Review: Piper Green and the Fairy Tree

Piper Green and the Fairy Tree
By Ellen Potter, illustrated by Qin Leng
Expected publication August 4, 2015 by Knopf Books for Young Readers 

Piper Green rides a lobster boat to school - her island is too small for its own school. She doesn't mind, but this year, everything feels different. And that's before she discover the fairy tree in her front yard.

I don't read a lot of beginning chapter books, though many have caught my eye as I order them. I'm not sure why I don't read them more frequently - they usually only take 20-30 minutes to read through. But, I guess, among all the other books that take up more of my time, I just never squeeze them in. This book was an exception - I saw the e-galley and wanted to read it because it's set on an island off the coast of Maine. I'm a sucker for anything set in my home state.

I don't have a ton to say about this book, particularly since I don't read a lot of these kinds of books. My basis for comparison is quite limited. However, I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Piper is a lovely narrator - she is very realistic and has a great personality. She's quite stubborn, but she's also dealing with a lot of unexpected feelings - her brother is gone and she's starting a new grade (with a surprise new teacher).

The book is easy to read - I think it's great for kids just starting with chapter books (they seem to really enjoy realistic stories at that stage as well). It's fun and amusing and well-written. The illustrations are adorable as well, and definitely kid-friendly. I was a little surprised that the titular fairy tree is really just imaginary, but I think it worked well for the story. I'm looking forward to reading more of Piper's adventures in the future.

Thanks to the publisher for a digital advance reader's copy, provided via Edelweiss.