A fantasy retelling of A Little Princess, this book has all the right vibes. There's magic, there's dragons, there's class struggles. What more could you want? This is a quick little read, but it is filled with a good amount of magic to keep readers interested. Those who like historical fantasy will be delighted by this little read.

What a beautiful retelling of A Little Princess! I loved the dual POV of Emma and Izzy as they gradually became friends and started to understand on another. I thought the magic in the story was really creative and fun, though parts of the story were a bit slow. I thought the inclusion of Tom and his family added a lot to the story, and loved the character of Figgy Pudding, the house dragon!

I do not know how I waited so long to read this treasure of a book. Emma is the friend every child needs. She is overflowing with kindness. Izzy is spirited and determined. They make the perfect pair on a mission to rewrite the rules of kindling and keeping your magic, no matter how rich or poor you are born. The bits of magic infused throughout the story make it a delight to read. I personally would love my own little house dragon, who could be both a guide and a friend. This book is perfect for any middle grade child who loves fantasy. It would also make a fun read aloud for younger students.

Based on A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Guilded Girls is a fantastical and inspiring take on the classic story. Two girls are sent to a school for magic--one to learn, and one to serve. However, their abilities are counter to what is expected, and the two have to forge a friendship for both to succeed. I loved this book so much! Where I find the original story rather saccharine, this books showed the importance of hard work and collaboration in order to succeed. The characters were relatable, and the plot was fun. I have been recommending this book to lots of my students.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This is a fantastic middle grade fantasy. I love a magical school setting about students learning magic and the setting for this was just perfect. There's a secrete library that moves around. And even a wise old cat (ahem, house dragon) who protects the school.

The boarding school is set in early 1900s New York where rich conglomerates rule the city - and the magic. All children have the ability to do magic, but only the wealthy children are taught how to channel their magic through jewels, and they have the opportunity to participate in the annual kindling ceremony that happens.

A child must kindle in their 12th year or their magic will be snuffed out forever. The rich believe only those who are worthy (aka wealthy) can be kindled, and the rest are happy to have their magic snuffed. That's what one of our main characters, Emma, grew up hearing. Her father is a famous magitect (architect) and she is put in the best suite with all kinds of luxuries at Miss Posterity’s Academy for Practical Magic.

Emma is sweet, kind, and unpretentious, but she is naïve. Her only family is her father so when her father dies suddenly and with rumors of his failed investments, Miss Posterity tells Emma she can stay as a servant girl working for free to pay off her father's tuition debt to the school. Emma is no longer allowed to go to classes and learn magic. Her spark is weak to begin with and she worries she is no longer worthy to be kindled.

Our other main character is Izzy, a straightforward, no-nonsense servant girl who works at the school. Her magic ability is powerful and is always jumping out of her skin. She has a stolen jewel that she uses to practice magic from lessons she's learned by eavesdropping. Her one goal is to learn enough to kindle, and then find her sister who lives in another state. With Emma's change of fate, these two come together to form an unlikely alliance to help each other learn about the kindling ceremony. Emma's grown up learning about magic all her life, but Izzy knows how to navigate the school and outside world.

Overall, this was such a heartwarming and magical story. Their genuine friendship with each other and the side character, Tom, is the most precious thing to see. Each of them learns to readjust their worldview and stereotypes of the wealthy/poor. I was particularly touched by Emma's journey to realizing that someone's class is not what determines someone's worth. Everyone is worthy, simply because they exist. What a beautiful message!

In 1906, 12 year old Emma has recently enrolled at Miss Posterity’s Academy for Practical Magic in New York City. Her purpose? To learn kindling, which will allow Emma to utilize her magic powers. Emma is one of the privileged, for her wealth allows her the training to learn how to harness her magic; in contrast, Izzy O’Donnell, a servant working at the school, is expected to allow her magic to be snuffed out. When Emma’s father is declared dead, a victim of the San Francisco earthquake, her status at the school quickly changes from student to servant. While Emma and Izzy did not initially see eye to eye, they become unlikely friends because they both desire to keep their magic. Izzy will train Emma on being a servant and Emma will share her knowledge of kindling. With help from another student, Frances, and Figgy, a house dragon disguised as a cat, Emma and Izzy train together so that they are prepared when the kindling winds arrive. But when the winds come, the friends must work together to not only support each other but the other girls at the school.

The Gilded Girl is a clever and innovative retelling of The Little Princess. I love that Coleman chose to tell the story in alternating chapters from the perspectives of both Emma and Izzy. Readers get to know each girl well witnessing the transformation of Emma whose sudden change in social status teaches her about the injustices between classes and Izzy shows her willingness to trust as well as her vulnerability. Armed with this new insight, Emma and Izzy seek to make magic available to all.

