Gr 3-6 Fierce warrior hamster princess Harriet Hamsterbone and her faithful battle-quail, Mumfrey, are itching for adventure mere weeks after obliterating the fairy curse in the first book of the series, Harriet the Invincible (Dial, 2015). Now that she is no longer invincible, she cannot participate in her favorite pastime, cliff diving, and she yearns for a new mighty quest. When a fairy shrew appears, needing her assistance at the Mouse Kingdom, Harriet quickly obliges. She learns of the plight of the 12 dancing princess mice, who are cursed to dance all night, every night. Arriving at the castle armed with a poncho of invisibility, Harriet must find out what is forcing the princesses to dance and break the curse before it's too late. What she unearths is a rodent-tweaked version of the "Twelve Dancing Princesses," in which the 12 princesses, who are named after the months of the year (January, February, March, etc.), seem destined to marry the 12 mole brothers (named after the zodiac signs: Gemini, Pisces, etc.). The generous comic book-like, two-toned illustrations are reminiscent of Vernon's "Dragonbreath" series (Dial) and suit the text perfectly. VERDICT A quick and satisfying read that is as hilarious as it is fun. Make room on the shelves for this not so frilly princess. Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

Harriet Hamsterbone is back in action. Our warrior princess is no longer invincible, but she's hungrier than ever for adventure, and the more dangerous, the better, much to the dismay of her royal parents. When she hears about a micromanaging mouse king with 12 dancing daughters and a mystery he can't solve, well, what's a hamster like Harriet to do? She packs up her faithful riding quail and sets out to break those princesses' curse. Or not break it, if that's what they want ("I liked my curse. It made me invincible," she shrugs). Either way, she's happy to be on a mission again. Spunky Harriet is just as wonderful as she was in her debut, and this sequel certainly lives up to the success of its predecessor (Harriet the Invincible, 2015). Fans of twisted feminist fairy tales will be delighted, and Harriet's existing followers won't be disappointed with this second installment. Bring on book three!