Product Description

What on earth is that princess up to now?

Hammer in hand, Princess Mia embarks on an epic adventure for one so admittedly unhandy: Along with her cohorts from school, she's off to build houses for the less fortunate. It doesn't take Mia long to realize that helping others -- while an unimpeachably noble pastime -- is very hard work. Will her giving spirit prevail? Will the house collapse due to royally clumsy construction? And most importantly, will Michael stop working long enough to kiss her?

What comes between Volumes IV and V of The Princess Diaries? Volume IV and a Half, of course!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49154 in Books
• Published on: 2003-08-01
• Released on: 2003-07-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780060571313
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
Meg Cabot is the author of the best-selling, critically acclaimed, immensely popular Princess Diaries novels, as well as All-American Girl, Haunted, and two Regency novels, Nicola and the Viscount and Victoria and the Rogue. Meg was born in Bloomington, Indiana, and her childhood was spent in pursuit of air conditioning, of which there was little at the time in southern Indiana. A primary source proved to be the Monroe County Public Library, where Meg whiled away many hours, reading the complete works of Jane Austen, Judy Blume, and Barbara Cartland.

Armed with a fine arts degree from Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City, intent upon pursuing a career in freelance illustration. Illustrating, however, soon got in the way of Meg's true love, writing, and so she abandoned it and got a job as the assistant manager of an undergraduate dormitory at New York University, writing on the weekends, and whenever her boss wasn't looking.

Meg lives in New York City with her husband, Benjamin, a poet, financial market writer and fellow Hoosier, and their one-eyed cat, Henrietta.

Customer Reviews

Oh my, Mia....
Well, this is a tiny volume of everyone's favorite series (besides the series about that English boy with the funny head scar) and it only took fifteen minutes (tops) to read. That said, you will not get the full impact of Mia's writtten musings and rants, but she does have her moments in this book. Volume 4 1/2 takes places over Spring Break, when the Gifted/Talented class goes and bulids houses for the less fortunate in West Virginia. Once again, my parents asked what was so funny when I was reading this book. I won't give it all away but, well, since you're nice, here's a little taste:
1. Mia is doing something with her finally realized talent that was discovered in Volume 4.
2. Boris gets bus sick. A lot.
3. Mia falls off the roof of the house. But only once, mind you.
4. Dairy Queens are good.
All of Meg Cabot's proceeds from Volume 4 1/2 go to the building of the first permannent Lower Eastside Girls Club of NYC. So buy, read, and feel good about helping. Also... there's a preview of Volume 5, "Princess in Pink," which looks to round out Mia's freshman year at Albert Einstein with what else but... prom. Egads. Enjoy!

Shorter than an Essay
Ok, before you decide you want to bite my head off, I am a GREAT big fan of The Princess Diary collection of books. This book, 4 ½ was very...very...short. Though I loved it and every thing was good...I have to say I was very disappointed. Let me explain.

First Mia convinces her pregnant mom to let her go to help homeless people build homes. Yes, seems noble doesn't it? Something that you would want your future ruler of your country to support, but her ulterior motive is to go so she could make out with her boyfriend, Michel. Her mother was convinced by the mentioning of Mia's Grandmother NOT wanting her to go.
So her father, also against her going to help the homeless, does not disagree, so not to contradict Mia's mother.

Mia gets on the bus to go to West Virginia (to build the homes) and the entire time is complaining, and thinking about making out with Michel. After the bus ride she complains some more, while building the house (in which she admits she is relatively useless) she complains, through the entire book it seems like Mia is complaining about something or the other.

She finally kisses Michel, I think once or twice in the book, and I'm not entirely sure if she even felt good about helping the family, because she isn't really thinking too much about them. Only about Michel.

Though this looks like a really bad review, I want to say that I did like the book, as I LOVED the others. I just wish that Meg Cabot could have maybe made it longer, as in adding in other thoughts besides the `teen' hormonal infatuation of making out. I feel like I was stereo typed. LOVE MEG and all the Princess Diaries, just hope the next is a little more....enlightening.

Good, lives up to expectations
As a HUGE fan of the Princess Diaries, I knew I had to get this book. Well, I got it today - and already finished it - but thought it was pretty good. The only complaint I have is the length of the book - 64 pages is wayyyyyy too short!

Mia is back, and sassier than ever! This book takes place over spring break, and Mia and her G&T class are going to West Virginia to build houses for the less fortunate. Mia is mostly looking forward to it because it means five days with Michael, her boyfriend, without her parents around.

But, the trip isnt as great as they thought it would be - first of all, Boris gets sick on the bus, so for the seven hour ride, he's throwing up. Then, the giant bugs eat everyone alive, the tents leak, and Mia and Michael can't get a second to be alone. But, as everything starts to look up, a surprise visitor ruins the moment.

This book's really funny, and I enjoyed it a lot, but it's just too short to really explain a lot.

Overall grade: A-