After reading The Gilded Girl, my heart was filled with hope, for Emma and Izzy are great role models for middle grade readers because of their perseverance, courage, and passion. Thanks to author Alyssa Coleman and Macmillian Publishers for sharing an e-galley with Beagles and Books. The Gilded Girl recently published on April 6, 2021.

This was a really fun twist on A Little Princess where we are in a alternate New York City in 1906 where all children have the capacity of magic but only the wealthy can use it.. I really enjoyed this book and the world building was so good with the kindling that was the potential for magic in all the children but it will be snuffed out if it itsn't kindled by the age of thirteen but that is a privilege of the wealthy all the poor kids magic will be snuffed out. This was a really good read and should appeal to kids who like historical stories as well as magic.

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

This is a really fun middle-grade debut and I can't wait to read more by Alyssa Colman. I really like historical fantasy and this is a wonderful example of it.

CHILDREN'S

The Gilded Girl by Alyssa Colman; Farrar Straus Giroux, 350 pages ($16.99) Ages 8 to 12.

This entertaining fantasy offers a clever twist on Frances Hodgson Burnett's "A Little Princess," set in an alternate history 1906 New York City, in a world where all children have the potential to do magic, but only the wealthy are permitted to use it.

The novel is told from alternating perspectives of Emma, a wealthy new student at an elite magical education boarding school, and Izzy, a servant sent from an orphanage to work at the school.

Emma, the introverted only child of a wealthy "Magitect" (architect), is desperately hoping to learn magic since she is the right age to "Kindle," or learn control of her magic, but she isn't very good at it. (Kindling involves fire, flames shooting out of fingertips and painful burns can result.) Miss Posterity, the horrible headmistress, is delighted to have such a wealthy student enrolled at her school; Emma finds that showering gifts on her classmates will win her friends even as she secretly doubts her own magical potential.

Meanwhile, Izzy has her own reasons for desperately wanting to learn the secrets of a magic education even though the law dictates that her magic must be snuffed. When disaster strikes and Emma is banished to the attic, the girls join forces.

In addition to the clever idea of Kindling, imaginative touches include the ability to create illusions, of a back garden that isn't really there, for example, and the use of "Blandings" in the kitchen, purposely serving wretched food to the girls who must use magic to transform it into something palatable. There's a delightfully Dickensian feel to the depiction of the working class folk living in wretched conditions and denied use of their magic.

Even though all children may have magic, it will kindle or snuff out by age 13. Only rich children with higher social status are allowed to kindle and keep their magic. Emma is learning to use her magic and prepare for kindling until her father is reported killed, and she loses her fortune. Then Miss Posterity moves her to the attic so she can work off her debt as a servant. But she and Izzy are determined to keep their magic, even if the law doesn’t allow it. Such a magical story and characters! This is a fun and touching retelling of The Little Princess in a fantasy world. I really enjoyed this story of family, friendship, society, poverty, and prejudice.

This is a nice book that highlights socioeconomic differences between the haves and the have-nots, in this case allowing only the those of worth - that is, those with money - to use magic, despite the capability being present in everyone. As is common in such cases, rituals and training that require money have grown up around “kindling”, the transformation of a child’s magic into that of an adult. That part of it was very well done. Those who have read A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett will recognize the storyline - widowed father leaves beloved daughter with school mistress to raise; a tragedy strikes, girl is left penniless, school mistress “generously “ let’s orphan stay to work off her debt, and so on. As someone familiar with Burnett’s book, I was able to predict the course the story would take by the end of the second page, which detracted from my enjoyment of what is, really, a nice novel, having been based on a classic. Turning the old new is a valid method of writing books, but this one would have benefited from a little more new and a lot less old, which significantly impacted my rating.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Group and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to review this title.

This was such a delightful read! I was immediately engaged and loved the immersive setting of an alternate turn-of-the-20th-century New York. I would describe this book as a retelling of The Little Princess, with magic! It was such an interesting mix between historical fiction and fantasy.

Both Lizzy and Emma are such great characters-I loved Lizzy's brashness and sass as much as I adored Emma’s primness and politeness. It was a joy to see their friendship blossom and watch them realize that wealth doesn’t define someone’s character. I am already looking forward to Emma and Izzy’s other magical adventures in the next book. I highly recommend it!

PS. There is a talking “house dragon” AKA black cat named Figgy Pudding, what’s not to love about that?!

3.5 Stars

At first, The Gilded Girl bears uncomfortable similarities to A Little Princess. Though whispers of magic are present from the beginning, the structure feels overly familiar. At that point, I seriously considered walking away from the novel.

However, once Emma finds herself a servant, the story, the magic and certain plot twists that make The Gilded Girl unique take hold. The story still follows the source material but comes into its own. It would have been nice if author Alyssa Colman had stretched further, but she mostly gets there in the end.

