Samantha Turnbull (text), Sarah Davis (illus.), Cruise Control (The Anti-Princess Club #5), Allen & Unwin, Dec 2015, 192pp., $12.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781760291884
The Anti-Princess Club books are a successful attempt to show readers aged 7-10 that there is more to life than dressing up and wearing tiaras.
For me, as an adult reader, the beginning premise of the story was somewhat far-fetched, and occasionally other incidents didn’t ring true with my adult perspective. Once I had accepted those minor flaws, the story flowed and there were many wonderful learning situations for young readers. These defects are also things which are unlikely to grate with younger reads. Maths whizz Emily wins a 10 day cruise for four, along the WA coast by being one of the top ten winners of an online video game. She takes along her 3 best friends: Bella, Grace and Chloe. Her father is lucky enough to be able to pay his own way so he goes too as the girls’ guardian.
On the cruise, Emily hides the fact that she is the video game whizz (rather than her father) and the girls have all sorts of adventures. There are strong environmental messages throughout the story but it is all part of the girls’ personas. They rescue an endangered turtle, convince the giftshop manager that the dolls for purchase need to be more realistic and varied rather than lei and tiara wearing blonds, win the regatta, persuade the ship’s captain not to use helium-filled balloons and prove to the other gamers that girls can be competitive and skilful.
One of the things I really like is that at the end of the book there are activities which can pursued over the Christmas holidays – or at any other time. Combined with the activities is information about successful women who challenged the boundaries while they were alive: Ada Lovelace, British mathematician of the 19th century; Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter; Jane Goodall, working for chimpanzees in Africa. Activities include making binary bracelets, designing a tree house, a rocket launcher, and some cooking activities based on Chloe’s Greek heritage.
This series is a great presentation of girls as strong feisty characters who don’t fit the mould of helpless females. Their club motto says it all: “We don’t need rescuing”. Recommended.
Reviewed by Maureen Mann
