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Unusual Chickens #1
Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer
Fans of Polly Horvath or Roald Dahl will love this quirky story of a determined girl, and some extraordinary chickens.
Twelve-year-old Sophie Brown feels like a fish out of water when she and her parents move from Los Angeles to the farm they’ve inherited from a great-uncle. But farm life gets more interesting when a cranky chicken appears and Sophie discovers the hen can move objects with the power of her little chicken brain: jam jars, the latch to her henhouse, the entire henhouse....
And then more of her great-uncle’s unusual chickens come home to roost. Determined, resourceful Sophie learns to care for her flock, earning money for chicken feed, collecting eggs. But when a respected local farmer tries to steal them, Sophie must find a way to keep them (and their superpowers) safe.
Told in letters to Sophie’s abuela, quizzes, a chicken-care correspondence course, to-do lists, and more, Unusual Chickens is a quirky, clucky classic in the making.
Twelve-year-old Sophie Brown feels like a fish out of water when she and her parents move from Los Angeles to the farm they’ve inherited from a great-uncle. But farm life gets more interesting when a cranky chicken appears and Sophie discovers the hen can move objects with the power of her little chicken brain: jam jars, the latch to her henhouse, the entire henhouse....
And then more of her great-uncle’s unusual chickens come home to roost. Determined, resourceful Sophie learns to care for her flock, earning money for chicken feed, collecting eggs. But when a respected local farmer tries to steal them, Sophie must find a way to keep them (and their superpowers) safe.
Told in letters to Sophie’s abuela, quizzes, a chicken-care correspondence course, to-do lists, and more, Unusual Chickens is a quirky, clucky classic in the making.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2015
About the author
Kelly Jones
5 books92 followersOnce upon a time, Kelly Jones was a librarian and a bookseller. Now, she writes novels for young people and takes care of a few hilarious chickens. She’s the author of Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer; Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken?; Murder, Magic, and What We Wore; Sauerkraut; and Happily for Now. You can find her online at her website, curiosityjones.net, or on Twitter and Instagram @curiosityjones.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 802 reviews
June 1, 2015
The epistolary novel has a long and storied history. At least when it comes to books written for adults. So too does it exist in novels for children, but in my experience you are far more likely to find epistolary picture books than anything over 32 pages in length. That doesn’t stop teachers, of course. As a children’s librarian I often see the kiddos come in with the assignment to read an epistolary novel and lord love a duck if you can remember one on the spot. I love hard reference questions but if you were to ask me to name five such books in one go I’d be scrambling for my internet double quick time. Of course now that I’ve read Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer I will at long last be able to pull at least one book from my crazy overstuffed attic of a brain instantaneously. Kelly Jones’s book manages with charm and unexpected panache to take the art of chicken farming and turn it into a really compelling narrative. Beware, though. I suspect more than one child will leave this book desirous of a bit of live poultry of their very own. You have been warned.
After her dad lost his job, it really just made a lot of sense for Sophie and her family to move out of L.A. to her deceased great-uncle Jim’s farm. Still, it’s tough on her. Not only are none of her old friends writing her back but she’s having a hard time figuring out what she should do with herself. She spends some of her time writing her dead Abuelita, some of her time writing Jim himself (she doesn’t expect answers), and some of her time writing Agnes of the Redwood Farm Supply. You see, Sophie found a chicken in her back yard one day and there's something kind of strange about it. Turns out, Uncle Jim used to collect chickens that exhibited different kinds of . . . abilities. Now a local poultry farmer wants Jim's chickens for her very own and it's up to Sophie to prove that she's up to the task of raising chickens of unusual talents.
There are two different types of children’s fantasy novels, as I see it. The first kind spends inordinate amounts of time world building. They will never let a single thread drop or question remain unanswered. Then there’s the second kind. These are the children’s novels where you may have some questions left at the story’s end, but you really don’t care. That’s Unusual Chickens for me. I simply couldn’t care two bits about the origins of these unusual chickens or why there was an entire company out there providing them in some capacity. What Ms. Jones does so well is wrap you up in the emotions of the characters and the story itself, so that details of this sort feel kind of superfluous by the end. Granted, that doesn’t mean there isn’t going to be the occasional kid demanding answers to these questions. You can’t help that.
I have a bit of a thing against books that present you with unnecessary twists at their ends. If some Deus Ex Machina ending solves everything with a cute little bow then I am well and truly peeved. And there is a bit of a twist near the end of Unusual Chickens but it’s more of a funny one than something that makes everything turn out all right. The style of writing the entire book in letters of one sort or another works very well when it comes to revealing one of the book’s central mysteries. Throughout the story Sophie engages the help of Agnes of the Redwood Farm Supply (the company that provided her uncle with the chickens in the first place). When she at last discovers why Agnes's letters have been so intermittent and peculiar the revelation isn't too distracting, though I doubt many will see it coming.
Now the book concludes with Sophie overcoming her fear of public speaking in order to do the right thing and save her chickens. She puts it this way: “One thing my parents agree on is this: if people are doing something unfair, it’s part of our job to remind them what’s fair, even if sometimes it still doesn’t turn out the way we want it to.” That’s a fair lesson for any story and a good one to drill home. I did find myself wishing a little that Sophie’s fears had been addressed a little more at the beginning of the book rather that simply solved without too much build up at the end, but that’s a minor point. I like the idea of telling kids that doing the right thing doesn’t always give you the outcome you want, but at least you have to try. Seems to have all sorts of applications in real life.
In an age where publishers are being held increasingly accountable for diverse children’s fare, it’s still fair to say that Unusual Chickens is a rare title. I say this because it’s a book where the main character isn’t white, that’s not the point of the story, but it’s also not a fact that’s completely ignored either. Sophie has dark skin and a Latino mom. Since they’ve moved to the country (Gravenstein, CA if you want to be precise) she feels a bit of an outsider. “I miss L.A. There aren’t any people around here- especially no brown people except Gregory, our mailman.” She makes casual reference to the ICE and her mother’s understanding that “you have to be twice as honest and neighborly when everyone assumes you’re an undocumented immigrant…” And there’s the moment when Sophie mentions that the librarian still feels about assuming that Sophie was a child of the help, rather than the grandniece of the Blackbird Farm’s previous owner. A lot of books containing a character like Sophie would just mention her race casually and then fear mentioning it in any real context. I like that as an author, Jones doesn't dwell on her character's ethnicity, but neither does she pretend that it doesn't exist.
You know that game you sometimes play with yourself where you think, “If I absolutely had to have a tattoo, I think I’d have one that looked like [blank]”? Well, for years I’ve only had one figure in mind. A little dancing Suzuki Beane, maybe only as large as a dime, on the inner wrist of my right hand. I’ll never get this tattoo but it makes me happy to think that it’s always an option. I am now going to add a second fictional tattoo to my roster. Accompanying Suzuki on my left wrist would be Henrietta. She’s the perpetually peeved, occasionally telekinetic, and she makes me laugh every single time I see her. Henrietta’s creator, in a sense, is the illustrator of this book, Ms. Katie Kath. I was unfamiliar with her work, prior to reading Unusual Chickens and from everything I can tell this is her children’s book debut. You’d never know it from her style, of course. Kath’s drawing style here has all the loose ease and skill of a Quentin Blake or a Jules Feiffer. When she draws Sophie or her family you instantly relate to them, and when she draws chickens she makes it pretty clear that no other illustrator could have brought these strange little chickies to life in quite the same way. These pages just burst with personality and we have her to thank.
Now there are some fairly long sections in this book that discuss the rudimentary day-to-day realities of raising chickens. Everything from the amount of food (yes, the book contains math problems worked seamlessly into the narrative) to different kinds of housing to why gizzards need small stones inside of them. These sections are sort of like the whaling sections in Moby Dick or the bridge sections in The Cardturner. You can skip right over them and lose nothing. Still, I found them oddly compelling. People love process, particularly when that process is so foreign to their experience. I actually heard someone who had always lived in the city say to me the other day that before they read this book they didn’t know that you needed a rooster to get baby chickens. You see? Learning!
I don’t say that this book is going to turn each and every last one of its readers into chicken enthusiasts. I also know that it paints a rather glowing portrait of chicken ownership that is in direct contrast to the farm situation perpetuated on farmers today. But doggone it, it’s charming to its core. We see plenty of magical animal books churned out every year. Magical zoos and magical veterinarians and magical bestiaries. So what’s wrong with extraordinary chickens as well? Best of all, you don’t have to be a fantasy fan to enjoy this book. Heck, you don’t have to like chickens. The writing is top notch, the pictures consistently funny, and the story rather moving. Everything, in fact, a good chapter book for kids should be. Hand it to someone looking for lighthearted fare but that still wants a story with a bit of bite to it. Great stuff.
For ages 9-12.
After her dad lost his job, it really just made a lot of sense for Sophie and her family to move out of L.A. to her deceased great-uncle Jim’s farm. Still, it’s tough on her. Not only are none of her old friends writing her back but she’s having a hard time figuring out what she should do with herself. She spends some of her time writing her dead Abuelita, some of her time writing Jim himself (she doesn’t expect answers), and some of her time writing Agnes of the Redwood Farm Supply. You see, Sophie found a chicken in her back yard one day and there's something kind of strange about it. Turns out, Uncle Jim used to collect chickens that exhibited different kinds of . . . abilities. Now a local poultry farmer wants Jim's chickens for her very own and it's up to Sophie to prove that she's up to the task of raising chickens of unusual talents.
There are two different types of children’s fantasy novels, as I see it. The first kind spends inordinate amounts of time world building. They will never let a single thread drop or question remain unanswered. Then there’s the second kind. These are the children’s novels where you may have some questions left at the story’s end, but you really don’t care. That’s Unusual Chickens for me. I simply couldn’t care two bits about the origins of these unusual chickens or why there was an entire company out there providing them in some capacity. What Ms. Jones does so well is wrap you up in the emotions of the characters and the story itself, so that details of this sort feel kind of superfluous by the end. Granted, that doesn’t mean there isn’t going to be the occasional kid demanding answers to these questions. You can’t help that.
I have a bit of a thing against books that present you with unnecessary twists at their ends. If some Deus Ex Machina ending solves everything with a cute little bow then I am well and truly peeved. And there is a bit of a twist near the end of Unusual Chickens but it’s more of a funny one than something that makes everything turn out all right. The style of writing the entire book in letters of one sort or another works very well when it comes to revealing one of the book’s central mysteries. Throughout the story Sophie engages the help of Agnes of the Redwood Farm Supply (the company that provided her uncle with the chickens in the first place). When she at last discovers why Agnes's letters have been so intermittent and peculiar the revelation isn't too distracting, though I doubt many will see it coming.
Now the book concludes with Sophie overcoming her fear of public speaking in order to do the right thing and save her chickens. She puts it this way: “One thing my parents agree on is this: if people are doing something unfair, it’s part of our job to remind them what’s fair, even if sometimes it still doesn’t turn out the way we want it to.” That’s a fair lesson for any story and a good one to drill home. I did find myself wishing a little that Sophie’s fears had been addressed a little more at the beginning of the book rather that simply solved without too much build up at the end, but that’s a minor point. I like the idea of telling kids that doing the right thing doesn’t always give you the outcome you want, but at least you have to try. Seems to have all sorts of applications in real life.
In an age where publishers are being held increasingly accountable for diverse children’s fare, it’s still fair to say that Unusual Chickens is a rare title. I say this because it’s a book where the main character isn’t white, that’s not the point of the story, but it’s also not a fact that’s completely ignored either. Sophie has dark skin and a Latino mom. Since they’ve moved to the country (Gravenstein, CA if you want to be precise) she feels a bit of an outsider. “I miss L.A. There aren’t any people around here- especially no brown people except Gregory, our mailman.” She makes casual reference to the ICE and her mother’s understanding that “you have to be twice as honest and neighborly when everyone assumes you’re an undocumented immigrant…” And there’s the moment when Sophie mentions that the librarian still feels about assuming that Sophie was a child of the help, rather than the grandniece of the Blackbird Farm’s previous owner. A lot of books containing a character like Sophie would just mention her race casually and then fear mentioning it in any real context. I like that as an author, Jones doesn't dwell on her character's ethnicity, but neither does she pretend that it doesn't exist.
You know that game you sometimes play with yourself where you think, “If I absolutely had to have a tattoo, I think I’d have one that looked like [blank]”? Well, for years I’ve only had one figure in mind. A little dancing Suzuki Beane, maybe only as large as a dime, on the inner wrist of my right hand. I’ll never get this tattoo but it makes me happy to think that it’s always an option. I am now going to add a second fictional tattoo to my roster. Accompanying Suzuki on my left wrist would be Henrietta. She’s the perpetually peeved, occasionally telekinetic, and she makes me laugh every single time I see her. Henrietta’s creator, in a sense, is the illustrator of this book, Ms. Katie Kath. I was unfamiliar with her work, prior to reading Unusual Chickens and from everything I can tell this is her children’s book debut. You’d never know it from her style, of course. Kath’s drawing style here has all the loose ease and skill of a Quentin Blake or a Jules Feiffer. When she draws Sophie or her family you instantly relate to them, and when she draws chickens she makes it pretty clear that no other illustrator could have brought these strange little chickies to life in quite the same way. These pages just burst with personality and we have her to thank.
Now there are some fairly long sections in this book that discuss the rudimentary day-to-day realities of raising chickens. Everything from the amount of food (yes, the book contains math problems worked seamlessly into the narrative) to different kinds of housing to why gizzards need small stones inside of them. These sections are sort of like the whaling sections in Moby Dick or the bridge sections in The Cardturner. You can skip right over them and lose nothing. Still, I found them oddly compelling. People love process, particularly when that process is so foreign to their experience. I actually heard someone who had always lived in the city say to me the other day that before they read this book they didn’t know that you needed a rooster to get baby chickens. You see? Learning!
I don’t say that this book is going to turn each and every last one of its readers into chicken enthusiasts. I also know that it paints a rather glowing portrait of chicken ownership that is in direct contrast to the farm situation perpetuated on farmers today. But doggone it, it’s charming to its core. We see plenty of magical animal books churned out every year. Magical zoos and magical veterinarians and magical bestiaries. So what’s wrong with extraordinary chickens as well? Best of all, you don’t have to be a fantasy fan to enjoy this book. Heck, you don’t have to like chickens. The writing is top notch, the pictures consistently funny, and the story rather moving. Everything, in fact, a good chapter book for kids should be. Hand it to someone looking for lighthearted fare but that still wants a story with a bit of bite to it. Great stuff.
For ages 9-12.
June 19, 2016
What a nice book. Apparently, if I want to read books that aren't wall-to-wall horror-fests, I need to branch out in my genres.
A 12-year-old girl (what is it with 12-year-old protags in this genre?) moves with her family from LA when they inherit her great-uncle's somewhat run-down rural California farm, which I would think would be like paradise for a kid. Along with the farm come some decidedly unusual chickens, which Sophie takes as her own. Low-key hijinks ensue. One also learns some things about chickens, along with Sophie. Amusing illos.
Feels like something that would be adapted by Studio Ghibli, really.
Ta, L.
A 12-year-old girl (what is it with 12-year-old protags in this genre?) moves with her family from LA when they inherit her great-uncle's somewhat run-down rural California farm, which I would think would be like paradise for a kid. Along with the farm come some decidedly unusual chickens, which Sophie takes as her own. Low-key hijinks ensue. One also learns some things about chickens, along with Sophie. Amusing illos.
Feels like something that would be adapted by Studio Ghibli, really.
Ta, L.
May 24, 2015
The back of UNUSUAL CHICKENS FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL POULTRY FARMER recommends the book to fans of Roald Dahl, which is a good call. It doesn't have his particularly wicked humor or sense of real menace, but it does have his matter-of-fact magic and a young protagonist who succeeds through a mixture of cleverness and goodness. It also has ink illustrations by Katie Kath that will remind readers of Quentin Blake.
Sophie Brown and her parents move to a farm in a small town that they inherited from Sophie's great-uncle Jim. They're new to farm life, but her dad is still searching for a new job and her mom is making do selling articles and they needed somewhere to live. Things start to change for Sophie once she finds a catalog for unusual chickens - and then starts finding unusual chickens. The story is pretty predictable, but it is told with a light hand and strong characterization.
Sophie tells her story through letters to her deceased abuelita, her uncle Jim, and Agnes (who owns the chicken farm). There are also newspaper clippings, lists, and lessons on poultry farming interspersed throughout. The drawings by Kath help tell other parts in the story in addition to illustrating some of the memorable parts of the letters. There are even a few letters from Agnes, poorly typed and brief. I like how actual facts about the work that goes into raising chickens are woven into this tale of unique chickens and the girl who is determined to protect them from a pernicious chicken thief (and anyone else who might use their strange qualities for unsavory means).
Also wonderful is how smoothly Sophie's heritage is woven into UNUSUAL CHICKENS FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL POULTRY FARMER. Sophie, her mother, and her abuelita are all Latina. There's Spanish phrases in her letters to her grandma, the inclusion of a migas recipe, references to the family dancing to Celia Cruz. It's a small but pertinent detail of her life. (Especially in her new town, where pretty much everyone but the mailman is white.)
UNUSUAL CHICKENS FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL POULTRY FARMER is an excellent choice for the younger reader who likes their books flavored with a hint of the exotic. It mostly reads like a contemporary tale of a girl going to a new place, making friends, and finding a hobby. But the subtle strangeness around the edges is ever present and pervades the entire story. It's definitely a fantastical book. A debut worth clucking about.
Sophie Brown and her parents move to a farm in a small town that they inherited from Sophie's great-uncle Jim. They're new to farm life, but her dad is still searching for a new job and her mom is making do selling articles and they needed somewhere to live. Things start to change for Sophie once she finds a catalog for unusual chickens - and then starts finding unusual chickens. The story is pretty predictable, but it is told with a light hand and strong characterization.
Sophie tells her story through letters to her deceased abuelita, her uncle Jim, and Agnes (who owns the chicken farm). There are also newspaper clippings, lists, and lessons on poultry farming interspersed throughout. The drawings by Kath help tell other parts in the story in addition to illustrating some of the memorable parts of the letters. There are even a few letters from Agnes, poorly typed and brief. I like how actual facts about the work that goes into raising chickens are woven into this tale of unique chickens and the girl who is determined to protect them from a pernicious chicken thief (and anyone else who might use their strange qualities for unsavory means).
Also wonderful is how smoothly Sophie's heritage is woven into UNUSUAL CHICKENS FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL POULTRY FARMER. Sophie, her mother, and her abuelita are all Latina. There's Spanish phrases in her letters to her grandma, the inclusion of a migas recipe, references to the family dancing to Celia Cruz. It's a small but pertinent detail of her life. (Especially in her new town, where pretty much everyone but the mailman is white.)
UNUSUAL CHICKENS FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL POULTRY FARMER is an excellent choice for the younger reader who likes their books flavored with a hint of the exotic. It mostly reads like a contemporary tale of a girl going to a new place, making friends, and finding a hobby. But the subtle strangeness around the edges is ever present and pervades the entire story. It's definitely a fantastical book. A debut worth clucking about.
April 18, 2023
A kind friend sent me Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer because of the Extraordinary Chickens saga (for years goodreads would not stop recommending me this one book of chicken photos). It proved ideally suited to a specific Monday situation: I couldn't sleep until 2:45am because my brain wouldn't shut up after reviewing White Skin, Black Fuel: On the Danger of Fossil Fascism then had to work from home the next day. Thus I was falling asleep at 3pm and read Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer to keep myself awake. It's an undemanding read for an adult, but a really charming and amusing one.
The plot follows a girl called Sophie who moves from LA to a farm that her parents inherited when her great-uncle died. There she discovers that her great-uncle kept very unusual chickens, which become her responsibility. I very much liked the epistolary format, with periodic recipe or worksheet interjections. Sophie's letters create a strong and appealing character voice. The illustrations, in a style that reminded me of Quentin Blake, are also truly delightful. I appreciated the importance Sophie accorded to the library and her friendship with the postman.
According to the friend who sent it to me, Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer has been banned by a Florida county, which is baffling. It has one reference to a background female character having a girlfriend, one reference to ICE, some supernatural elements, and a mixed race girl protagonist. Presumably someone thought this combination constituted a more serious threat to Florida than gun violence? I certainly had a fun time with it and will pass my copy along to friends with kids so they can enjoy it too.
The plot follows a girl called Sophie who moves from LA to a farm that her parents inherited when her great-uncle died. There she discovers that her great-uncle kept very unusual chickens, which become her responsibility. I very much liked the epistolary format, with periodic recipe or worksheet interjections. Sophie's letters create a strong and appealing character voice. The illustrations, in a style that reminded me of Quentin Blake, are also truly delightful. I appreciated the importance Sophie accorded to the library and her friendship with the postman.
According to the friend who sent it to me, Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer has been banned by a Florida county, which is baffling. It has one reference to a background female character having a girlfriend, one reference to ICE, some supernatural elements, and a mixed race girl protagonist. Presumably someone thought this combination constituted a more serious threat to Florida than gun violence? I certainly had a fun time with it and will pass my copy along to friends with kids so they can enjoy it too.
March 26, 2021
واقعا مدام نژادهای مختلف مرغهای داستان رو قاطی میکردم و گیج میشدم.
July 7, 2015
There are many things to love about this book, and I regularly repeated them to myself so that I would finish it. Excellent voice in Sophie. Unique storytelling approach in the mostly one way epistolary novel. I loved the telling of the being the new person, the different, in such a different and gentle way. She is having to learn to be in the county, not the other way around. I enjoyed the fact that her parents are happy and supportive but out of the way, that her mother is apparently supporting the family writing for Buzzfeed, and that Sophie is both accepting and exasperated by being multiracial. The book is funny and the story has some interesting qualities.
But dear Dog Almighty, that's a lot of time reading about chickens. If things other than chickens happened for the first 7/8th of the book I might feel differently. Or, if we had spend more time on why they were unusual chickens... But I can't help but wonder if reluctant readers who would enjoy the writing will stick with the book long enough to get to something actually happening.
But dear Dog Almighty, that's a lot of time reading about chickens. If things other than chickens happened for the first 7/8th of the book I might feel differently. Or, if we had spend more time on why they were unusual chickens... But I can't help but wonder if reluctant readers who would enjoy the writing will stick with the book long enough to get to something actually happening.
November 21, 2016
man I loved this!! So sweet and funny.
Also I loved how it covertly shows microaggressions and the importance of representation--Sophie is half white, half Latina and she notes how the librarian is super nice to her because she originally assumed that Sophie was the daughter of a farm laborer, rather than the daughter of the family who inherited the farm; Sophie is super excited when she meets a Filipina journalist who speaks Spanish...it's all organic to the story but it's something that could be a lightbulb moment for some readers.
Also you might learn a surprising amount about actual chickens from this book?
Also I loved how it covertly shows microaggressions and the importance of representation--Sophie is half white, half Latina and she notes how the librarian is super nice to her because she originally assumed that Sophie was the daughter of a farm laborer, rather than the daughter of the family who inherited the farm; Sophie is super excited when she meets a Filipina journalist who speaks Spanish...it's all organic to the story but it's something that could be a lightbulb moment for some readers.
Also you might learn a surprising amount about actual chickens from this book?
May 9, 2015
My blog review:
Kelly Jones' terrific Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer is described by its publisher as quirky a word that, for me, doesn't really get across the warm-heartedness of this eccentric epistolary story. Twelve-year-old Sophie Brown has, along with her parents, just moved from LA to a seemingly animal-free farm they have inherited from her Great-Uncle Jim. The lonely Sophie, seeing a flyer for the Redwood Farm Supply company in the barn and being unable to find them on the Internet, takes her mother's suggestion, and writes them an old-fashioned letter requesting a catalog. After all, "...if I have to live on a farm, I think it ought to be an interesting one, with chickens and ducks and some peacocks or something." Frustrated not to receive an answer she writes again irritatedly and then, as things started getting more complicated, more urgently.
Mixed in with these letters are others. Say the wistful diary-like letters Sophie writes to her beloved deceased abuelita. "I know you're dead, and I don't believe in zombies, so you don't need to write back or anything. I just wanted to write someone." Or the lighter ones she writes to her late Great-Uncle Jim as things get...er....even...more....complicated.
For the farm isn't animal-free for very long. One of Sophia's Great-Uncle's chickens shows up followed by several more and Sophie quickly learns that they have just slightly special qualities that makes them very much the unusual chickens of the book's title. Now Sophia has to learn how to take care of them --- finding some new local friends who help-- as well as protect them from someone else who seems to have her eye on them and not in a good way.
Sophie's voice is delightful. She eagerly explores the place, finds that first chicken, and is off taking care of her (and the others that follow). I loved that she read them The Hoboken Chicken Emergency and found other books about chickens, helped by the local librarian, Ms. O'Malley.This isn't a girl who mopes about, but one who gets to work, whether cleaning up the barn, tracking down missing chickens, or writing letters. That said, in those letters to her grandmother, scattered among her descriptions of her practical rolling-up-sleeves activities, are the occasional acknowledgements of much she misses her. Refreshing, as well, are her occasional mentions of how someone or another in the small rural town perceives the bi-racial Sophia and/or her Latina mother within some very limited racial stereotypes.
In addition to the letters there are other documents: a test, a correspondence course about chickens, newspaper articles, posters for the annual poultry show, and so forth. And mixed throughout are Katie Kath's lively illustrations.
This is definitely a favorite of mine this year --- enough for me to want to look at it again in terms of Newbery. I think it is that good.
Kelly Jones' terrific Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer is described by its publisher as quirky a word that, for me, doesn't really get across the warm-heartedness of this eccentric epistolary story. Twelve-year-old Sophie Brown has, along with her parents, just moved from LA to a seemingly animal-free farm they have inherited from her Great-Uncle Jim. The lonely Sophie, seeing a flyer for the Redwood Farm Supply company in the barn and being unable to find them on the Internet, takes her mother's suggestion, and writes them an old-fashioned letter requesting a catalog. After all, "...if I have to live on a farm, I think it ought to be an interesting one, with chickens and ducks and some peacocks or something." Frustrated not to receive an answer she writes again irritatedly and then, as things started getting more complicated, more urgently.
Mixed in with these letters are others. Say the wistful diary-like letters Sophie writes to her beloved deceased abuelita. "I know you're dead, and I don't believe in zombies, so you don't need to write back or anything. I just wanted to write someone." Or the lighter ones she writes to her late Great-Uncle Jim as things get...er....even...more....complicated.
For the farm isn't animal-free for very long. One of Sophia's Great-Uncle's chickens shows up followed by several more and Sophie quickly learns that they have just slightly special qualities that makes them very much the unusual chickens of the book's title. Now Sophia has to learn how to take care of them --- finding some new local friends who help-- as well as protect them from someone else who seems to have her eye on them and not in a good way.
Sophie's voice is delightful. She eagerly explores the place, finds that first chicken, and is off taking care of her (and the others that follow). I loved that she read them The Hoboken Chicken Emergency and found other books about chickens, helped by the local librarian, Ms. O'Malley.This isn't a girl who mopes about, but one who gets to work, whether cleaning up the barn, tracking down missing chickens, or writing letters. That said, in those letters to her grandmother, scattered among her descriptions of her practical rolling-up-sleeves activities, are the occasional acknowledgements of much she misses her. Refreshing, as well, are her occasional mentions of how someone or another in the small rural town perceives the bi-racial Sophia and/or her Latina mother within some very limited racial stereotypes.
In addition to the letters there are other documents: a test, a correspondence course about chickens, newspaper articles, posters for the annual poultry show, and so forth. And mixed throughout are Katie Kath's lively illustrations.
This is definitely a favorite of mine this year --- enough for me to want to look at it again in terms of Newbery. I think it is that good.
February 28, 2023
Review #3 - February 2023
If I'm going to live on a farm, I might as well be a farmer.
Sophie and her family have just moved from LA to her great-uncle's farm. He left it to them in his will. Sophie is shy but she decides to make the best of living on a farm and immediately begins exploring. It isn't long before she discovers the ever grouchy and ever amusing, Henrietta. A Bantam White Leghorn, with some extraordinary powers. (The illustrations of Henrietta always make me giggle.)
My mom always says when things are really bad, stop and think your hardest, because most people don't think at all under those circumstances, and then they make things worse.
Sophie writes letters to Redwood Farm Supply and asks for information about raising chickens. She hears back from Agnes, and learns that Uncle Jim had some very unusual chickens, and Sophie should try to round them up as soon as possible. Sophie dives into her duties and learns all she can about chickens.
But I told myself there's no shame in hard work, just like you would've said, and that all the work has to get done by somebody.
I love Sophie. She's a wonderful, relatable character. She's lonely and nervous to make friends, but she pushes herself and when it really counts, she rises to the occasion. Its' incredibly sweet how she writes letters to her abuelita. That means a lot to me, because I had a close relationship with my own grandmother and often miss her.
Did you know that chickens look really funny when they run? Kind of like a Tyrannosaurus Rex combined with an airplane. If an airplane could flap its wings really hard. And squawk. I love having a chicken.
We used this book for the 3rd-5th book club and it went really well. We're wrapping it up next week and all the kids seemed to enjoy it. Its been great!
I didn't know chicken keeping was going to be this complicated, but that's how it is, I guess, or at least, with unusual chickens.
Review #2 - September 2020
I was glad this book was still on the BOB list. I looked forward to reading it again. Sophie is such a charming character and I just love the chickens and the letters. The ending is such a neat little surprise wrap-up that you're not expecting at all.
Basically, it's pure fun and that is just what the world needs right now. Something sweet, touching, and light-hearted.
Review #1 - January 2018
Wasn’t expecting much from this book though all my students that read it seemed to love it. Definitely been one of the most read BOB books this year.
I found it charming and sweet. Sophie is darling. She felt real and relatable. I liked the epistolary style. It kept the novel moving. It touched my heart that Sophie, a lonely girl, would write to her dead abuelita and uncle.
To me, that’s what the story was really about, Sophie being lonely but also learning to be brave and make a new home for herself. The chickens were fun, but I loved Sophie.
Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a unique, fast read.
Only one more BOB book to go on the 5th/6th list!
If I'm going to live on a farm, I might as well be a farmer.
Sophie and her family have just moved from LA to her great-uncle's farm. He left it to them in his will. Sophie is shy but she decides to make the best of living on a farm and immediately begins exploring. It isn't long before she discovers the ever grouchy and ever amusing, Henrietta. A Bantam White Leghorn, with some extraordinary powers. (The illustrations of Henrietta always make me giggle.)
My mom always says when things are really bad, stop and think your hardest, because most people don't think at all under those circumstances, and then they make things worse.
Sophie writes letters to Redwood Farm Supply and asks for information about raising chickens. She hears back from Agnes, and learns that Uncle Jim had some very unusual chickens, and Sophie should try to round them up as soon as possible. Sophie dives into her duties and learns all she can about chickens.
But I told myself there's no shame in hard work, just like you would've said, and that all the work has to get done by somebody.
I love Sophie. She's a wonderful, relatable character. She's lonely and nervous to make friends, but she pushes herself and when it really counts, she rises to the occasion. Its' incredibly sweet how she writes letters to her abuelita. That means a lot to me, because I had a close relationship with my own grandmother and often miss her.
Did you know that chickens look really funny when they run? Kind of like a Tyrannosaurus Rex combined with an airplane. If an airplane could flap its wings really hard. And squawk. I love having a chicken.
We used this book for the 3rd-5th book club and it went really well. We're wrapping it up next week and all the kids seemed to enjoy it. Its been great!
I didn't know chicken keeping was going to be this complicated, but that's how it is, I guess, or at least, with unusual chickens.
Review #2 - September 2020
I was glad this book was still on the BOB list. I looked forward to reading it again. Sophie is such a charming character and I just love the chickens and the letters. The ending is such a neat little surprise wrap-up that you're not expecting at all.
Basically, it's pure fun and that is just what the world needs right now. Something sweet, touching, and light-hearted.
Review #1 - January 2018
Wasn’t expecting much from this book though all my students that read it seemed to love it. Definitely been one of the most read BOB books this year.
I found it charming and sweet. Sophie is darling. She felt real and relatable. I liked the epistolary style. It kept the novel moving. It touched my heart that Sophie, a lonely girl, would write to her dead abuelita and uncle.
To me, that’s what the story was really about, Sophie being lonely but also learning to be brave and make a new home for herself. The chickens were fun, but I loved Sophie.
Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a unique, fast read.
Only one more BOB book to go on the 5th/6th list!
December 11, 2015
Review copy: ARC from publisher
The title struck me as amusing before I even got to the text. The look in the top chicken's eye's on the cover also cracks me up. There was no way that I could ignore this book and I'm so glad I didn't. Sophie and her adventures had me smiling and giggling over and over even when dealing with serious things. Her first letter to her grandmother is a good example. Her abuela died recently and Sophie writes, "I know you're dead, and I don't believe in zombies, so you don't need to write back or anything."
And those chickens! The chickens are hilarious and only become more so as you slowly learn how unusual they really are. There is a mystery unfolding throughout the book and I don't want to spoil it, but know that there are many laughs along the way. The humor is also embedded in the fun pictures. Katie Kath has added a lot through her playful illustrations. The expressions on the faces of the people and the chickens are fabulous.
This is a light-hearted and entertaining book, but Sophie doesn't only talk about the chickens in her letters. She mentions the chicken that uses The Force and other bizarre happenings involving superhero type powers, but she also discusses race, class, identity and fitting in. It's done in a matter of fact way and doesn't get teachy or preachy. Sophie is half Latina and looks like her Mexican American mother. She explains that some people assume that Sophie and her mother (who was born in the United States) are undocumented immigrants. Another time she writes, "People always think Mom and I are poor. They even did when we had some money, just because we're brown." This is not a case of a humorous story with a character who "just happens to be Latina." Her culture shapes her story and how it is told.
An extra bit of wonderfulness in the story is the recipe for migas. I love books that encourage me to make something new in the kitchen.
Recommendation: Definitely get this as soon as it's available. You'll want to read Unusual Chickens and share it widely. You may also end up grabbing The Hoboken Chicken Emergency since Sophie is a superfan and read it aloud to her chickens.
The title struck me as amusing before I even got to the text. The look in the top chicken's eye's on the cover also cracks me up. There was no way that I could ignore this book and I'm so glad I didn't. Sophie and her adventures had me smiling and giggling over and over even when dealing with serious things. Her first letter to her grandmother is a good example. Her abuela died recently and Sophie writes, "I know you're dead, and I don't believe in zombies, so you don't need to write back or anything."
And those chickens! The chickens are hilarious and only become more so as you slowly learn how unusual they really are. There is a mystery unfolding throughout the book and I don't want to spoil it, but know that there are many laughs along the way. The humor is also embedded in the fun pictures. Katie Kath has added a lot through her playful illustrations. The expressions on the faces of the people and the chickens are fabulous.
This is a light-hearted and entertaining book, but Sophie doesn't only talk about the chickens in her letters. She mentions the chicken that uses The Force and other bizarre happenings involving superhero type powers, but she also discusses race, class, identity and fitting in. It's done in a matter of fact way and doesn't get teachy or preachy. Sophie is half Latina and looks like her Mexican American mother. She explains that some people assume that Sophie and her mother (who was born in the United States) are undocumented immigrants. Another time she writes, "People always think Mom and I are poor. They even did when we had some money, just because we're brown." This is not a case of a humorous story with a character who "just happens to be Latina." Her culture shapes her story and how it is told.
An extra bit of wonderfulness in the story is the recipe for migas. I love books that encourage me to make something new in the kitchen.
Recommendation: Definitely get this as soon as it's available. You'll want to read Unusual Chickens and share it widely. You may also end up grabbing The Hoboken Chicken Emergency since Sophie is a superfan and read it aloud to her chickens.
August 17, 2016
I think this might be a contender for my favorite book read in 2016. I know there's a ways to go in the year, but this book was just SO GREAT. It gets a five because it's so unique and awesome and fun, at the same time as being thoughtful and diverse and a great discussion book. It's rare to find a book that I feel like is as entertaining for a grownup audience as it would be for kids, and I think this is one of those books. Here's why it's awesome:
1. The entire book is written in epistolary style. The main character is writing letters to her grandmother, who has passed away, her uncle, who has passed away, and the chicken farm from which she found a catalog filled with...unusual chickens.
2. The chickens have superpowers.
3. The illustrations are FANTASTIC. Reminiscent of Quentin Blake, and so expressive and sweet and hilarious.
4. The story. It's just so silly and sweet and sad all at the same time. It's a great book for discussing grief and perseverance and change.
It's just the best. You should read it :)
1. The entire book is written in epistolary style. The main character is writing letters to her grandmother, who has passed away, her uncle, who has passed away, and the chicken farm from which she found a catalog filled with...unusual chickens.
2. The chickens have superpowers.
3. The illustrations are FANTASTIC. Reminiscent of Quentin Blake, and so expressive and sweet and hilarious.
4. The story. It's just so silly and sweet and sad all at the same time. It's a great book for discussing grief and perseverance and change.
It's just the best. You should read it :)
June 24, 2016
I read this with my homeschoolers' book club at the library. I enjoyed the sweetness of the story and the epistolary style is always a nice change, but like one of the kids in my book group said - the plot was kind of "eh". There wasn't a lot of action or much of an arc. I also never felt really clear on the superpowers of the chickens and what they were for. Sometimes I felt like I missed something in my reading - which believe me, when you are chugging down a juvenile fiction book on your lunch break before the book club, it is possible to miss some things. Also, there was a really lovely theme of family and the connection to those who have passed on that I enjoyed.
July 12, 2014
LOVE this book.
The drawings, the story - you'll start and end this book with a giant smile on your face.
The drawings, the story - you'll start and end this book with a giant smile on your face.
February 21, 2016
I thought the ending was completely unrealistic and made no sense. There was no climax, just lots of small things happening.
September 8, 2015
I admire authors that can pull off well-written epistolary novels. To find the right balance between epistle and narrative without losing the reader is tricky to say the least. Too many internal thoughts by the character and you threaten to bore the reader. Too many flashbacks and you lose the immediacy of the action. Too few points of view and you wonder what motivates the other characters. If I were a writer I would think the chances of writing a boring, passive story would skyrocket with this format. Not so for Kelly Jones. She manages the technique well creating a strong character voice with humor and using few words creating a strong narrative arc and setting. Not easy, but she kept my interest throughout the story. Some might feel ping-ponged by all the chicken facts. However, Jones nicely ties them in with Sophie's superstitions of what she thinks she is seeing and the scientific facts. A clever juxtaposition, but we will get to that later.
Twelve-year-old Sophie Brown has moved from Los Angeles to a farm that her family inherited from her mother's great-uncle. Her mom knows how to run a farm but she is working full-time and can't help explain things. Sophie's dad lost his job and he's somewhat useless at figuring out equipment or even pruning. Sophie's got more smarts doing research at the library and contacting experts by writing letters when she's faced with a problem. Her dad could learn a thing or two from her. Sophie explores the farm on her own finding a hen pecking around a hen house. She names her hen, Henrietta, and is off to the library to learn how to take care of chickens. Sophie finds an advertisement in the barn for the Redwood Farm Supply company and writes them an old-fashioned letter, when she can't find them on the World Wide Web, asking for advice on caring for chickens. When a woman shows up at the farm saying she lost a chicken that looks like Henrietta, Sophie does some research only to find out things are not as they seem. Sophie meets another kid her age and gets help solving her chicken mystery.
Sophie writes letters to her dead grandma and Uncle Jim. The epistolary format works well in this regard as it helps keep them alive and shows that Sophie really misses them. My mom died this summer and I find myself talking to her in my head, much like Sophie's letters. I do the same thing with my grandma who I was close to when she was alive. Kelly Jones creates a strong and funny voice as Sophie corresponds with them. They don't write back so it's important when the author adds the correspondence with Agnes at the Redwood Farm Supply company. Her letters are full of typos and there is something fishy about them even though her advice is sound. The author does a great job balancing internal monologue with action and dialogue to keep my interest going.
Sophie's mom is smart, her dad struggles with problem-solving, and Sophie dives right into things not feeling sorry for herself nor lacking courage to try new things. She's terrified of speaking but recognizes when she needs to say something even when her knees are clanging together. Her mixed heritage and the townspeople's racist stereotyping is subtly shown in different situations. Sophie doesn't take it personally. She expects it and recognizes that comments were made in ignorance versus maliciousness. The comments range from people assuming Sophie's mom is from Mexico when she was born in the United States and is as American as them or the librarian assuming Sophie is a migrant worker.
Sophie describes the chickens like magic. One floats. One disappears. One is like Medusa. Eventually, Sophie learns all the unusual characteristics of the chickens from scientific facts. I was a bit confused by this at first like Sophie but it becomes clear as the author shows right after each incident the reason it happened such as the floating chicken. If the explanations didn't come right away I would have been really lost and it helps setup for the twist at the end. I did think the motivations of the villain were not clear. The explanation at the end was somewhat weak, but it doesn't take away from the other fun plot surprises.
Our library doesn't have bucketfuls of children's epistolary novels. The few I can think of are "Dear Mr. Henshaw" or "Stargirl." Actually more picture books spring to mind such as "The Day the Crayons Quit" or "I Wanna Iguana" or "Dectective LaRue: letters from the investigation" or "The Jolly Postman." Teachers like the picture books as mentor texts so I might be more in tune with them than fiction. Whether the epistolary novel is hard to write or not, or few and far between, Kelly Jones hatched a winner with this one.
Twelve-year-old Sophie Brown has moved from Los Angeles to a farm that her family inherited from her mother's great-uncle. Her mom knows how to run a farm but she is working full-time and can't help explain things. Sophie's dad lost his job and he's somewhat useless at figuring out equipment or even pruning. Sophie's got more smarts doing research at the library and contacting experts by writing letters when she's faced with a problem. Her dad could learn a thing or two from her. Sophie explores the farm on her own finding a hen pecking around a hen house. She names her hen, Henrietta, and is off to the library to learn how to take care of chickens. Sophie finds an advertisement in the barn for the Redwood Farm Supply company and writes them an old-fashioned letter, when she can't find them on the World Wide Web, asking for advice on caring for chickens. When a woman shows up at the farm saying she lost a chicken that looks like Henrietta, Sophie does some research only to find out things are not as they seem. Sophie meets another kid her age and gets help solving her chicken mystery.
Sophie writes letters to her dead grandma and Uncle Jim. The epistolary format works well in this regard as it helps keep them alive and shows that Sophie really misses them. My mom died this summer and I find myself talking to her in my head, much like Sophie's letters. I do the same thing with my grandma who I was close to when she was alive. Kelly Jones creates a strong and funny voice as Sophie corresponds with them. They don't write back so it's important when the author adds the correspondence with Agnes at the Redwood Farm Supply company. Her letters are full of typos and there is something fishy about them even though her advice is sound. The author does a great job balancing internal monologue with action and dialogue to keep my interest going.
Sophie's mom is smart, her dad struggles with problem-solving, and Sophie dives right into things not feeling sorry for herself nor lacking courage to try new things. She's terrified of speaking but recognizes when she needs to say something even when her knees are clanging together. Her mixed heritage and the townspeople's racist stereotyping is subtly shown in different situations. Sophie doesn't take it personally. She expects it and recognizes that comments were made in ignorance versus maliciousness. The comments range from people assuming Sophie's mom is from Mexico when she was born in the United States and is as American as them or the librarian assuming Sophie is a migrant worker.
Sophie describes the chickens like magic. One floats. One disappears. One is like Medusa. Eventually, Sophie learns all the unusual characteristics of the chickens from scientific facts. I was a bit confused by this at first like Sophie but it becomes clear as the author shows right after each incident the reason it happened such as the floating chicken. If the explanations didn't come right away I would have been really lost and it helps setup for the twist at the end. I did think the motivations of the villain were not clear. The explanation at the end was somewhat weak, but it doesn't take away from the other fun plot surprises.
