The Princess Protection Program

“A delightful tongue-in-cheek twist on fairy tales and the magic school genre. Mixing the modern with the magical, author Alex London skewers popular fairy-tale tropes with a sharp wit and a loving, lighthearted touch, telling an empowering story where princesses learn to be their own fairy godmothers.” —Soman Chainani, author of The School for Good and Evil

“A slick, sly, and clever love letter to fairy tales. The Princess Protection Program is a celebration of changing the narrative to fit the person you are and not the person people want you to be. It's the fairy tale we need.” —Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of Aru Shah and the End of Time

“A clever and laugh-out-loud tale of friendship, magic, and princesses—and a prince—who learn to rewrite their own stories. Absolutely charming.” —Sarah Mlynowski, New York Times bestselling author of the Whatever After and Best Wishes series

“A fast-paced, fun, and whimsical read about defining your own destiny.” —Claribel A. Ortega, New York Times bestselling author of the Witchlings series

Where can a princess hide if her Ever After isn’t all that Happy? Bestselling author Alex London turns classic fairy tales on their heads in this fast-paced, funny fantasy about embracing change and taking control of your own story. For fans of the School for Good and Evil and the Chronicles of Never After series.

Every fairy tale ends with its characters living happily ever after, right? A valiant prince quests long and hard to reach the castle where the sleeping princess lies. And with a kiss, he awakens her.

But what if the princess does not think a kiss from a stranger is a very pleasant way to wake up? Yuck!

When Rosamund flees her prince, a Door of Opportunity opens, and she steps through it to the Home Educational Academy (the HEA for short). Rosamund has found the Princess Protection Program, where fugitive fairy-tale princesses escape unwanted affections, untimely ends, and all the other perils of their stories.

But the longer Rosamund lives in the real world, the more questions she has. Does anyone ever graduate from the HEA? Why doesn’t anyone seem to remember the former students? Is the kindly fairy headmistress all she appears to be? Is anyone? And the most important question of all: Can Rosamund change her story?

Acclaimed and bestselling author Alex London weaves together several beloved fairy tales in this fast-paced, funny, and slyly subversive adventure about finding your place in the world. 

• Funny Fantasy: Forget damsels in distress. These princesses are sarcastic, smart, and done with destiny—especially when it involves a prince with chapped lips.
• A Magical School with a Secret: The Home Educational Academy seems like a perfect sanctuary, but Rosamund soon discovers its enchanting halls hide a dark mystery about where students really go when they "graduate."
• An Empowering, Modern Twist: This isn’t your grandmother’s fairy tale. It’s an empowering story about rewriting the rules, becoming your own hero, and deciding what "happily ever after" really means.
• The Power of Friendship: With her new friends—a frog princess, a runaway mermaid, and a prince who’d rather not—Rosamund forms an unlikely alliance to uncover the truth and take back their stories.

Alex London is the acclaimed author of more than thirty books for children and teens, including the picture book Still Life, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. His middle grade novels include The Princess Protection Program, Search & Rescue, Dog Tags, and two titles in the 39 Clues series. For young adults, he’s the author of the cyberpunk duology Proxy and the epic fantasy series Black Wings Beating, which were both named to numerous best-of-the-year lists. He has been a journalist and human rights researcher reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, a young adult librarian with the New York Public Library, and a snorkel salesman. He lives with his husband, daughter, and hound dog in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.