Piper Green and the Fairy Tree

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.)