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    The Birthday Ball
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    The Birthday Ball
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    The Birthday Ball
    Audiobook3 hours

    The Birthday Ball

    Written by Lois Lowry

    Narrated by Elissa Steele

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Bored, bored, bored. It's all Princess Patricia Priscilla can think as her sixteenth birthday approaches. It's less than a week before the Birthday Ball, where she will choose her husband from a group of unappealing suitors.

    Boring.

    But things around the kingdom get pretty interesting when Princess Patricia Priscilla disguises herself as a peasant and starts attending the village school. She may not be spending her days in the comfort of the castle, clothed in silk, but at least life in the village is fun. It doesn't hurt that the new schoolmaster is young and handsome.

    In this tale of mistaken identity, creamed pigeons, and young love, the two-time Newbery Medal winner Lois Lowry compares princesses to peasants and finds them to be exactly the same in all the important ways.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateNov 9, 2010
    ISBN9780307746177
    Author

    Lois Lowry

    Lois Lowry is the author of more than forty books for children and young adults, including the New York Times bestselling Giver Quartet and the popular Anastasia Krupnik series. She has received countless honors, among them the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, the California Young Reader Medal, and the Mark Twain Award. She received Newbery Medals for two of her novels, Number the Stars and The Giver.

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    Reviews for The Birthday Ball

