Piper Green~and~The Family Fletcher

MBH no. 9

Happy Wednesday and yay for March! Fingers crossed for a little more sunshine and a little less cold here in Colorado. 🤞🏼

I have great recommendations for you today, but first—a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to complete my survey. Your thoughtful responses are so helpful as I plan the future of this fledgling newsletter.

I also had so much fun communicating with the giveaway winners, John F. and Alexandra P., and hope they love their book choices.

Piper Green and the Fairy Tree (series), by Ellen Potter, illustrated by Qin Leng (2015, 2016, 2017)

There are three things you should know about Piper Green:
1. She always says what’s on her mind (even when she probably shouldn’t).
2. She rides a lobster boat to school.
3. There is a Fairy Tree in her front yard.

Piper lives with her parents and younger brother on tiny Peek-a-Boo island off the coast of Maine. Since only eight kids live on Peek-a-Boo, they don’t have their own school and get to ride a lobster boat to a neighboring island!

However, when these island kids reach high school, they must go to the mainland to board. When we’re introduced to Piper, we learn that her older brother Erik has just left for high school, and she’s missing him terribly. She doesn’t want to talk about it— but refuses to remove the earmuffs he gave her before saying goodbye.

When Piper and her new second-grade teacher (who looks like a princess but definitely does NOT act like one) get into a standoff about the earmuffs, Piper decides she’s done with second grade.

With the help of an understanding neighbor and a possibly magic fairy tree in her front yard, Piper learns how to deal with the ache of missing her brother.

My daughter (also Piper!) and I loved this early chapter book series—five books in all. The storylines are simple and accessible for young readers, but the characters’ conflicts and emotions are real, and the fairy tree’s “gifts” help Piper solve her own problems.

Author Ellen Potter does a great job with Piper’s character. There are lots of stories with these types of protagonists—quirky, stubborn, somewhat impulsive—and if not done right, these characters are unrealistic and just tiresome.

However, Piper reminds me of memorable characters “done right”— like Ramona Quimby, Judy Moody, or Dory Fantasmagory — but with her own special personality.

Besides, the world always has room for one more quirky, unique girl, especially one as funny and likable as Piper Green.

Recommended for ages 5-8

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The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher, by Dana Alison Levy (2014)

“Meet the Fletchers—

four boys and two dads…and one neighbor who just might ruin everything.”

This award-winning novel is told in a semi-episodic fashion from the alternating perspectives of four brothers:

12-year-old Sam, the “cool” soccer player, wonders what everyone (including his family) will think of him when he tries out for the school play. 10-year-old Jax, the easygoing athlete, deals with a difficult friendship and a school project that requires him to interview their next-door neighbor, a grouchy Vietnam veteran who wants nothing to do with the Fletchers.

Meanwhile, Eli, also age 10, struggles at the gifted school he begged to attend, while Frog, a six-year-old with a colorful imagination, swears his new kindergarten friend Ladybug is actually real.

Papa works from home, and Dad is a high school teacher. The boys come from different religious and ethnic backgrounds, so the family celebrates a variety of holidays. They always host a spooky Halloween bash, and they build a homemade ice rink in their backyard every winter.

Oh, and they have a pug (Sir Puggleton) and a giant Maine Coon cat (Zeus) that add to the general mayhem of the household.

Even though the boys experience realistic conflict, this story is warm and upbeat. Dad and Papa are incredibly supportive but not overbearing, and the boys learn how to accept and even embrace change.

“I'll be honest, I am a sucker for "comfort food" books - you know, books you can curl up with and feel like the world is an okay place for a little while…

When I started writing about the Fletchers I wanted to tell a story that gave kids today the same feeling, but that took into account that families -- everyday American families -- come in all shapes and sizes” -Dana Alison Levy, author

My son’s third-grade teacher assigned this one for summer reading, and he devoured it but I’d never picked it up. So when Piper and I finished our last read-aloud, Connor (now 11) suggested we start The Family Fletcher.

For about a half second, I secretly wondered if my daughter would like a book about four rambunctious boys, but I decided to give it a shot…and every night she begged for another chapter. We’re just about finished with the second book, The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island, and she’s completely engrossed in the lives of these brothers. She’s even started her own book, “The Fletcher Family goes on a ski trip” 😂

I mention my hesitation because I want to highlight how easy it is for us adults to pigeonhole our young readers’ tastes—thinking they won’t like a certain plotline, or character, or genre.

Instead of assuming, I need to remember to cast a wide net when it comes to helping my kids choose books. Even if Piper didn’t end up liking the book, she’s still one step closer to discovering who she is as a reader.

As a parent and as a former teacher, I deeply feel that the key to cultivating meaningful, memorable reading experiences for children is to offer an array of books —and then get out of the way.

Recommended for ages 8-12