The Goose Girl 
by Shannon Hale
Book Summary:
Ani is the crown princess--next in line to the throne--but instead, she is sent away to marry a prince from a neighboring kingdom. Ani is more comfortable speaking to animals than to members of the court, and when disaster strikes on the journey, she is left to survive on her own. Does she truly belong in a palace?

Although this is a stand-alone story, it is part of Shannon Hale's Books of Bayern series.
 Book Review:
This is a Cinderella tale with a heroine who is stronger and has more depth, and a plot that offers political intrigue, adventure, and questions about social status and class issues. The title lacks excitement and romance, but the heroine is a survivor and the story is compelling. Readers who loved A Little Princess in fourth grade will love The Goose Girl in eighth grade. This was Shannon Hale's first book, and fans of her other work are likely to find everything they love best about this author's storytelling in this text.
"How lovely she is. How unlike her am I, Ani thought.
But now, for the first time, she also felt a yearning like the beginnings of a yawn arching in her chest to have that separation and to become, finally, who she would be." p.45
Princesses
Politics
Class/Economic Conflict
Loyalty/Betrayal
Identity
Ego, Power, Justice
Reversal of Fortune
2003 - Josette Frank Award
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