03/23/2015
Jones debuts with a comically poignant story composed of the letters that 12-year-old Sophie Brown writes to a pair of deceased relatives: her much-missed Abuelita and her great-uncle Jim, whose California farm Sophie has just moved to with her parents. Also in the mix are Sophie’s letters to the owner of Redwood Farm Supply, whose advice Sophie seeks as she discovers some of her great-uncle’s far-from-normal chickens on the property (one appears to have telekinetic powers, for starters). Kath’s wiry and playful b&w illustrations carry hints of George Booth’s work and add substantial humor to the story (dyspeptic chicken Henrietta is especially memorable). Amid Sophie’s entertaining attempts to secure the chickens (and keep them safe from a dodgy neighbor), Jones sensitively captures the preteen’s feelings of isolation, her growing awareness of racial issues that affect her (“Mom... says you have to be twice as honest and neighborly when everyone assumes you’re an undocumented immigrant”), and her family’s simmering economic stresses. Better yet, there’s still plenty of room for Sophie’s story (and her flock) to grow. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Mandy Hubbard, D4EO Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agency: Shannon Associates. (May)
"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
★ 02/01/2015
Gr 4–6—Sophie Brown is new to farm life, new to being one of the only "brown people" in town (the others being her mother and Gregory, the mailman), and definitely new to caring for chickens—and these are some challenging chickens. To help herself adjust to life away from Los Angeles and her extended family, she writes letters to her great-uncle Jim and her beloved Abuelita, both recently deceased, and embarks on a correspondence course in poultry care with the mysterious Agnes of Redwood Farm Supply. Agnes's poorly typed responses assure Sophie that the chickens that keep turning up on the farm (including Henrietta, a small white hen with a permanent unibrow of fury) belonged to her great-uncle, from whom Sophie's father inherited the farm and who implores her to keep the chickens safe—and to be careful. But how will she protect chickens that are capable of levitating their own coop, becoming invisible, and turning enemies to stone? And why does the town's resident chicken expert, Ms. Griegson, seem intent on stealing Sophie's brood? Told in letters, quizzes, newspaper clippings, and delicious ink drawings reminiscent of Quentin Blake, this middle grade epistolary novel has a little magic and a lot of warm family humor. Jones delivers a dynamic Latina protagonist in Sophie, who describes her experiences in satisfying detail: the discomfort of facing microaggressions based on her heritage (such as when the town librarian assumes that she and her family are migrant workers); love and concern for her parents, both struggling to find and keep work; and willingness to learn and grow despite typical tween self-consciousness. VERDICT Readers will cheer for Sophie and clamor for more of those amazing chickens. Exceptional, indeed.—Amy Martin, Oakland Public Library, CA
An ad from Redwood Poultry Farms offers “Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer.” Immediately, narrator Kyla Garcia establishes the audiobook’s unusual structure and the personality of 12-year-old Sophie Brown, who has just moved to farm country from Los Angeles. In addition to narrative, the story is told through letters (“Dear People Who Send Catalogs to People Who Live on Farms”), lists, and even a correspondence course on raising chickens. Garcia clearly marks Sophie’s feelings of isolation and alienation from her new community, where she’s one of the few brown people. Gradually, Garcia’s voice reflects Sophie’s adjustment as she finds comfort in the remarkable chickens who mysteriously find their way to the dynamic, quirky heroine. Families will enjoy this audiobook. S.W. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
An ad from Redwood Poultry Farms offers “Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer.” Immediately, narrator Kyla Garcia establishes the audiobook’s unusual structure and the personality of 12-year-old Sophie Brown, who has just moved to farm country from Los Angeles. In addition to narrative, the story is told through letters (“Dear People Who Send Catalogs to People Who Live on Farms”), lists, and even a correspondence course on raising chickens. Garcia clearly marks Sophie’s feelings of isolation and alienation from her new community, where she’s one of the few brown people. Gradually, Garcia’s voice reflects Sophie’s adjustment as she finds comfort in the remarkable chickens who mysteriously find their way to the dynamic, quirky heroine. Families will enjoy this audiobook. S.W. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
★ 2015-01-20
Moving to the farm her family inherited from Great-Uncle Jim, Sophie Brown, 12, discovers a flyer from a local poultry purveyor promoting its "unusual chickens" and quickly discovers it's not false advertising.Sophie's story unfolds through her correspondence with the poultry people and her letters to Great-Uncle Jim and her beloved abuelita (both deceased but very much alive to Sophie). While Dad's white, brown-skinned, U.S.-born Sophie and her freelance-writer mother are frequently assumed to be migrant farmworkers, legal or otherwise, but they take it in stride. (The town of Gravenstein's fairly diverse, but some residents need remedial multicultural ed.) The chickens Sophie acquires are plenty diverse themselves, from Henrietta, who lays glass eggs, to Chameleon, with her nifty gift for turning invisible when predators are near. The chickens' superpowers aren't a secret. Most who are in the know are trustworthy with one big exception: a wannabe poultry thief. Genuinely informative, entertaining chicken-raising tips are offered (and may prompt readers to lobby parents for chickens of their own). Matching the text in tone and substance, the illustrations honor the tale's serious chicken-raising elements, portraying breeds in anatomically correct detail, while perfectly capturing that intense, slightly demented demeanor chickens, unusual and otherwise, are known for. 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. (Fantasy. 8-12)
