Books like Kaiulani

An intimate, poignant diary of a young royal navigating boarding school isolation while her distant homeland is stolen. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Kaiulani.

homesick
melancholic
determined
atmospheric

01
Kazunomiya
Kathryn Lasky
An intimate, poetic glimpse into the gilded cage of a nineteenth-century imperial court through the secret diary of a young princess.
Shares:
- atmospheric
- earnest
02
Cleopatra VII, daughter of the Nile
Kristiana Gregory
Step into the private, opulent, and dangerous world of a young princess learning to survive the deadly politics of her own family.
Shares:
- determined
- earnest
03
The Royal Diaries
Kristiana Gregory · 2006
An intimate, sun-drenched glimpse into the private anxieties and growing ambitions of a young girl destined to rule the ancient world.
Shares:
- earnest
04
Her Royal Highness
Rachel Hawkins
A cozy, banter-filled sapphic fairy tale set against the misty backdrop of an elite Scottish boarding school.
Feels:
- cozy
- escapist
- misty
05
Marie Antoinette, princess of Versailles
Kathryn Lasky · 2000
An intimate, bittersweet glimpse into the gilded cage of a young archduchess being molded into a queen.
Shares:
- earnest
06
Princess Mia
Meg Cabot
A hilarious, heartfelt deep dive into the messy reality of teenage heartbreak and the awkward journey toward self-discovery.
Shares:
- earnest
07
Princess in Training
Meg Cabot
A delightfully dramatic, laugh-out-loud plunge into the chaotic mind of a teenager juggling royal duties, high school politics, and first-love anxieties.
Shares:
- earnest
08
The Lacemaker and the Princess
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley · 2007
A delicate friendship between two girls from vastly different worlds frays under the weight of a looming revolution.
Shares:
- earnest
09
My America
Patricia Hermes
An intimate, diary-style window into the harsh realities and quiet hopes of early American settlement through a child's eyes.
Shares:
- atmospheric
- earnest
- poignant
- resilient
10
Dear Canada
Gillian Chan
An intimate, urgent diary of a young girl's frantic race against systemic exclusion to reunite her fractured family.
Shares:
- earnest
- poignant
11
Nzingha, warrior queen of Matamba
Pat McKissack · 2000
An intimate, diary-style glimpse into the mind of a fierce young princess preparing to defend her people against colonial invaders.
Shares:
- determined
- earnest
12
Tuesdays at the Castle
Jessica Day George
A whimsical, spirited adventure where the setting itself is a living, breathing character full of secrets.
Shares:
- earnest

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