Emma begins the tale as a sweet, clueless girl who just wants to have friends, but doesn’t really understand what true friendship is. Over the course of the novel, she learns a lot, and becomes a heroine you want to root for.

The Gilded Girl is a fairly easy read that should appeal to readers who enjoy a historical setting with magic laced throughout.

*Disclaimer I received a free ebook copy of this book for a honest review*

I really thought this book was cute! I thought the characters were enjoyable and didn’t seem boring at all. I thought the pacing was very nicely done. I do agree with others with how the magic system is under baked and not explained to well, but it doesn’t take away from the plot for me at least. I would definitely recommend this book to almost anybody. My final rating would be 4/5 stars.

A fantasy-crossed Little Princess with a message of equality with appeal for fans of Fagan’s Rival Magic, or Miss Ellicott's School for the Magically Minded. While the magic system is a bit underbaked and under-described, the characters are fully formed (if a bit stock) with neat little arcs and visible development, and the writing is decent, although occasionally slips into some phrasing which seems anachronistic for the time period.

A retelling of the classic 'A Little Princess' with magical realism. The very first scene will grab your attention. A room full of twelve-year-old girls aflame and dancing as their magic is kindled. Izzy, the house servant, looks on as she realizes the school does not consider her 'worthy' of the gift of magic. There is much to like about this fantasy debut: 1) the riches to rags to riches trope 2) cooperation across gender and economic lines 3) Figgy Pudding the cat/house dragon 4) the historical setting in NYC. With plenty of action and appealing characters, this one should be a popular spring debut.

Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

<i>The Gilded Girl</i> is very much a rewrite of the classic book (and movie, many times over) <i>The Little Princess</i>, which was a childhood favorite of mine. The book's description doesn't say this straight out (which mystifies me), but the book hits every major plot point of the classic. Therefore, if you know the original story, you know exactly what to expect here as well.

But is that a bad thing? Yes and no. What sets <i>The Gilded Girl</i> apart of a subplot of magic. Every child is born with the gift of magic. However, in December when a child is twelve, a wind comes and their magic sparks--and either they control it and keep their magic, or they are doused in water and their magic is forever snuffed, or they totally catch fire and die or are maimed. Society has established that only the wealthy are trained in how to keep and utilize their magic. Really, magic is the stuff of oppression and class warfare.

Don't expect any explanations or logical worldbuilding beyond that. Take the magic as a fluffy thing with some nonsensical rules, and just go with it. Same with the introduction of house dragons, which look exactly like cats. Figgy the house dragon is frustrating because he knows everything and helps very little, but still, he's a cat/house dragon, so you kinda have to love him.

One thing I really liked about the book is that it follows two perspectives. You have Emma, essentially 'the Little Princess' who is raised in privilege, then is demoted to be an abused servant after her father goes missing. She's a stalwart, good-meaning sort, very much in the mold of the Shirley Temple movie version I love. The other perspective is what adds a lot to this new take: Izzy, an Irish servant at the school who is determined to not let her magic be snuffed. She has verve and attitude, and her view of this 1906 New York City setting really brightens the story, predictable as it is. The friendship that grows between the girls is great.

She's a big reason why I'm giving the book four stars. Yes, it's a blatant, predictable rewrite of an old classic, and yes, the magic will make readers say "huh?" more than once. Even so, the book is a good read. It's cozy. Sometimes it's great to have a book where you do know exactly what will happen, and you just go with it and have fun. I would have adored this book when I was a kid, and I think a lot of kids will love it these days--and decide their own cat happens to be a house dragon.

I received an electronic ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group through NetGalley.
A twist on The Little Princess that includes magic. Emma arrives at a boarding school to learn how to kindle her magic. She's unhappy to be there and away from her much loved father but he knows she needs training to gain control and keep her magical abilities. Predictably, something happens and he is declared dead. The headmistress relegates Emma to being a servant - a job she is woefully unprepared for. She gains the confidence and friendship of a fellow servant Izzy and together they plot to kindle their own magic though it is illegal for servants to do so. Eventually, they bring in a young boy Emma met and one of the schoolgirls who struggles to read. All are guided by the House Dragon who reveals himself to them. An almost tragic climactic time occurs when the kindling winds arrive but Izzy shines and guides the entire school through the kindling process. Lovely and expected ending reunites various family members.
The story starts a bit slow as the scenes are described but once readers are connected to the characters and settings, the action picks up. Colman provides glimpses of kindness to balance the nastiness of the headmistress. She continues to reveal hidden aspects of her characters throughout to help readers see why people respond as they do and to see the choices and sacrifices they made to bring them to their current situations.

This book was such a sweet story. I loved all the characters and how it was written. I liked how it was a historical fantasy. It kept me engaged in the story and it was fast paced and didn’t have any slow parts. I really think middle schoolers will love this book. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!