The Brooklin, Maine-based author admits this "not-so imaginary fairy" was created during an online forum she joined in 2003 that would often discuss Harry Potter.

"The first version I had of this overdressed fairy was of her lying disheveled in a chandelier in a pub with pink slippers and bourbon. And everything else came from that," Booraem said. "Before I knew it, she was overweight and had a grandfather with a drinking problem. I had no intention of making it a book about obesity."

Besides tackling such subjects as obesity and bullying, Booraem hopes "Small Persons With Wings" will entertain and encourage kids to dive into reading.

"My goal is to have kids reading under the covers at night with flashlight," she said. "I run into kids who say they want to write but that they don't read. They read books in class, but not for pleasure."

And that's hard for Booraem to hear, especially since her previous job as a writer and managing editor of the Ellsworth American depended on readers.

"I keep saying to these kids, 'there's a whole world open to you with books that you're not allowing yourself to enjoy.' I worry not reading is going to change how we think as a species. If you're presented with only video, your ability to imagine and form pictures in your head will be affected," said Booraem.

"Small Persons With Wings" was released in January 2010 and has received rave reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and the School Library Journal. To learn more about Ellen Booream and her work, log onto www.ellenbooraem.com or visit her at this year's Bangor Book Festival scheduled for Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 in downtown Bangor.