Author: Cornelia Funke
Illustrator: Kerstin Meyer
Publisher: The Chicken House
Publication Date: 2001
Genre: Fiction Picture Book
Audience: Gr. K-3
Overview: In this story, Princess Violetta is raised by her father to act just like one of his sons. Violetta’s mother died during child birth. The King had no idea how to raise his daughter, so he raised her just like he would a little boy. Princess Violetta was never as good at sword fighting and jousting. For her sixteenth birthday, the King arranged for there to be a jousting tournament. The winner of the tournament will win her hand in marriage. Princess Violetta was upset by this idea. In order to spite her father, she decided to enter the tournament under the name of Sir No Name. She ended up winning the tournament and her father decided that whoever wanted to marry his daughter would have to defeat his daughter in jousting.
Activity: Each student could write a story about how they have done that no one believed they would be good at or could ever do.
Reviewer’s Name: Becky Gray
