From Bloomsbury: "January is Shannon’s birthday month and the 5th anniversary of PRINCESS ACADEMY receiving the Newbery Honor. To celebrate, Shannon’s publisher is giving away one copy of the book to one person who “likes” the official fan page."
If you're on facebook, Bloomsbury is going to be doing lots of cool stuff all year on my fan page, including giveaways, podcasts (since I'm not a'travelin' this year), contests, etc. I also have a profile page on FB and a twitter account if you care to join me there as well.
Five years! This next Monday the newest Newbery shinies will be announced. How thrilling. I will never get used to the news.
Here's a little embarrassing Shannon Hale trivia for you. At the Newbery banquet, the Honor honorees get a plaque. I have no idea where mine is. I'm pretty sure I brought it home, but we moved houses soon thereafter. It could still be in a box somewhere or perhaps sucked into the dimension of second socks and homework assignments. No one has seen it except Dean, who was at the ceremony with me. Oh well. It's the silver sticker on the book that's the real award anyway.
Wow. Five years. That's crazy! I'm proud to have been a shanfan for ALMOST that entire time. And I've never regretted reading PA, despite my initial fears. :)
Hope this anniversary/birthday month is FABULOUS for you!
Posted by: Enna Isilee | January 07, 2011 at 09:16 AM
Happy Birthday, Shannon, and Happy Anniversary, Princess Academy!
Shannon, you are one of my favorite authors, and Princess Academy is one of my favorite books. It's the only book I reread every year. Thank you for sharing your gift of writing with all of us, and for sharing your life and thoughts on your blog!
Posted by: Melanie Clark | January 07, 2011 at 09:30 AM
I adore Princess Academy, and also you. Happy anniversary and birthday!
Posted by: ally condie | January 07, 2011 at 09:51 AM
Congrats! I think I will read it to my girls at night again this week to celebrate!
Posted by: Jena | January 07, 2011 at 10:31 AM
Congrats on your anniversary and Happy Birthday! (I'm celebrated my five year anniversary with my hubby this month too--- how time flies!)
Funny, I am giving a copy of "The Princess Academy" to my friend as a late Christmas present tonight. I plan to reread your books this year and wanted to share one. What timing!
Posted by: Natasha M. Heck | January 07, 2011 at 10:32 AM
The silver sticker AND Miri's thousands upon thousands of fans :) We are your reward! You're such a talented author ... and Princess Academy is one of those books I will NEVER stop re-reading! <3 After Dashti, Miri is my favorite heroine of yours <3
Posted by: Bridget | January 07, 2011 at 11:24 AM
Dearest Shannon, congratulations. Also, when you are in your dotage, the plaque will probably surface, and will be place above your bed to remind you how you touched so many lives with words, and to remind that your name *is* Shannon Hale. :)
Posted by: Je Reve | January 07, 2011 at 11:35 AM
Happy Anniversary! Congrats on the award and for just being awesome. Go eat some ice cream and give your sweet babies a kiss!
Posted by: Amy | January 07, 2011 at 12:09 PM
Happy Birthday, Shannon! I was so happy when you *finally* got honored, since I've been a fan since Goose Girl. Now that I'm a librarian, I hope to one day get on the Newbery committee. I hope you write a book that year!
Posted by: Sondy | January 07, 2011 at 12:18 PM
Princess Academy is my VERY favorite young adult fiction book. I ADORE introducing it to my daughters and watching the joy and anticipation on their faces through the journey! (I still have one who's never read it and I plan to read it to her this year!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!
Posted by: Lisa Hunsaker | January 07, 2011 at 12:48 PM
YAY!!! It's been 5 years since the wonderful Princess Acadamy has been in print. It must be amazing to know for five years people have been reading Princess Acadamy,loving it,and giving it lots of awards.
Posted by: Princess Luna | January 07, 2011 at 01:39 PM
wow... five years. Man, I'm getting old. :) It was my favorite book then and still is now :)
Posted by: Libbi | January 07, 2011 at 01:50 PM
The first time I read Acadamy Princess I was immediately plunged into it's pages. Reading the words with eagle eyes. I fell in love with it and still do for like four years. LOVE IT!
I'm that kind of person who loves to re-read books that take my intrests of Fiction novels.
