Princess Juniper of the Anju by Ammi-Joan Paquette

The Princess' father is being held prisoner in his own castle.  Juniper intends to go free him.  All she has in her personal kingdom are children like herself but they have made a new home for themselves and she's determined to save her father.

Philomel Books and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published May 24th.

This is written for middle graders and it should hold their attention and amuse them.  Juniper takes a few people with her and goes to find their stolen horses.  What she finds is another settlement.  They are the Anju and it's where her mother grew up.  Her mother was banned from the group after she married the King.  She loved him, so she gave up her home.  Now Juniper has no idea what to expect from them but she does want her horses back.

She gets her horses and stays for a bit to see the tree homes they've made and read the history they have created.  Then she finds out that they are picking a new leader and she's eligible to take the tests by virtue of her blood-right.  Her original motivation is that by becoming their leader, she can use them to help save her father.  After the testing process, she finds herself better understanding their lifestyle and she's not so sure about leadership any more.

This is the second book in the series but it stood up fine alone.  I found the story to be fun, if a bit silly, and I liked the monster that lived in the "Claw".  What did you like about?