The Princess and the Hound, by Mette Ivie Harrison

Prince George has a secret: he has animal magic, punishable by death. He tries to hide it, and in doing so, fails time and again to be the prince his father and kingdom want. It seems that every major choice he faces finds him wanting--but even so, there IS no clear answer to the judgments he must make in his kingdom, to the meeting with the bear in the forest, and to the princess of the next country and her unusual hound. Harrison does a great job making us feel for George and experience the pricklyness of the choices he must make. Magic, love, and animals--what more could you want? Kudos also to Larry Rostant, the cover artist. Lovely.

Mette Ivie Harrison is amazing. She has a Ph.D. in German. She has five kids. She's a triathlete. And she's a prolific writer. (She has three books out right now, but it sounds like a LOT more between her keyboard and publication.) She's the author of The Princess and the Hound, which reads like a fairy tale retelling, only despite a beauty and several beasts, it really isn't. If you like Shannon Hale and Megan Whalen Turner, you will probably like this book.

Eos (Harper Collins), 2007
ages 12 +

If you're still looking for a NaNoWriMo idea...

This is the first view you have of the castle. What happens next?