    3.5/5

    59 ratings18 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      A sympathetic but bored princess is approaching her 16th birthday, at which point, under the traditions of the kingdom, she'll have to marry one of three appalling suitors (or four, depending on how you count). To distract herself from this unhappy future and stave off boredom, she goes slumming incognito. The illustrations by Jules Feiffer are splendid caricatures, and fit the tone of the book perfectly.I read this short novel aloud at bedtime to my 4 1/2 year old daughter, who got the elements of broad humor and liked the story a lot. An older kid or adult would also likely pick up on the gentle satire on privilege, for example when the princess periodically makes 'let them eat cake' statements as she experiments with being a peasant. The meta-messages are good without being explicit, and are all the better for being somewhat tart - for example, that self-deceiving and self-absorbed people are generally unbearable, but that even flawed people can do the right thing if they act with kindness and don't take themselves too seriously.
    • 4/5
      A very funny book about a princess who gets out into her village just before she turns 16. The illustrations, the overdone characters the witty dialogue make this a very enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      Narrated by Elissa Steele. Steele gives a soaring and animated interpretation of a princess story with an independent streak. Princess Pat conducts a fairly routine, if posh life in the castle. She is inspired by her serving maid to pretend she is poor and attend the village school and rub elbows with the peasants. It's all a delightful slumming experience for the princess but it comes to an end when she must pick from among three dreadful suitors on her 16th birthday. Lots of out-loud laughs; a great pick for a family road trip!
    • 4/5
      A princess tries the peasant route when faced with 3 eccentric and horribly unsuitable suitors. Funny, fast-paced and another winner from this amazing author.
    • 3/5
      Lowry, L. (2010). The Birthday Ball. New York: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.186 pages.I first heard about this book through some positive reviews from some teachers that I knew. But the thing was, all the teachers would say was, "The Birthday Ball is fun!" or "The Birthday Ball is cute!" And that's it. All of them. Only those words. They wouldn't even describe the plot of the book. Just say that it was cute.I started to think it was some kind of conspiracy. Why wouldn't anyone say more?Having entertained ideas of being an investigative journalist for about three weeks when I was in high school, and then again for another two weeks while in college, I decided the job fell to me to try to understand the silence surrounding the cult of The Birthday Ball.While I do agree that The Birthday Ball is fun AND cute, I will say more!Appetizer: As Princess Patricia Priscilla's sixteenth birthday approaches the castle is preparing for her birthday ball and when she will meet suiters. The princess isn't nearly as excited about her birthday. She is bored. But with the help of a chambermaid, she soon finds a cure for her boredom: disguising herself as a peasant girl and attending school under the eye of a handsome young teacher.As her birthday ball approaches, the princesses suitors prepare themselves and gifts for their potential wife. The Princess is going to have a veeeeeeery difficult decision over who to marry (not that she really wants to get married at all. This book has a vague Shakespearian Twelfth Night feel. It's kind of a comedy of misuderstandings, with separated siblings, assumptions about people being of noble birth and secret identities.As I was reading, I was reminded of one of Lowry's other books, The Willoughbys. Both are kind of set in a time outside our own (but still with references to some modern things). Both make references to classic children's books and emphasize some excellent vocabulary words. Also in both books, Lowry did the illustrations herself.There's a lot to love about this book: The fact that the princess gets so much joy out of attending school and the fact that those characters who are literate are very excited about their skill. I like that the story plays with class and that the princess comes to appreciate the peasants.I think this book would be a great read aloud to do with a young girl. The humor and alliteration would go over well. Plus, since the book has a very modern sensibility, this is one princess I wouldn't mind early elementary school girls parading around, pretending to be (she feels driven to help others and learn, but isn't focused on having a prince in her life). But having said that, this book does put a lot of emphasis on appearances. While it is done for humor and some of the negatively characterized suitors do find acceptance, the beautiful people do end up with other beautiful people. Of course.So, overall, it would seem the cult of the Birthday Ball are right: "A cute and fun book."Dinner Conversation: "When Princess Patricia Priscilla woke on the morning of the day that was five days before her birthday, her first thoughts were not Oh, I am almost another year older, hardly a child anymore! or I wonder what fabulous gifts will be presented to me at the Birthday Ball six nights from now! No. Her thoughts were Bored, bored, bored." (p. 1)."Below in the village, the new young schoolmaster was preparing his classroom. He set the little desks in straight rows, looked at the alignment, thought, then shook his head and moved the desks again until they formed a semicircle facing his own larger desk. He decided that he liked it better that way.His name was Rafe" (p. 10)."I'm a poor peasant girl only recently come to live in the village because my mother was killed by a wild boar and my pa has to take in washing."The princess stood nervously in the doorway of the schoolhouse. She looked down at her own dirty bare toes, then, because of the silence, back up at the face of the schoolmaster. His mouth was set in a line and his forehead was furrowed. He looked very stern, just as Tess, the chambermaid, had described.The children, each one seated at a small desk, giggled.I said it wrong, she thought. "I mean my pa was killed, that's what, and it's my mother that has to take in washing. I mean my ma.""And you would like to become a pupil?""Yes" (pp. 45, 47)."My first day as a peasant was the loveliest day I've ever had. I was not bored for a minute" (p. 55).Tasty Rating: !!!
    • 4/5
      With this charming fairy tale, Lois Lowry shows her range. I love the dystopian worlds that Lowry creates in [The Giver] and [Gathering Blue], but [The Birthday Ball] is a much different sort of tale. As Lowry tells us about Princess Patricia Priscilla, who is about to be forced to choose a suitor (from some horrific choices) at her birthday ball, I was laughing out loud. Minor characters, like the princess's chambermaid and an orphan named Liz, add to this book's charm. I think I liked this book even better because I listened to it on audio and got the full effect of the alliteration. Not as deeply affecting as Lowry's other books, but enjoyable all the same.
    • 3/5
      A fun book. Not deep on plot, but that wasn't really the point of the book. I loved the characters and the sweet love story. My favorite characters were the three suitors who come to Princess Pat's birthday celebration. So unique and ridiculous -- they made me laugh.
    • 3/5
      Princess Patrica Priscilla turns sixteen and must select her husband at her Birthday Ball
    • 3/5
      The princess finds herself stuck with three grotesque suitors at her 16th birthday ball. Princess Patricia Pricilla must find a way to break the rules and marry the man she loves. A fun book that would make a good selection for mother/daughter book club.
    • 4/5
      A lighthearted take on the classic Prince and the Pauper, Princess Patricia Priscilla switches clothes with her chambermaid to enjoy the daily life of a village schoolgirl. "'I'm a poor peasant girl only recently come to live in the village because my mother was killed by a wild boar and my pa has to take in washing'...The children, each one seated at a small desk, giggled. I said it wrong, she thought. 'I mean my pa was killed, that's what, and it's my mother that has to take in washing. I mean my ma.'"With her birthday approaching and an impending marriage to one of several undesirable suitors, the princess is determined to make the most of the time she has left. Conjoined counts, singing triplet serving maids, a distracted king and his hearing-impaired wife - Lois Lowry and illustrator Jules Feiffer are having some fun with this humorous fairy tale jaunt with a predictable, yet satisfying ending. Pure entertainment.
