The Secret Destiny of Pixie Piper

by Annabelle Fisher, Natalie Andrewson (Illustrator)

Overview

Pixie Piper, an ordinary fifth grader, discovers she is a direct descendant of Mother Goose—and she has the magical ability and poetry power to prove it! A lively and funny twist on a classic character for fans of the Clementine books, Wendy Mass, and Lisa Graff. This is the first of two books about Pixie Piper, and it features black-and-white spot art throughout.

Fifth grader Pixie Piper has always known that she was a little different. She has a wild mop of hair that won’t stay put, her best friend is a boy, and to top it all off, she’s constantly coming up with rhymes and poems that just seem to pop out of her. Then, when Pixie thinks it can’t get any worse, she finds out that she actually is different—she’s a descendant of Mother Goose! This surprising and clever novel features family, friendship, poetry, a toilet museum, and just the right amount of magic, as well as a goose, a fox, and a beautiful golden retriever puppy. Rich, multigenerational characters and the real and powerful portrayal of grade-school friendships, with all their ups and downs, distinguish this terrific elementary school story that will appeal to fans of Judy Moody, Clementine, and novels by Wendy Mass and Lisa Graff.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062393791
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	05/03/2016
Series:	Pixie Piper Series , #1
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
Lexile:	640L (what's this?)
File size:	14 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

Editorial Reviews

03/01/2016
Gr 3–6—Fisher's debut novel combines humor, magic, and the ups and downs of adolescent friendship in this clever tale of a modern-day descendant of Mother Goose. Fifth grader Pixie Piper feels like a fish out of water in her small town. Embarrassed by her quirky parents and their quirky home, an acorn-shaped caretaker's cottage on the grounds of an estate, Pixie just wants to fit in with the popular girls at school. After a run-in with a strange fortune-teller dressed in odd garb, Pixie's mother tells her that she is a descendant of Mother Goose, an inheritance that may or may not come with special powers. Pixie, always adept at creating rhymes, hides her penchant for poetry, as it makes her feel "like a weirdo." Equally wary of and intrigued by her mother's reveal, Pixie tries to go on with her life as usual. But after another encounter with the old fortune-teller and a fortuitous discovery of a goose egg abandoned in the woods, Pixie decides to face her destiny head-on. Readers will warm to Pixie and her familiar struggle to feel normal despite her beloved but eccentric parents. Her anxiety about friendships and her occasional bullying by classmates are as much a part of the story as her budding magical powers. Though the balance of these two themes feels a little bit uneven at times, the unique approach will please fans of both realistic fiction and fantasy. VERDICT A fresh new addition to middle grade stories of magic and friendship; recommended for fans of Kathryn Littlewood's "Bliss Bakery" series (HarperCollins) and Chris Colfer's "Land of Stories" series (Little, Brown).—Kristy Pasquariello, Wellesley Free Library, Wellesley, MA

School Library Journal

[An] engaging fantasy… Characters, even the secondary ones, are memorable and add much to the story. …Middle-grade readers will enjoy this book with its hints of magic, well-limned characters, and that totally appealing gosling.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Readers will warm to Pixie and her familiar struggle to feel normal despite her beloved but eccentric parents. …A fresh new addition to middle grade stories of magic and friendship; recommended for fans of Kathryn Littlewood’s ‘Bliss Bakery’ series and Chris Colfer’s ‘Land of Stories’ series.” — School Library Journal

“This entertaining, creative take on Mother Goose stories blends magic, humor, suspense, and literary allusions with a lively cast and plenty of verse. Pixie’s an engaging protagonist, who faces both fantastical challenges along with familiar issues…this will draw fans of classic tales with a twist.” — Booklist Online

“Pixie’s…bubbly enthusiasm is pretty darn charming, and it serves her well when she must face down the evil Raveneece Greed. …Sweet, silly, and just scary enough to give the story tension, this will please readers both familiar and unfamiliar with Jack and Jill or Humpty Dumpty.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

From the Publisher

Pixie’s…bubbly enthusiasm is pretty darn charming, and it serves her well when she must face down the evil Raveneece Greed. …Sweet, silly, and just scary enough to give the story tension, this will please readers both familiar and unfamiliar with Jack and Jill or Humpty Dumpty.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

This entertaining, creative take on Mother Goose stories blends magic, humor, suspense, and literary allusions with a lively cast and plenty of verse. Pixie’s an engaging protagonist, who faces both fantastical challenges along with familiar issues…this will draw fans of classic tales with a twist.

Booklist Online

Pixie’s…bubbly enthusiasm is pretty darn charming, and it serves her well when she must face down the evil Raveneece Greed. …Sweet, silly, and just scary enough to give the story tension, this will please readers both familiar and unfamiliar with Jack and Jill or Humpty Dumpty.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

2016-02-02
The oddball star of this engaging fantasy slowly comes to believe her unusual character and strange powers come from her distant relationship to Mother Goose. Pixie Piper knows that the other girls have multiple friends where she has only one friend, and that pal is a boy, Gray. The redheaded white girl is an avid reader and writer of poetry, yet another oddity in her town. After Pixie's mother reveals that they are both descendants of Mother Goose (which explains her incredible facility at impromptu rhymed verse), events take off. Pixie and Gray find a large egg and incubate it to hatching. Pixie's maternal love for the baby goose she names Destiny—a charismatic character in her own right—precipitates the arrival of Raveneece, a strange, scary female villain, into her life. Over the course of the story, Alexa and Lucy (of South African and Chinese descent, respectively, giving the story some racial diversity) become new friends and popular Sage, a sort of "frenemy." Her small town, where everyone seems to know everyone else, is a comfortable setting. The Piper family lives in Acorn House, in a development that also houses a museum for historic toilets. Characters, even the secondary ones, are memorable and add much to the story. The climax will chill readers but satisfy them, and there is a strong hint that more books will follow—here's hoping that's soon. Middle-grade readers will enjoy this book with its hints of magic, well-limned characters, and that totally appealing gosling. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews