Review: Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones

Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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 unusual 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.

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--Gail