Book Review – “Piper Green and the Fairy Tree"

 Piper Green and the Fairy Tree written by Ellen Potter tells the story of a second grader name Piper who lives on a small island off the coast of Maine.  She loves her family, misses her older brother, and tells it like it is which makes her a interesting character to get to know.  Because she lives on such a small island, she and the other kids on the island take a lobster boat to school instead of a school bus.  She’s excited to start second grade, but a new teacher that looks like a princess, but sure doesn’t act like one (at least in Piper’s mind) keeps her in at recess for wearing earmuffs in school, Piper decides not to get on the lobster boat the next day and instead finds magic in her front yard in the form of a fairy tree.
Piper Green is a delightful little girl whose honesty, like that of Junie B. Jones has a way of getting her into trouble without her meaning it.  She has strong feelings, even stronger opinions and is a little girl that I think will grab hold in your heart.  This story would make a perfect read aloud for older preschool children and kindergarten and is a great early chapter books for first and second ganders ready for a new series.
I really liked the realistic fiction aspects of the story and how Ellen Potter was able to add just a little bit of magic that is believable enough that you might expect to find it in your own backyard. This would make a great story to share as a read aloud for young elementary kids with a program about what they might expect to find (or leave) in a fairy tree… I may be adding this to my programming schedule for the fall!
140 character book talk: Meet Piper Green, a little girl with a strong love for her family, takes a lobster boat to school and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is!
Title: Piper Green and the Fairy Tree
Author: Ellen Potter
Illustrator: Qin Leng
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 2015
Page Number: 112 pas.