Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones; illustrated by Katie Kath

Sophie Brown is doing her best to adjust to life on the farm her father inherited from his uncle Jim, but it really doesn’t seem like much of a farm. There are no crops, except for some grapevines in need of some TLC, and no animals at all. But then Sophie finds a flyer in the barn, advertising “Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer.” She writes to request a catalog. Then she writes again, when no catalog arrives. But eventually, Sophie finds herself taking care of some very unusual chickens, and the warning that someone else wants them and is willing to steal them! How can a girl who has no experience, but a lot of determination, protect her unusual chickens from a sneaky chicken thief?

Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer is a fun epistolary tale. Sophie’s letters to her Great-Uncle Jim, her abuelita, and Agnes at Redwood Farm Supply are filled with humor and heart, while the return letters she receives are filled with information about (what else?) how to take care of chickens. The story unfolds very naturally through the letters, and the ending has a fun (and unusual) surprise that I didn’t see coming! I enjoyed this book and will be adding it to my read-alouds for next year!

Themes:
Change

Friendship

Responsibility

Age Appropriateness:
Any

Areas of concern (content):

Foul Language: none

Nudity/Adult Content: none

Violence: none