Princess Olivia is tired of being a princess. There are no other adults in the castle, she is not allowed to leave, and her lessons of table manners, royal history, speaking or dressing correctly are just plain boring.

To her surprise, her wish comes true. Men burst into the castle and declare there is to be no more Royalty. They have had their chance to put things right in their country but now the people of Alez are standing up and ready to make some changes.

Now living in a small apartment with her ex king and queen-mum and dad, Olivia is excited about going to school for the first time. The books she pored over in the castle taught her much, but she soon realises she knows hardly anything about the world at all.

Her new home is a place of air pollution, unsafe water and air. The weather is different from when she lived in the castle above the smog, leaping from scorching heat to treacherous storms in the same day. As Olivia makes friends and learns more, she is now aware this weather is not normal, and she wants to know why.

Learning about Carbon Dioxide, Science, Global Warming and Climate Change is part of her new life as a non-royal. But a life of being told she will be its leader one day is still a big part of her. She feels responsible for Alez, and vows to save it. First she has to learn what is causing all these horrible events. She and her best friends make a Climate Task Force and get to work!

A fun story highlighting Climate Change and all that it entails. Main character Olivia is curious about the world, not expecting to discover it really needs help!

Olivia has two loyal friends, trans girl Ravi who wears butterfly wings and dreams of being a princess, and Helga who is the cleverest in their class. Many topics are effortlessly knitted into the story as Olivia and her friends learn about Science, Climate Change, Global Warming etc and the causes of them, all while going to school or hanging out. Forming a club seems the best way to stick together and learn even more.

A rich, evil character increases the tension, responsible for not only Olivia’s family eviction but the state of their country through greed. Small sections explaining components of Climate Change by world scientists are also interspersed throughout the novel.

An informative and enjoyable read!

Author – Lucy Hawking

Illustrated – Zoe Persico

Age – 7+

(2022, Penguin, Princess, Crime, Environment, Family, Future, Growing up, Mystery, Science, Series, Pollution, Royal Family, New President, Climate Change, Carbon Dioxide, Crisis, Deforestation, Ecosystem, Emissions, Extreme Weather, Fossil Fuels, Global Warming, Greenhouse Gases, Permafrost, Renewable Energy)