Dropout Princess: Princess Pigsty by Cornelia Funke

Cornelia Funke's Princess Pigsty tells the story of a plucky anti-Cinderella. Isabella and her royal sisters Drusilla and Rosalinda are a trio of pampered princesses who even have lackeys who followed them around with "cushions so that their royal behinds always had something soft to sit on."

Isabella, however, is a rebel who declares "I'm tired of being a princess. It's boring!" and tosses her tiara into the royal pond. Her kingly dad puts her on KP duty in the palace, hoping that scrubbing pots and peeling potatoes will make playing the part of a princess look pretty pleasant, but Isabella actually likes dish duty. "Off to the pigsty with you," bellows the king, but the AWOL princess appreciates pigs even more than the palace kitchen.

Remorseful and pining for his favorite daughter, her doting dad relents and allows Issie to turn in her crown for a pair of sturdy pants. He even agrees to let her get dirty and find adventure wherever she will. It's a happy ending in which "Isabella never let anybody curl her hair again!"

Kersin Meyer's bold and rollicking illustrations portray the king's and Isabella's comic expressions perfectly and add much to the fun of this runaway princess story. Other spunky girl books by Funke and Meyer include Princess Knight and Pirate Girl.