Elisabeth: The Princess Bride

Reach for this book when your child is feeling the pressure of high expectations or struggling with a life change that feels restrictive and overwhelming. Part of the Dear America Royal Diaries series, this historical fiction novel follows Princess Elisabeth (Sisi) of Bavaria as her carefree life in the woods is suddenly traded for the rigid, suffocating world of the Austrian court after an unexpected betrothal. It beautifully captures the anxiety of losing one's identity to public duty and the loneliness of being 'different' in a world of strict rules. It is an excellent choice for middle-grade readers who value independence and need to see their own feelings of displacement reflected in a historical setting. Parents will appreciate how it humanizes a historical figure while addressing the emotional weight of growing up too fast.