Our library doesn't have bucketfuls of children's epistolary novels. The few I can think of are "Dear Mr. Henshaw" or "Stargirl." Actually more picture books spring to mind such as "The Day the Crayons Quit" or "I Wanna Iguana" or "Dectective LaRue: letters from the investigation" or "The Jolly Postman." Teachers like the picture books as mentor texts so I might be more in tune with them than fiction. Whether the epistolary novel is hard to write or not, or few and far between, Kelly Jones hatched a winner with this one.
August 20, 2015
Engaging, empowering, and truly entertaining, this is the kind of light but satisfying story you could press into the hands of any 4th or 5th grader with confidence they'd come away happy. I didn't want this one to end!
Plot points of note: Sophie's mom is Mexican-American and her dad is Caucasian. She is one of the very few (to use her words) "brown people" in the new rural town to which they've moved. People frequently look at her with confusion, having known her great uncle who was (like her father) white. Sophie's mom is a writer who pens articles for newspapers and magazines, but her dad is out of work, so their family is cash-strapped and can't afford to fix up the farm. Sophie has to find her own creative ways to fund the care of her chickens (which she does!).
Recommended for fans of the Regarding the... series by Kate & Sarah Klise.
Plot points of note: Sophie's mom is Mexican-American and her dad is Caucasian. She is one of the very few (to use her words) "brown people" in the new rural town to which they've moved. People frequently look at her with confusion, having known her great uncle who was (like her father) white. Sophie's mom is a writer who pens articles for newspapers and magazines, but her dad is out of work, so their family is cash-strapped and can't afford to fix up the farm. Sophie has to find her own creative ways to fund the care of her chickens (which she does!).
Recommended for fans of the Regarding the... series by Kate & Sarah Klise.
February 9, 2017
If you liked this book, you might also enjoy:
✱ A Hundred Horses
✱ A Snicker of Magic
✱ A Handful of Stars
✱ Spirit's Key
✱ What the Moon Said
✱ A Hundred Horses
✱ A Snicker of Magic
✱ A Handful of Stars
✱ Spirit's Key
✱ What the Moon Said
November 5, 2015
For the couple days I was carrying this around reading it, I just wanted to throw it in people's faces, saying, "Look at this grumpy chicken!! She can open latches and lay glass eggs!!! She's so grumpy!!!!! Ahhhhh!!!!!"
Oh yes. I loved this.
Oh yes. I loved this.
October 2, 2015
I can't remember the last time I saw Daniel Pinkwater blurb a book. Of course, this one is not only about chickens (a special interest for Pinkwater) - it even name checks Pinkwater and his 1977 classic, The Hoboken Chicken Emergency. That has to be flattering. Still, Pinkwater is such a grouchy old coot that I have to believe he wouldn't praise a book unless he meant it. Of Unusual Chickens, he wrote, "Someone has finally written a real honest-to-goodness novel with chickens! This news will excite people who like novels, people who like chickens...and chickens. It is an unusual book!"
That it is. Sort of. On one level, the plot is a familiar one: a city girl moves to the country and struggles to fit in and make friends. In this case, the city girl, Sophie, and her mother are two of the only "brown people" in town (they are Latina), which only increases her feelings of alienation. They've moved out of the city because Sophie's newly unemployed father has inherited a farm from his uncle, and along with it, several "unusual" chickens.
That's where the other side of the story comes in. The chickens are not unusual in the "Martha Stewart, tiny-pastel-egg-laying" sense, but more in the "turn raccoons into stone and levitate the chicken coop" sense. Clearly, their care calls for an exceptional poultry farmer. Sophie's quest to become that farmer parallels her inner journey as she adjusts to her new surroundings. Of course, since we are dealing with supernatural chickens, there are many absurd and comedic stops along the way.
First-time novelist Kelly Jones tells Sophie's story mostly through letters to her deceased grandmother, her great-uncle, and Agnes, the farmer who originally sold the unusual chickens. This farmer occasionally writes back, in letters whose erratic spelling and punctuation she blames on a malfunctioning typewriter (this may be a ruse - the unraveling of Agnes's mystery provides one of the more entertaining threads of this tale). The candid first-person narraton allows Sophie's practical, wry, tween voice to shine through, and it is an appealing and authentic voice. There's a nice balance between supernatural comedy and real world concerns, and Katie Kath's line drawings play up the humor.
Unusual Chickens is a small gem of a book, written with a light touch and a sensitive heart. I'll be surprised if it doesn't show up on the Notable Books list, though it's probably a long shot for the Newbery.
That it is. Sort of. On one level, the plot is a familiar one: a city girl moves to the country and struggles to fit in and make friends. In this case, the city girl, Sophie, and her mother are two of the only "brown people" in town (they are Latina), which only increases her feelings of alienation. They've moved out of the city because Sophie's newly unemployed father has inherited a farm from his uncle, and along with it, several "unusual" chickens.
That's where the other side of the story comes in. The chickens are not unusual in the "Martha Stewart, tiny-pastel-egg-laying" sense, but more in the "turn raccoons into stone and levitate the chicken coop" sense. Clearly, their care calls for an exceptional poultry farmer. Sophie's quest to become that farmer parallels her inner journey as she adjusts to her new surroundings. Of course, since we are dealing with supernatural chickens, there are many absurd and comedic stops along the way.
First-time novelist Kelly Jones tells Sophie's story mostly through letters to her deceased grandmother, her great-uncle, and Agnes, the farmer who originally sold the unusual chickens. This farmer occasionally writes back, in letters whose erratic spelling and punctuation she blames on a malfunctioning typewriter (this may be a ruse - the unraveling of Agnes's mystery provides one of the more entertaining threads of this tale). The candid first-person narraton allows Sophie's practical, wry, tween voice to shine through, and it is an appealing and authentic voice. There's a nice balance between supernatural comedy and real world concerns, and Katie Kath's line drawings play up the humor.
Unusual Chickens is a small gem of a book, written with a light touch and a sensitive heart. I'll be surprised if it doesn't show up on the Notable Books list, though it's probably a long shot for the Newbery.
August 27, 2016
A great epistolary story, featuring a clever colored young girl (writing to her dead grandmother) and chickens with super powers!
"I know you're dead, and I don't believe in zombies, so you don't need to write back or anything"
Sophie's family has money problems because her father is unemployed. They inherited a farm and so moved near a small town. It's complicated for all of them and Sophie is trying to adjust to her new life. Her main motivation is to convince her parents to rise farm animals, but they are not fond of the idea. Luckily, she finds a cute angry chicken. But it's not a normal chicken, this one has a super power!
The story is told through letters Sophie writes to her dead grandmother, uncle, etc. She speaks about her doubts, her difficulties and she has lots of questions about chickens. I totally liked her personality, she was a realistic and clever 12 years old (for me, she seemed a little younger), with an humorous personality, a love for books and some nice references. The chickens were funny, I enjoyed to discover their powers, and the story was nicely done, with a touch of magic, a touch of mystery, some shyness and very normal daily activities. In a way, it was a little sad because it was obvious the girl missed a lot her grandmother, but at the same time, it was a positive and enthusiastic story. The drawings were good, the quiz was hilarious and it was pleasant to see various forms of text in the book. Highly recommended for children and for adults who want a light and entertaining read.
"I know you're dead, and I don't believe in zombies, so you don't need to write back or anything"
Sophie's family has money problems because her father is unemployed. They inherited a farm and so moved near a small town. It's complicated for all of them and Sophie is trying to adjust to her new life. Her main motivation is to convince her parents to rise farm animals, but they are not fond of the idea. Luckily, she finds a cute angry chicken. But it's not a normal chicken, this one has a super power!
