Meet the princess who'd rather wear a suit of armor than a crown! Princess Serena (or as she prefers, Princess Pulverizer) doesn't want to be a princess--she wants to be knight! But her father, King Alexander of Empiria, thinks she still has a lot to learn when it comes to exhibiting valiant behavior. So he presents a challenge: the princess must first go on a Quest of Kindness and perform good deeds to prove that she truly deserves to go to knight school. With help from a friendly dragon named Dribble and a perpetually terrified knight-in-training named Lucas, can she complete her quest and discover what it really takes to be a hero? *“Very funny series.”— Publishers Weekly , starred review "A wacky adventure that stands out through highlighting its heroine's foibles, giving her plenty of room to grow in future installments." — Kirkus Reviews "This spirited chapterbook is an obvious choice for Princess in Black grads and Hamster Princess fans." — Booklist "A strong series opener and a solid choice for those looking to increase their early chapter book holdings." — School Library Journal Nancy Krulik (she/her) is the author of more than two hundred books for children and young adults, including three New York Times Best Sellers. She is best known as the author and creator of the Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo; George Brown, Class Clown; How I Survived Middle School; and Magic Bone book series. Nancy lives in Manhattan with her husband, composer Daniel Burwasser. When she's not writing, Nancy can be found reading, going to concerts, traveling, or running around Central Park with her crazy beagle mix, Josie. Follow her @NancyKrulik. Ben Balistreri (he/him) has been working for more than twenty years in the animation industry. He's won an Emmy Award for his character designs, and has been nominated for nine Annie Awards, winning once. His art can be seen in Tangled the Series , for which he serves as Supervising Producer, How to Train Your Dragon , Danny Phantom , Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends , Wander Over Yonder , Wild Kratts , and many more. The Princess Pulverizer series is his first foray into book illustration. He lives in Pasadena, California, with his wife, Becca, and their two golden retrievers, Bombadil and Fatty Lumpkin. Chapter 1  “Princess Serena!” Lady Frump shouted angrily. “Come down from there right now! Princesses do not hang from the ceiling.”   But the Royal Princess of Empiria was not ready to come down. She didn’t want to sit at the table with her classmates, learning about the proper manners to use at a tea party. Who cared how you held your pinkie when you picked up your teacup? Tea parties were no fun at all.   But swinging from the rafters—now, that was fun!   The princess began swaying back and forth over the heads of the other girls in her class.   Back and forth.   Back and forth.   Back and forth.   She swung her legs higher and higher in the air.   “Wheeee!” the princess shouted down to her classmates. “You guys should really try this. It’s amazing. I feel like I’m flying.”   The girls stared up at her in surprise. No one disobeyed Lady Frump. Ever. She was the toughest, scariest teacher at the Royal School of Ladylike Manners.   But Lady Frump didn’t frighten the princess at all. Nobody frightened her.   She was the bravest girl in all of Empiria.   Maybe even in the whole world.   So she just kept swinging.   Back and forth.   Back and . . .   “WHOA!” The princess let out a loud yelp as she lost her grip on the rafters.   SPLASH! The princess’s royal bottom landed right in a big bowl of ooey-gooey purplish pomegranate pudding.   SMASH. Spoons, forks, knives, teacups, and saucers crashed to the floor. There was broken china everywhere.   The princess looked up at Lady Frump. The teacher’s face was beet red. Her eyes were tightened into tiny angry slits. And she was clutching her handkerchief in a sweaty fist.   “Oops,” the princess said sheepishly.   “Now look what you’ve done!” Lady Frump scolded. “Why didn’t you come down carefully when I asked you to, Princess Serena?”   “Well, for one thing, that’s not my name,” the princess replied. “I’ve told you that a million times.”   A few of the girls gasped.   “Serena is the name your father, King Alexander, gave you,” Lady Frump reminded her.   “But it’s not the right name for me,” the princess explained. “Serena comes from the word serene . And serene means calm and peaceful. I’m neither of those.”   Lady Frump couldn’t argue with that.   Nobody could argue with that.   “That’s why I gave myself a new name,” the princess continued. “From now on, I want everyone to call me Princess Pulverizer.”   “Princess Pulverizer is not a proper name for a royal girl,” Lady Frump told her.   “Says who?” Princess Pulverizer argued.   “I . . . I . . . well . . . ,” Lady Frump stammered.   The girls all stared at Princess Pulverizer in awe. She’d s