Thankyou, Shannon, for making that book special moments in my life. :)
--Raindrops
Posted by: Raindrops | January 07, 2011 at 06:28 PM
I bought Princess Academy three years ago for two reasons. 1) I liked the cover and the Newbery Honor. 2) My 2nd grade daughter- who struggled with reading- loved princesses, so thought she might get interested. I read the book and LOVED it and went straight to the library to find more books by this Shannon Hale. I loved them too. I'd never heard of a graphic novel, but Rapunzel's Revenge grabbed my daughter's eye and was the first book that she had ever been interested enough in to read the whole book! Now 3 years later, my 5th grade daughter finally read Princess Academy and joined the fan club! It is the only chapter book she has not been able to put down and she spent Christmas Break enthusiastically working on a book report about it. All her friends are now reading it. Hooray! Thanks so much Shannon! It is a joy to share the love of reading with my daughter after all this time. Keep writing and we'll keep reading.
Posted by: Sara | January 08, 2011 at 06:20 AM
Happy birthday, and congratulations on 5 years! I read Princess Academy for the first time last summer and loved it!
Posted by: Jess Byam | January 08, 2011 at 12:53 PM
I am so grateful to that book. It was like a portal to all of Shannon Hale's magnificent stories that are now a major part of my book-life. Thank you Shannon Hale for writing it for people like me to read.
Posted by: Anna | January 08, 2011 at 01:12 PM
Shannon, I don't know if you read the comments, but I want to thank you again for writing books that give me the 'warm fuzzies', even when I just glance at them on the shelf.
I just ordered Rapunzel's Revenge after getting it from the library; I received it today, and spent a good hour flipping through it.
Thanks! :]
Posted by: Elinor | January 08, 2011 at 07:09 PM
I originally read this to see if it was something my daughter would like, and fell in love with your writing. She did too - she read it three times before it had to go back to the library! I had to buy it because she kept getting it out, and I've since bought (and enjoyed) every single one of your novels. :)
Posted by: Tracy | January 08, 2011 at 09:03 PM
Haha, I just read your tweet about Tangled. I have to admit, I had an old post of yours running through the back of my mind while I watched it. It was a post about how wrong it is/ just how far they will go in twisting the story to a male dominated something or other to sell, sell, sell.
Posted by: Jen | January 08, 2011 at 09:44 PM
The Princess Academy is an awesome book by a talented, hard working author. Con!gratulations
Posted by: Stella Michel | January 09, 2011 at 05:24 PM
Wooooooooooooow...
FIVE YEARS!!! That's crazy..it's weird...it's..wow.
About the plaque...I'm the exact opposite! I would have never let it out of my sight, not even put it down somewhere, for fear of apple juice being spilled on it. Right when we would get home, I would dust it, then force myself to get to the task of hanging it up. Then I would be able to breathe again.
Last of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHANNON!!!
Posted by: gracie | January 10, 2011 at 08:01 AM
I cannot tell you how excited I was when I found out that my younger cousin received Princess Academy for her eleventh birthday. It is one of the best books for a girl her age. (and for girls my age, too. :D) Happy anniversary! (and happy birthday. Wishing you many more!!!)
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥Gwen♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Posted by: Gwen | January 11, 2011 at 01:00 PM
Happy birthday, Shannon, and happy anniversary, Princess Academy! I still remember my first read through and absolutely falling in love with the story and characters. Your books are always so inspiring to me. Thank you for writing the type of stories I used to dream up when I was younger!
Posted by: Melissa | January 11, 2011 at 02:55 PM
Happy Birthday and Happy 5th Anniversary of the book PRINCESS ACADEMY! Congratulations too!
Posted by: aax | January 11, 2011 at 03:58 PM
<3<3<3<3Love the books you write! And happy b-day and anniversary!
-Raindrops
Posted by: Raindrops | January 12, 2011 at 02:59 PM
I have read this book a billion times! I love it! I read it at least once a year after my 5th grade teacher introduced it to me.
Posted by: Casi | January 17, 2011 at 07:21 PM
omg i love that book i already have a copy but will the copy be autographed????????? <3
Posted by: heather carver | January 21, 2011 at 07:44 AM
Has it only been 5 years? Wow! Well, those 5 years have made the biggest difference in my reader and librarian life. Congratulations!
Posted by: ldsjaneite | February 08, 2011 at 08:46 AM