The story is told through letters Sophie writes to her dead grandmother, uncle, etc. She speaks about her doubts, her difficulties and she has lots of questions about chickens. I totally liked her personality, she was a realistic and clever 12 years old (for me, she seemed a little younger), with an humorous personality, a love for books and some nice references. The chickens were funny, I enjoyed to discover their powers, and the story was nicely done, with a touch of magic, a touch of mystery, some shyness and very normal daily activities. In a way, it was a little sad because it was obvious the girl missed a lot her grandmother, but at the same time, it was a positive and enthusiastic story. The drawings were good, the quiz was hilarious and it was pleasant to see various forms of text in the book. Highly recommended for children and for adults who want a light and entertaining read.
September 8, 2014
Twelve-year-old Sophie Brown feels like a fish out of water when she and her parents move from Los Angeles to the farm they’ve inherited from a great-uncle. But farm life gets more interesting when a cranky chicken appears and Sophie discovers the hen can move objects with the power of her little chicken brain: jam jars, the latch to her henhouse, the entire henhouse....
And then more of her great-uncle’s unusual chickens come home to roost. Determined, resourceful Sophie learns to care for her flock, earning money for chicken feed, collecting eggs. But when a respected local farmer tries to steal them, Sophie must find a way to keep them (and their superpowers) safe.
This is such a funny book, and the illustrations bring the chickens to life. Sophie tells her story through letters to her deceased grandmother and great-uncle, and letters to and from the woman who sold her great-uncle the exceptional chickens. The chickens all have their own little personalities, which makes reading about them especially fun. Bonus: after reading the book, I knew a lot more about chickens than I ever thought I would. Unfortunately, the book isn't out until May of next year, but if you love quirky, fun middle grade, you should add this one to your to-be-read list now.
And then more of her great-uncle’s unusual chickens come home to roost. Determined, resourceful Sophie learns to care for her flock, earning money for chicken feed, collecting eggs. But when a respected local farmer tries to steal them, Sophie must find a way to keep them (and their superpowers) safe.
This is such a funny book, and the illustrations bring the chickens to life. Sophie tells her story through letters to her deceased grandmother and great-uncle, and letters to and from the woman who sold her great-uncle the exceptional chickens. The chickens all have their own little personalities, which makes reading about them especially fun. Bonus: after reading the book, I knew a lot more about chickens than I ever thought I would. Unfortunately, the book isn't out until May of next year, but if you love quirky, fun middle grade, you should add this one to your to-be-read list now.
August 12, 2014
Sophie is lonely. Her family left the city when Sophie's dad lost his job, and now they live in an isolated and junk-filled farmhouse recently inherited from Sophie's Great-Uncle Jim. Alone in a new place, Sophie begins writing letters to her dead grandmother and great-uncle, detailing her new adventures, describing the people in the new community, and sharing her deepest wish: Sophie wants chickens.
Soon enough, chickens come to Sophie. But these are not ordinary chickens! The white hen lays glass eggs. The speckled hen is invisible sometimes. And the three newest hens have a talent for communication that will surprise everyone.
This magical story is scattered with morsels of chicken lore, strewn with charming multicultural details, and suffused with the passion of a truly exceptional poultry farmer.
Highly recommended for readers ages 8 to 12, especially those fascinated by fowl.
Soon enough, chickens come to Sophie. But these are not ordinary chickens! The white hen lays glass eggs. The speckled hen is invisible sometimes. And the three newest hens have a talent for communication that will surprise everyone.
This magical story is scattered with morsels of chicken lore, strewn with charming multicultural details, and suffused with the passion of a truly exceptional poultry farmer.
Highly recommended for readers ages 8 to 12, especially those fascinated by fowl.
July 2, 2019
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK! This book was assigned as summer reading for my daughter who just finished second grade. She immediately started to complain about the book. I figured it was because she didn't want to read it, so I started to read. She was right, it wasn't great. The main character in the book is a twelve year old girl, and I think a twelve year old could have done a better job of writing this. There was no flow as the letters that were written to communicate the story were jerky and all over the place. I also got the impression that the whole Hispanic theme was an after thought and used in an attempt to sell more books. But that wasn't the worse of it. The graphic imagery of a raccoon ripping apart a rooster and baby chicks being murdered with a shovel was when I had enough and we stopped reading. I am going to have nightmares tonight about that scene and I do not want my daughter to as well. Do yourself a favor and find ANYTHING else to read.
September 13, 2015
This is a sweet middle-school book, for people who love chickens, and for those who are chicken curious.
This is the tale of a youngster who inherits her great uncles chickens, only she doesn't know her great uncle has chickens. And each chicken has a super power, so not only does she have to learn to take care of chickens in general, she has to learn to take care of these special, unusual chickens.
It has light humor, information for those who have never had a chicken (so you can learn about that), as well as well written characters.
And that is about all I am going to say, otehr than I have 13 chickens, so I might be a little prejudiced towards chicken based stories.
This is the tale of a youngster who inherits her great uncles chickens, only she doesn't know her great uncle has chickens. And each chicken has a super power, so not only does she have to learn to take care of chickens in general, she has to learn to take care of these special, unusual chickens.
It has light humor, information for those who have never had a chicken (so you can learn about that), as well as well written characters.
And that is about all I am going to say, otehr than I have 13 chickens, so I might be a little prejudiced towards chicken based stories.
May 11, 2015
I am always on the prowl for humorous storylines intended for the middle grade reader, and "Unusual Chickens" is perfect. The author and illustrator created a character and plot driven book that is not only funny but well illustrated with line drawings--the chickens exude serious attitude! This is a hard combination to pull off, but it is totally successful. Letters to a dead grandmother and uncle, a recipes for migas, trips to the library for information on chickens, and a librarian who stereotypes Sophie as a migrant are just some of the scenes which make this book relevant and memorable!
July 16, 2015
This is just a wonderful book. The entire book consists of letters a girl named Sophie writes to various people, most of whom are dead. After a few letters, you realize that her Dad has lost his job and also inherited his uncle Jim's grape and chicken farm. Sophie gradually discovers the chickens are dispersed around the farm, and as she gathers them and figures out how to care for them, we also catch on that there is odd poultry magic at work here. The story includes an evil 4H chicken fanatic and a lovely mailman. I suspect kids who like quirky books will be pretty happy with this one.
November 17, 2015
I wanted to like this better than I did. I adored Sophie as a character; I thought the chickens were all very interesting, the supporting cast was great, and the illustrations were lovely.
I just didn't care for the supernatural elements that were brought in; I don't think the shape-changing hawk or the invisible chicken or the typing hens worked as plot devices, and I found them distracting. The story could have been told just as well without them.
And the chicken thief was just -- pathetic.
I just didn't care for the supernatural elements that were brought in; I don't think the shape-changing hawk or the invisible chicken or the typing hens worked as plot devices, and I found them distracting. The story could have been told just as well without them.
And the chicken thief was just -- pathetic.
June 16, 2016
I can't get over all the 5 star ratings this book received. I read it because it is on the Texas Bluebonnet List. I guess growing up on a farm, I expected more, not this nonsensical almost one-sided epistolary taking place in one months time. I did not feel this racially mixed family added to literary diversity either. My favorite part was that it is a quick read and the pencil illustrations by Katie Kath were cute. I'll have to wait and see what our students think when they read it.
September 30, 2015
This is a charming story about magical chickens with a funny, enjoyable protagonist. I think kids who love animals would find a lot to like here. Also, it made me want to make migas the next time I have leftover tortillas!
September 1, 2015
A new classic of poultry-keeping.
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