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.

Gr 1-3 Piper Green is a smart-alecky second grader who lives on Peek-a-Boo Island off the coast of Maine. She proudly rides a lobster boat to school each morning and is obsessed with wearing earmuffs that belonged to her older brother, Erik. Her preoccupation with those earmuffs has landed her in trouble. Piper refuses to remove them for her new teacher, who complains to her parents. To avoid going to school, Piper fakes an illness and hides in a neighbor's tree. While this "fairy" tree contains no real magic, it does hold a delightful surprise. Sadly, this contemporary tale is slight and lacks any real humor. Piper's slim adventures will not hold the interest of their target audience. While the writing style is clear with a strong use of vocabulary, Piper herself is two-dimensional. Though a certain level of bratty behavior is amusing in books for younger readers, such as Junie B. Jones's attitude, Piper's cockiness comes off as downright rude. Her demeanor is attributed to her older brother's absence, but the reason for his disappearance is simplistic and unsatisfying. The minimal pen-and-ink illustrations, mostly of a frowning Piper, add little to the story. VERDICT Those seeking an engaging adventure would do much better with Sara Pennypacker's "Clementine" (Disney-Hyperion) or Christine Pakkala's "Last but Not Least Lola" (Boyds Mills). Sada Mozer, Los Angeles Public Library