her as it was on her sister, so a fairy godmother put a spell on her so no magic, good or bad, could ever touch her. However the spell also effected the people around her that had magic charms or powers. When Gwennie's curse comes on her 16 th birthday, Annie is not effected by the magic that also put everyone else in the castle to sleep. The curse said Gweenie would sleep till her true love's kiss or she will sleep for 100 years. Annie must leave the castle to find a prince to wake her sister and is joined by one of her father's gaurds that she had a crush on. This book is set in a far off land like the frog princess series were. I would recommend this book to anyone, no matter what age, who loves adventure, suspence, traditional literature, fairy tales, and romance.

[jac8604_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's been a while since I've read a lighthearted middle-grade novel, so the innocence of this story took a chapter or two of getting used to. Once I acclimated though, I was utterly charmed. Annie is a smart and brave heroine that's easy to sympathize with no matter what your age. The mixture of original and borrowed fairy tale characters were fun and captivating, as was Annie's quest to save her family and kingdom.

[boxesofpaper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sleeping Beauty's little sister? Really? Sweet!King Halbert and Queen Karolina are terrified that their second daughter Annabelle will be cursed just like her older sister Gwendolyn, so in a fit of panic, they allow Moonbeam the fairy to grant her one magical gift -- the gift of being impervious to magic. When Gwendolyn's spell is fulfilled, Annie alone is left awake in the sleeping palace. With the help of one of her father's guards, Liam, she sets out to find her sister's true love. But exactly who is that? Prince Digby, the dolt who was courting her? Possibly. But just in case, Annie and Liam start rounding up princes. After all, can't hurt to have some backups, can it? Sprinkled through the story are many well known characters from both Brothers Grimm and H. C. Andersen fairy tales. In the style of Sondheim's Into the Woods, Baker has more than a little fun in weaving the roles together in unexpected ways.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A cute little story based on the story of Sleeping Beauty. I liked how the author incorporated other fairytale characters throughout, but I thought Annie needed to be fiestier and more independent. Young teens will enjoy this book.

[milica · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

fenomenalna knjiga,zapravo lepe su sve knjige

[krau0098 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have had this book on my bookshelf to read for quite some time. It was an okay read and I think elementary aged girls will enjoy it. For me it was pretty simple and predictable. I also had some trouble relating and engaging with the characters.Terrified of the curse that was put on their eldest daughter Princess Gwen (basically a sleeping beauty curse) the King and Queen of the realm ask a good fairy to prevent their youngest daughter Princess Annie from being similarly cursed. As a result Princess Annie is spelled so that no magic will work on her. Sounds awesome until you consider that all the Princes and Princesses of the area are magically enhanced both in beauty and in abilities. This results in Annie being a rather plain princess. However, when Gwen succumbs to her curse and the whole kingdom falls asleep it is up to Princess Annie to save it...because of course the curse couldn’t affect Princess Annie.I don’t really have any problems with this book; it was just kind of okay in every area. The plot was incredibly predictable and the characters very stereotypical. Even Annie’s tomboy-like rebellion (which wasn’t all that rebellious) is very typical of many of these types of princess stories.I found the whole thing to be a bit bland and boring. The adventure was kind of bland, the romance very cutesy but not that engaging, and the plot just very predictable.I think younger girls will enjoy this story though. It does convey a good message; basically to be yourself and that it’s what you do and who you are...not how you look that matters. Although I was a bit frustrated that despite Annie’s supposedly plain appearance she is depicted as a beautiful slender blond on the front cover of the book.Overall this was an okay book. I think it is a book best left to younger readers; especially young girls who enjoy princess stories. I am an older girl who enjoys princess stories but this story didn’t really appeal to me it was just too bland and predictable.

