The Ruby Princess Runs Away

Poor Roxanne. Given her druthers, she'd rather frolic in field and stream than assume the responsibility of a head of state, but along with her three sisters she's about to be crowned one of the Jewel Princesses. Based on Jahnna N. Malcolm's bestselling Scholastic book from the beloved The Jewel Kingdom series, this live action adaptation written by Jahnna Beecham (who also directs) and Malcolm Hillgartner (the other half of the real writing team behind the name "Jahnna N. Malcolm") stars Michele Horn in the title role as Roxanne, a non-material girl who enjoys nature so much that she runs away rather than face her coronation. Chased by a diminutive worry wart named Twitter (Cork Hubbert), Roxanne flees the castle and lands smack in the middle of trouble in the form of evil Darklings sent by Lord Dread to steal Roxanne's namesake ruby necklace. With the aid of Twitter, Hapgood the dragon (voiced by Harvey Korman), and others, Roxanne learns to adopt more princess-ly behavior--characterized by having a keen ear and a kind heart--and rushes to the Jewel Kingdom to take her rightful place before it's usurped by a nasty imposter. An entertaining and enjoyable tale for fans of the books and newcomers alike, this enchanting story is sure to be popular with princesses-in-training everywhere. Recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)