It’s good to be queen! At least, that’s how Karen felt while recording our latest podcast — because Nancy was sick in bed and refused to participate! Excuses, excuses… No matter; Karen still had plenty to say, all about books involving royalty:

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Download the MP3 (6.2 MB)
• A rat that loves soup and a mouse that loves a (princess) pea — aka our mystery book revealed
• Princess power! — aka our royalty book picks (Once Upon a Marigold and Dealing with Dragons)
• A review from YOU (The Red Pyramid) from Douglas, age 9!
• There’s a new sheriff in town — aka our dream rules if we ran the world…

Also, don’t forget: our new theme is war stories, in honor of Memorial Day. So send us a review of your favorite book related to war and check out these books about war.

— Karen (and Nancy in absentia)

Ah, weary wanderer, come in! We see that you have traveled long and hard, crossing many foreign lands before arriving in our Kidsmomo Kingdom. Sit down, rest your tired feet, and let our court minstrel entertain you with a ballad. Perhaps a tribute to books about royalty? Please, enjoy our humble verse:

This book trailer for The Tale of Despereaux was originally the Mystery Book Theater video for our Books About Royalty theme. For more on The Tale of Despereaux, check out our “Royal Flush” podcast.

What happens when a rodent crashes a royal banquet? Trouble, that’s what. Just see for yourself in our video for The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo!

Tell us what you’d do if you had your own kingdom/queendom — what kind of rules would you put in place, and what kind of treats would you give yourself?

Submitted by Hahaha me, Age 11 from Maine

If I was a queen I would

1. Declare Thanksgiving a week long.
2. Declare Reese’s peanut butter cups the national food , the national bird the mockingjay, the national tree the sequoia and the national flower the rose.
3. Take mathematics out of the school curriculum.
4. On my birthday everybody can get a free book of their choice.
5. Hire a bunch of scientists to find a cure for bad vision so nobody would ever have to wear glasses again!!!…!!
6. Ban any movie or TV show rated under PG-13.
7. Demand more sanitary public bathrooms!

A princess who can read thoughts. A prince who doesn’t think of anyone but himself. A secret princess. A girl who doesn’t want to be a princess. And, of course, a kingdom at war. You’ll find all of these stories of noble proportions in these books about royalty (in no particular order):

1. Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris (Karen’s pick)
2. Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede (Nancy’s pick)
3. The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
4. The Royal Diaries series
5. Igraine The Brave by Cornelia Funke
6. Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan
7. The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine
8. The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
9. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
10. Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage
11. The Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander
12. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

If you’ve read any of these, send in your book review. Or send in a review of your favorite book about royalty.

UPDATE 5/19/10: We revealed the answer to our Royalty Mystery Book Theater in the “Royal Flush” Podcast, so take a listen if you want to know the answer. Or just tune in if you want to hear Karen hold a conversation with herself. For reals.