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readingthroughtheages's review
4.0
Love the cast of characters in this diverse book. Such a different theme, yet perfect for early middle graders.
ljrinaldi's review
5.0
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.
alissabar's review
4.0
I saw this on my son’s bookshelf and thought it was time for a reread. Still a delightful story with some serious undertones (parent’s unemployment, moving to a new home, prejudice against ethnic minority.)
Original review:
I totally picked this book up because of the title... who wouldn't? Right? It also reminded me of my childhood as we had a time when we raised a few chickens. It turned out to be a darn cute story. I loved Sophie's chickens and enjoyed discovering them and their unique powers right along with her as the story progressed. I think Henrietta and her perpetual bad mood was my favorite. (Her bad mood wasn't her special power. Just wanted to clarify.) I was really curious if this book would be liked by my younger kids. Both the 9 year old and the 14 year old liked it. I'm not sure this is really an amazing book that all will love, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
2021 Popsugar Reading Challenge: #12 A book you have seen on someone’s bookshelf
Original review:
I totally picked this book up because of the title... who wouldn't? Right? It also reminded me of my childhood as we had a time when we raised a few chickens. It turned out to be a darn cute story. I loved Sophie's chickens and enjoyed discovering them and their unique powers right along with her as the story progressed. I think Henrietta and her perpetual bad mood was my favorite. (Her bad mood wasn't her special power. Just wanted to clarify.) I was really curious if this book would be liked by my younger kids. Both the 9 year old and the 14 year old liked it. I'm not sure this is really an amazing book that all will love, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
2021 Popsugar Reading Challenge: #12 A book you have seen on someone’s bookshelf
rknuttel's review
3.0
This was cute! Some very extraordinary chickens inhabit this book, that’s for sure. I loved their spunk, and I loved Sophie’s definitely-young-but-sensible voice. That came through very well.
I would have loved this story to be told as a normal narrative, not through letters. I feel like we could have gotten more detail. And it would have been nice to get some background on the unusual chickens and other mysterious happenings...
But it seems like they set up a second book, so maybe that is all to come.
I would have loved this story to be told as a normal narrative, not through letters. I feel like we could have gotten more detail. And it would have been nice to get some background on the unusual chickens and other mysterious happenings...
But it seems like they set up a second book, so maybe that is all to come.
julieartz's review
5.0
The unusual chickens are not the only magical thing about this book. Beloved by my 9yo daughter and by me!
yapha's review
4.0
(4 1/2 stars)
I loved this book! Sophie and her parents have just moved from Los Angeles to her Great-Uncle Jim's farm in the country. Her father lost his job, and the inheritance of the farm is a life-saver for them. It is a big change for Sophie though, to leave her cousins and friends in the city. She is alone on the farm a great deal, while her father looks for a job and her mother works as a journalist. She finds one of Great Uncle Jim's chickens that had scattered after his death, and throws herself into learning about how to care for chickens. As she slowly gathers the flock back together, she also gains confidence and makes friends in her new community. Told entirely in letters, this story will immediately draw readers in, and may make them want to raise some unusual chickens of their own. Highly recommended for grades 3-6.
I loved this book! Sophie and her parents have just moved from Los Angeles to her Great-Uncle Jim's farm in the country. Her father lost his job, and the inheritance of the farm is a life-saver for them. It is a big change for Sophie though, to leave her cousins and friends in the city. She is alone on the farm a great deal, while her father looks for a job and her mother works as a journalist. She finds one of Great Uncle Jim's chickens that had scattered after his death, and throws herself into learning about how to care for chickens. As she slowly gathers the flock back together, she also gains confidence and makes friends in her new community. Told entirely in letters, this story will immediately draw readers in, and may make them want to raise some unusual chickens of their own. Highly recommended for grades 3-6.
octygon's review
3.0
Sweet book. Loved the illustrations! As a former chicken owner, I liked the chickens so much. I also enjoyed the epistolary structure. It felt a little heavy handed at times.
karenchase's review
5.0
This is an absolutely charming middle-grade novel about Sophie Brown, a 12-year-old girl who is uprooted from her urban life in Los Angeles and must find her way in rural California as her parents take over the farm bequeathed to them by Sophie's Great-Uncle Jim. Challenges abound: Sophie is mixed-race, and has learned to handle people who are suspicious of her because of her skin colour, or who assume she can't speak English; she is totally out of her element and has to learn how to live a whole new way in an unfamiliar community; her parents are struggling financially and can't offer her a ton of support. The novel is told in letters, which Sophie writes to her late Abuela, Great-Uncle Jim, and Agnes, the proprietor of a farm supply company that specializes in "unusual chickens." Sophie thinks the farm is boring without animals and she would like to learn about keeping chickens, but then she discovers that the farm already has a chicken, one with unusual powers (she can levitate, and can open any lock with the power of her mind). Soon, other chickens begin to appear. And, Sophie learns, these unusual chickens are coveted by a local poultry farmer who is using unethical means to acquire Great-Uncle Jim's chickens. Agnes cautions Sophie not to give any of the chickens away, so she has to figure out a way to safeguard her flock. Sophie is a resilient, smart, resourceful kid, but she is also shy, and uncomfortable meeting and talking to new people. As the story unfolds, all of those qualities are revealed, and may be useful for Sophie in resolving her tricky situation. Totally great story, which I intend to give to my friend who keeps chickens! I've already reserved the sequel at the library.