Read From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess for Free Online

wanted a sister.”
    â€œMe, too!”
    The one thing I’ve always wanted, and it’s come true!
    And it turns out Princess Mia and I have a lot in common:
    She has a diary, too. She saw me writing in this notebook and asked if I was doing homework and I said no, that my dad said to write down my feelings when I was getting overwhelmed.
    That’s when Mia got a funny look on her face and said, “Hmmm, I think I know where he got that idea.”
    â€œWhere?” I asked, surprised.
    â€œMy mom told me to do the same thing when I was about your age.”
    â€œReally?” I asked.
    â€œYes,” she said, and smiled. “So what else do you like to do, besides write in your diary?”
    â€œI like to draw.” I showed her a couple of my wildlife illustrations.
    â€œWow, those are really good! You must have inherited that talent from your mom, because I can’t draw at all.”
    â€œOh, that’s not true,” I assured her. “My art teacher, Ms. Dakota, says anyone can learn to draw if they practice a little every day. The thing she wants me to practice right now is perspective. She says it’s easy with practice. But even though I’ve been practicing and practicing, I still can’t seem to get it right.”
    Princess Mia glanced again at my drawings. “Your perspective looks good to me. Better than mine, that’s for sure.”
    â€œAw,” I said, feeling myself blush. “Not really.”
    She smiled. “The first thing you’ll have to learn, Olivia, if you’re going to get this princess thing right, is how to take a compliment. When someone says something nice to you, don’t put yourself down. Just say ‘thank you.’ Try it.”
    I blushed harder. “Thank you.”
    â€œYou’re welcome,” she said, laughing. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it? It’s like what your art teacher said about perspective. The more you practice, the easier it will get.”
    I frowned. “I never thought of it that way.”
    I’d only said “Not really” because I didn’t want to seem like a snob.
    But I guess saying “thank you” when someone pays you a compliment doesn’t sound snobby. It’s the polite thing to do.
    So then to change the subject, I showed Princess Mia my “Who Am I?” worksheet (not that I like to do homework, of course, but it’s due tomorrow), and she started to help me fill it out, saying she’d be happy to answer any questions I had about our Genovian ancestry.…
    Except then she got a call on her cell phone that she said she was sorry she had to take.
    I said I understood. Being a princess really is hard work.
    The thing is, I have some questions I don’t think Princess Mia can answer, such as:
    If my mom was so serious about me not knowing my royal heritage, why did she name me after so many Genovian princesses?
    Is it for the same reason Aunt Catherine said it was my mother’s “dream” that I learn to speak French, and why she makes me take it in school, even though everyone else takes Spanish? French is the language they speak in Genovia.
    I can’t help thinking it’s because my mom meant to tell me the truth someday, and go with me to Genovia. She just died before she ever got the chance.
    Her making me learn French is already doing me some good, though. I don’t mean to be eavesdropping, but I can understand some of what Princess Mia has been saying on her cell phone (in French).
    I should probably interrupt and mention that I take French. But I don’t want to be rude. Also, it’s kind of interesting.
    One of the ladies-in-waiting (Tina) let me borrow her extra cell phone (when you’re royal I guess you’re so rich you have two).
    â€œSo you can play games and won’t be bored during the drive,” she said kindly, but I think it’s more so that they can talk amongst