Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer

Illustrated by Katie Kath
$6.99 US
RH Childrens Books | Knopf Books for Young Readers
On sale May 12, 2015 | 9780385755542
Age 8-12 years
Reading Level: Lexile 880L | Fountas & Pinnell N
Sales rights: World
Fans of Katherine Applegate and Erin Entrada Kelly 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.
  • SELECTION
    ALA Notable Children's Book
  • SELECTION
    Oregon Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Master List
  • SELECTION
    School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
  • SELECTION
    Pacific Northwest Young Readers Choice Master List
  • SELECTION
    Tennessee Volunteer State Book Master List
  • SELECTION
    North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Master List
  • SELECTION
    North Carolina Children's Book Master List
  • SELECTION
    New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
  • FINALIST
    Washington State Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award
  • SHORTLIST
    Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Master List
  • HONOR
    Judy Lopez Memorial Award
  • SELECTION
    Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fischer Book Master List
  • SELECTION
    Texas Bluebonnet Master List
  • SELECTION
    Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
  • SELECTION
    Georgia Children's Book Master List
  • SELECTION
    Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children's and Teens
  • SELECTION
    Arkansas Charlie May Simon Master List
  • SELECTION
    Arizona Young Readers Master List
  • SELECTION
    Indiana Young Hoosier Master List
  • SELECTION
    New Mexico Land of Enchantment Book Master List
  • SELECTION
    Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Master List
  • SELECTION
    Massachusetts Children's Book Master List
  • SELECTION
    Maine Student Book Master List
  • SELECTION
    Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books
"A delightful protagonist, interesting fowl of various breeds and a cast of appealing second-string characters make this a top pick for young readers, poultry fanciers or not." 
Kirkus Reviews, starred review 

"Readers will cheer for Sophie and clamor for more of those amazing chickens. Exceptional, indeed."
School Library Journal, starred review 

"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!"
--Daniel Pinkwater, author of The Hoboken Chicken Emergency, and pioneer of chicken-lit.
 
"The combination of real-life emotion and otherworldly farming makes for a comedic story with the right amount of pathos."--Booklist 

About

Fans of Katherine Applegate and Erin Entrada Kelly 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.

Awards

  • SELECTION
    ALA Notable Children's Book
  • SELECTION
    Oregon Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Master List
  • SELECTION
    School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
  • SELECTION
    Pacific Northwest Young Readers Choice Master List
  • SELECTION
    Tennessee Volunteer State Book Master List
  • SELECTION
    North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Master List
  • SELECTION
    North Carolina Children's Book Master List
  • SELECTION
    New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
  • FINALIST
    Washington State Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award
  • SHORTLIST
    Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Master List
  • HONOR
    Judy Lopez Memorial Award
  • SELECTION
    Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fischer Book Master List
  • SELECTION
    Texas Bluebonnet Master List
  • SELECTION
    Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
  • SELECTION
    Georgia Children's Book Master List
  • SELECTION
    Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children's and Teens
  • SELECTION
    Arkansas Charlie May Simon Master List
  • SELECTION
    Arizona Young Readers Master List
  • SELECTION
    Indiana Young Hoosier Master List
  • SELECTION
    New Mexico Land of Enchantment Book Master List
  • SELECTION
    Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Master List
  • SELECTION
    Massachusetts Children's Book Master List
  • SELECTION
    Maine Student Book Master List
  • SELECTION
    Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books

Praise

"A delightful protagonist, interesting fowl of various breeds and a cast of appealing second-string characters make this a top pick for young readers, poultry fanciers or not." 
Kirkus Reviews, starred review 

"Readers will cheer for Sophie and clamor for more of those amazing chickens. Exceptional, indeed."
School Library Journal, starred review 

"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!"
--Daniel Pinkwater, author of The Hoboken Chicken Emergency, and pioneer of chicken-lit.
 
"The combination of real-life emotion and otherworldly farming makes for a comedic story with the right amount of pathos."--Booklist