This was one of my favorite books of my childhood. Growing up, I related strongly to Sara's odd, overactive imagination and her intense desire to read books and escape into their magical worlds. Reading the book again, so many years later, I feel the same way. Sara is a beautiful character. The scene when she gives food to a beggar girl made me blink back tears. Sara's determination to act like a princess in terms of how she treats the people around her, no matter how difficult life might be, is profound and powerful. If I ever have a daughter, this will be one of the first books I ever read to her.