Piper Green

Too cute. I mean really, I actually enjoyed reading these and many of the easy chapter books I find a little dull. (Would never tell the kids that but it's the truth!)

photo credit: Red lobster says hello via photopin (license)

Piper lives on an island off the coast of Maine. First of all that's just cool and different. I used to live in WA state many moons ago and there were a few kids at school that had to ride a boat in every day. Then she's just funny. In book one it made me laugh when she points out that her little brother eats only green beetles because "they taste like bacon." Or in book two when a classmate, upon hearing a pet rabbit has gone missing, says "Oh no! Did he meet an untimely end?" Or a bit later when Piper remarks "You could hear the sigh and everything. I think we exasperate her" [the teacher].

The illustrations were just lovely. So. Definitely, even with an upcoming year of budgets cuts, must gets for your strong end of year 1st graders or 2nd graders.

photo credit: Bass Harbor via photopin (license)

The author's website can be found here. And just a side note ... if you've never read Spilling Ink? GO and FIND A COPY NOW. I'm not even a writer (does anyone remember a children's television show from the early 80s that had a bug as the main character? And he finished each episode with a writing prompt? I HATED THE DAY WE WATCHED THAT SHOW because our homework was always to finish the prompt and it was so hard) and I enjoyed it and wished we could get a copy for all of our kids.