Review by Booklist Review
Like the other kids on Maine's Peek-a-Boo Island, Piper rides a lobster boat to school. But when second grade begins, everything seems different. She misses Erik, her beloved older brother, who is now attending high school on the mainland, and her teacher won't let her wear his old earmuffs in class. One day, Piper skips school and hides out in an old tree, where she finds two kittens. When her neighbor explains the fairy-tree rule, You take a treasure, and you leave a treasure, Piper knows what she must do. Given the names of the island and the tree, this early chapter book might sound a bit precious, but it isn't. Piper is brave and tough on the surface, and her sense of loss lies at the heart of the conflict. Written with humor as well as pathos, the first-person text shows her confused emotions and her resiliency as well. An appealing debut for the series, which continues with the simultaneously published Piper Green and the Fairy Tree: Too Much Good Luck.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Second-grade is not off to a good start for Piper Green: her new teacher has a no-nonsense streak, and Piper badly misses her older brother, who is attending high school on the mainland (the Greens live on a tiny Maine island). Skillfully blending humor, pathos, and warmth with an atmospheric setting, Potter has created an honest, empathic slice-of-life story, laced with a touch of magic. Piper has a winning combination of stubbornness, loyalty, and independence, which Leng ably portrays in her loosely inked, gently humorous artwork. Simultaneously available: Too Much Good Luck. Ages 7-9. Author's agent: Alice Tasman, Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. Illustrator's agency: Shannon Associates. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Seven-year-old Piper Green lives on an island off the coast of Maine and is a delight. Clever and witty, she takes listeners on a jaunty journey through the first few days of second grade. Wearing her older brother's monkey earmuffs (he has gone to high school on the mainland, and she misses him), Piper has a rough start with her new teacher who looks like a princess, but definitely is not. First she assigns seats, and then she tells Piper to remove the earmuffs. Piper does not want to go back; she ditches the lobster-boat "school bus" and hides in a tree. Hidden treasures combine with erstwhile family stories from plucky old Mrs. Pennypocket, and the backyard tree transforms into a fairy tree! Tavia Gilbert's narration is at once delightfully second-grade-squeaky and resolute. The action-driven story moves at a pleasantly brisk pace. VERDICT Listeners will love spending time with these sweet and interestingly quirky characters. ["While the writing style is clear with a strong use of vocabulary, Piper herself is two-dimensional": SLJ 7/15 review of the Knopf book.]-Jane Newschwander, Fluvanna County Public Schools, VA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Potter puts her own stamp on the spunky-quirky-stubborn girl story. Piper Green, resident of Peek-a-Boo Island, Maine, is about to start second grade. For her, this involves taking a lobster boat to school and insisting on wearing green monkey-face earmuffs (they belong to her brother Erik, now attending high school on the mainland, whom Piper misses terribly). Her new teacher looks (and walks -- swish!) like a princess, so Piper assumes shell have a tinkly voice and wont mind about the earmuffs; but Ms. Arabella does not live up to expectations, and soon Piper is in trouble. Very brief chapters and frequent illustrations swiftly advance the story, as does Pipers -- yep -- spunky, quirky, stubborn first-person narration. I wouldnt like to send you to the principals office on your first day of second grade, Ms. Arabella said in her most untinkly voice. I dont think any of us would like that, I agreed. We stared at each other. Those earmuffs stayed right on my head. How the standoff is resolved (it involves skipping school, a hollow tree, an old island story, and kittens) makes for a satisfying, accessible, funny early chapter book. And it doesnt involve too much capitulation on Pipers part, in case anyone was worried: Its nice to see your ears, [Ms. Arabella] added, smiling. Nice to see yours too, I told her. She made a little noise in her throat before she swished back to her desk. martha v. parravano (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
When her older brother goes off-island for high school, second-grader Piper Green misses him terribly but finds consolation in a Fairy Tree. There aren't enough young people on Peek-a-Boo Island to support any school. Piper, her little brother, Leo, and a few neighbors travel by lobster boat to a small elementary school on nearby Mink Island, but high school students, like her brother Erik, must go to the mainland and board. On opening day of the Mink Island school, the combined second- and third-grade class turns out to have a new teacher. With her long blonde hair, Ms. Arabella may look like a princess, but she's surprisingly strict. She won't let Piper and her best friend, Ruby, sit together, and she asks unhappy Piper to take off Erik's old ear muffs, which she's been wearing as solace. Piper's response is to give up on second grade. It takes an understanding neighbor and the Fairy Tree's surprising gift to restore her good spirits. Piper's first-person narration is forthright and convincing. Each short chapter will include a full-page illustration and vignettes supporting the text. (Final art not seen.) Cliffhanging chapter endings lead readers on. A sequel, Too Much Good Luck, is scheduled to be published simultaneously. With its intriguing setting, sympathetic characters, and hint of magic, this new chapter-book series should charm fledgling readers. (Fiction. 7-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