    • 3/5
      Princess Patricia Priscilla is getting close to her sixteenth birthday, at which time she'll have a Birthday Ball and choose a suitor to marry. The problem? The princess is bored! She longs for a life outside the palace, and so she ventures out to the village school, pretending to be a peasant student. This is a funny little ditty of a book and the humor will please its target audience. I'd recommend it for grades 2-5.
    • 5/5
      Fun juvenile novel about a princess who is just so unbearably bored with her life. To make matters worse, in five days she will turn 16 and have to choose between the Duke Desmond of Dyspepsia, Prince Percival of Pustula and Lords Colin and Cuthbert the Conjoint (who never bathe because no tub is big enough to fit them both) for her husband. She disguises herself as a peasant and sneaks off to attend the village school where she befriends the young, handsome schoolmaster. At the big birthday ball, she choses the schoolmaster -- not to wed but to help her become a teacher.Though the story is not terribly original, the writing and characters are wonderful and the story was just so funny, with many laugh out loud moments. I immediately passed this on to my 8-yo daughter who loved it as well.
    • 4/5
      The Birthday Ball is the latest novel by Lois Lowry, but it bears little resemblance to the Lowry novels I've read before. One of Lowry's greatest talents as a writer is to break new ground and somewhat defy categorization. The Birthday Ball is a delightful fairy tale of sorts. Our heroine, Princess Patricia Priscilla, is a feisty princess who longs for a normal life. She soon devises a plan to swap clothes with her nursemaid and begin attending school. The story is a funny, wacky fairy tale. I was absolutely transported to this land of magic. For Princess Patricia Priscilla, the kingdom and its riches were ordinary, and she was transported to her fairy tale: being a peasant girl in school able to help make dreams come true. For her nursemaid, she was given days of leisure to read Alice in Wonderland, a wacky fairy tale in its own right.Perhaps the best part of The Birthday Ball was it's humor. Some jokes may go right over the heads of the younger readers, but if parents choose this story as a read-a-loud title, they'll enjoy them. There's also a fair amount of gross humor sure to delight young readers as much as it bothered this reader. It's a quick tale with familiar, but important, themes. It's not a revolutionary Lowry book, but it is a good one, and it's sure to be a winner with young readers if not literary award panels.
    • 5/5
      Last night, I had a good laugh while reading this amusing children's book. This is different from the world of The Giver and Number the Stars. The theme is lighthearted and humorous. What I love about the book is the vivid and unique description of the supporting characters, especially the 3 (and a half?) suitors of Princess Patricia Priscilla. I highly recommend it to those who love to read princess stories where the princess got bored and explored the outside world.
    • 4/5
      It’s amazing to me that the same author that wrote The Giver wrote the book I'm reviewing today because they couldn’t be more different. The Birthday Ball by Lois Lowry is a nontraditional fairytale about a princess who’d rather live among the people than follow any ridiculous royal decrees. (Roman Holiday, anyone?) Now that she’s turning 16 years old, Princess Patricia Priscilla's expected to marry one of the three suitors who are courting for her hand. Each man is more ghastly than the last. A lot of time is spent describing these hateful men (and the illustrations by Jules Feiffer really drive it home how disgusting and despicable her choices truly are. As in much of middle grade fiction, her parents are blind to her discomfort and unhappiness as they are caught up in their own lives and interests. (Dad is obsessed with butterflies and Mom is preoccupied with her wardrobe and appearance.) So neither takes any notice of her switching places with her maid and escaping out into the village to go to the local school. Dark humor coupled with the somewhat realistic portrayal of what it's like to be a village peasant plus the fantastic illustrations make this a quick, fun read. 7/10
    • 5/5
      Princess Patricia Priscilla is a princess with a difference – she is bored with being a princess so disguises herself as a peasant and starts attending the village school. She has only a week before the ball where she will have to choose her husband. In the days leading up to the ball we also meet her 3 prospective suitors – all of whom seem decidedly undesirable.This plot of this story is modelled on that of Cinderella but with plenty of humour added. This book would make a great read aloud as parents will enjoy this as much as the young girls it is aimed at
    • 4/5
      The Birthday Ball is a quirky little story by Lois Lowry. It is very different from her Newbery winning books (The Giver and Number the Stars), but it is an enjoyable in its own right.Princess Patricia Priscilla is bored with being a princess. Ignored by her parents, faced with the dreaded birthday ball where she must choose a suitor from among three horrible prospects, she goes seeking excitement on her own by pretending to be a peasant school girl. Disguised as "Pat" she soon makes friends with an orphan girl and finds herself falling for the handsome schoolmaster. Will Princess Patricia Priscilla escape a life of boredom and choose her own path or will she be paired with one of the gruesome suitors? Read the book and see.More lighthearted than some of Lowry's other books, this story is more in line with her books about Gooney Bird Greene, though not quite as absurd. There is some foreshadowing of events that younger readers might not catch. Overall the writing is fast paced and light hearted. The publisher recommends this book for ages 9-12. AR slates it as at a 5th grade reading level. It would make a nice read aloud for third – fifth grade girls.
    • 4/5
      Lois Lowry is best known for her book The Giver-a dystopian YA novel about the roles we give each other and the complexities of human interaction. The Birthday Ball is nothing like The Giver.Luckily, I agreed to review this novel because I was looking for a quick escape. Well…I not only got a good, fun read, but Lois Lowry took everything that I thought I knew about her writing style and changed it. For The Birthday Ball Lowry added numerous tricks to her resume. She added images to her story-scratchy drawings that just hint at the character’s appearance. She focused on satire, following in Shrek’s footsteps for its mockery of traditional fairy tales. And she wrote a novel that was written for a different audience than The Giver. The Birthday Ball is, in my opinion, primarily for young girls whereas The Giver always appeals more to my male students.At the beginning of The Birthday Ball, Priscella is not a feminist. Instead, she is a victim, and she is told that she must marry one of the suitors who attend her ball. Not willing to play that role any longer, she grabs her independence by doing the only risky thing she has ever done-she pretends to be someone else. And it is in this costume, that she then finds herself. So, it is this main lesson that I think will be good for the young audience that Lowry writes for. Priscella does not wait to be saved-she finds a way to save herself. She is a modern princess, and her “prince” is a self-made man who loves her because she is the smartest girl in the class.Now I admit that I like the Twilight saga, but there is one area (okay there are many but I like the books anyway) that really irks me. Bella is a victim. She is constantly waiting for Edward to tell her what to do, for him to protect her, and for him to agree to the choices she has made for her life. Priscella doesn’t wait for anyone. She wants to try something, and she does it.Princess Patricia Priscilla might be the main character in a satire, but there is nothing funny about the independence that she shows and the wonderful example she is to young readers.