[yearningtoread · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Annie has never been beautiful. Not compared to most people - and especially not compared to her sister Gwendolyn, who is the most beautiful princess in the whole world. Annie is normal – ordinary, as some people might call it. When her sister Gwendolyn was a baby, she was cast under a spell by a fairy who said when Gwendolyn was 16 she would prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die. Another fairy changed it the spell so that she would only fall asleep for 100 years until her true love came to the castle and kissed her. This lessened their parents fear, for a while…until Annie comes along and they decide that they couldn’t bear to have something go wrong for Annie as well. So they call a good fairy, who casts a spell on Annie so that the girl would NEVER be affected by magic. So Annie grows up, simpler than your average town folk, always having to stay away from her family, or else her magic-repellent-body would cause their magic to fade temporarily. But when the old prophetic curse comes to past, and Annie is the only one inside the castle who is not affected by the magic that would have put her to sleep, she sets out on a dangerous journey to find her sister’s true love so the quest can be broken…and she may even discover love for herself on the way. ______________________________________________ I started out with this book thinking, “There’s no stinking way that this book can hold a whole, developed story, when it’s so short, small, and doesn’t have itty bitty letters.” Oh, I was so wrong. E. D. Baker has a way of wording things – to the point. Not boring, just…really toned. And honestly, as I went along, I was shocked (pleasantly so) by the amount of information carried in this story, this tiny story. Annie was well-developed; I felt like I was her friend from the start. She’s lonely and wants others to not call her ordinary, just because she can’t make herself look perfect by magic. She wishes to be a part of her family – and yet she’s forced to stand far away from everyone in case her presence affects the magic and causes everyone else to look ordinary as well. She’s brave and wants to help, despite all her misfortunes. So she embarks, and her adventure is greater than she (or I) could ever have imagined. She is accompanied by the castle’s newest guard, Liam, who was outside the castle when Gwendolyn pricked her finger on a spinning wheel. She meets princes, affronts witches, enters contests…and falls in love. Could anyone ever ask for a better adventure? The way this book is executed is just amazing… Like I said, I hadn’t expected there to be so much to it, but there was, and it went at a PERFECT pace. There were more fairytales woven into this story than I can count, along with a lot of hilarious “my fair maiden!” and “I must rescue my ladylove!” that had me giggling out loud. I liked Liam, but I felt that his charater was awkward for the first half of the book. I didn’t quite know what to think of him…he was just kind of a boring character. But then it got better and he grew on me…of course…like every handsome love interest should. The only thing I didn’t like was the last couple of pages. Something happened that felt too short…I felt that the story was resolved well, just not that scene. It was like, boom! and then it was over…. However, it wasn’t bad enough for me to not recommend it. In fact, I totally recommend this book! Favorite character: Annie. She was just adorable! Voracia comes in second. She made me laugh and cower at the same time…weird combination, I know, but she did. She was frightening, and yet so hilarious in her own way. Favorite aspect: The culture of the story. It was well-thought out and very original. All the fairytales fit perfectly together and added up to equal an incredibly original world, despite the fact that practically the whole world already knows these stories. Very impressed. One word to sum this book up: I wanted to write something like sweet, or cute, or silly, or adorable, or adventurous… Yes, it is all these things, but the best one word that I can think of is cunning. I was totally surprised by how clever the writing and story were. Definitely a great read and recommended to everyone who loves a great story! (Ages 8 and up could read this book and really grasp it, I think.)

[abackwardsstory · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

With all this talk lately regarding the merits of fractured fairy tales, sometimes it’s nice to just sit back and enjoy a sugar-spun story. The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker is ADORABLE. I think it’s my favorite book yet by Baker, who wrote the Tales of the Frog Princess book (the first novel was the inspiration for Disney’s The Princess and the Frog). The novel revolves around Princess Annie, the younger sister of Crown Princess Gwendolyn. As babies, Gwendolyn was cursed, destined to prick her finger on a spinning wheel upon turning sixteen. Not wanting another cursed princess, the King and Queen ask one fairy to gift Annie when she is born, making it so that no magic (good or bad) can ever harm her. When Gwendolyn pricks her finger and sends her kingdom into one hundred years of sleep, Annie is the only one unaffected. The Wide-Awake Princess is her story, and deservedly so—Annie is one kick-ass heroine!I hate how fairy tales can fall into tropes where the prince is always the one to save the day and rescue the powerless maiden. Not so here. One thing that hooked me early on was the way Annie saves Liam ( one of the unaffected guards who was away from the palace when the curse set in). He gets all shame-faced about it, but Annie could care less. Without her, he would have died. Liam joins Annie on her journey to gather up princes in an attempt to find her sister’s True Love. Along the way, she encounters a mish-mash of fairy tale encounters such as Hansel and Gretel as cleverly thrown together as something out of Stephen Sondheim’s epic musical Into the Woods or the Shrek movies. There’s even a fairy tale role for Annie, which I didn’t see coming, but was delighted about. The way the novel arrives at its conclusion was completely satisfactory. I especially loved the way romance builds between Annie and Liam despite their opposite roles in society. This book hit my sweet spot in all the right ways. It’s ADORABLE and I loved it to bits. I would have loved to see what happened next and wasn’t quite ready to leave Annie behind; she’s such a strong heroine that she wormed her way irrevocably into my heart.