I think I have a lingering princess complex leftover from my childhood. I do like to read books about princesses.... Well, that's not really the point right now. I do also enjoy Newberry books, though...maybe that explains it. I'd say this book is still enjoyable for older children, but it is definitely aimed towards the under 12 crowd. The story follows a village that lives on a mountain, where every villager works in the nearby quarry, which is their lifeblood. The kingdom in which this village resides has an odd selection process for choosing the consort of the prince: priests choose the region from which the princess will come from. It only becomes an issue when the priests choose the mountain village, because all the eligible girls need to be trained in matters of etiquette and protocol. The book has many good underlying values and it doesn't come off as too preachy or saccharine.