Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer

A kind friend sent me [b:Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer|22926534|Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer (Unusual Chickens #1)|Kelly Jones|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1409597870l/22926534._SX50_.jpg|42139665] because of the [b:Extraordinary Chickens|1006590|Extraordinary Chickens|Stephen Green-Armytage|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442691719l/1006590._SX50_.jpg|992716] saga (for years goodreads would not stop recommending me this one book of chicken photos). It proved ideally suited to a specific Monday situation: I couldn't sleep until 2:45am because my brain wouldn't shut up after reviewing [b:White Skin, Black Fuel: On show more the Danger of Fossil Fascism|56708410|White Skin, Black Fuel On the Danger of Fossil Fascism|Andreas Malm|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1623412638l/56708410._SY75_.jpg|88659555] then had to work from home the next day. Thus I was falling asleep at 3pm and read [b:Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer|22926534|Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer (Unusual Chickens #1)|Kelly Jones|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1409597870l/22926534._SX50_.jpg|42139665] to keep myself awake. It's an undemanding read for an adult, but a really charming and amusing one.

The plot follows a girl called Sophie who moves from LA to a farm that her parents inherited when her great-uncle died. There she discovers that her great-uncle kept very unusual chickens, which become her responsibility. I very much liked the epistolary format, with periodic recipe or worksheet interjections. Sophie's letters create a strong and appealing character voice. The illustrations, in a style that reminded me of Quentin Blake, are also truly delightful. I appreciated the importance Sophie accorded to the library and her friendship with the postman.

According to the friend who sent it to me, [b:Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer|22926534|Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer (Unusual Chickens #1)|Kelly Jones|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1409597870l/22926534._SX50_.jpg|42139665] has been banned by a Florida county, which is baffling. It has one reference to a background female character having a girlfriend, one reference to ICE, some supernatural elements, and a mixed race girl protagonist. Presumably someone thought this combination constituted a more serious threat to Florida than gun violence? I certainly had a fun time with it and will pass my copy along to friends with kids so they can enjoy it too. show less

Completely and utterly delightful. Sophie and her parents move to rural California from LA after inheriting her great-uncle's grape farm. Desperate to find something to keep herself occupied all summer, Sophie ends up learning how to care for the strange chickens her uncle left behind.

Things that are great about this book:
* Sophie is biracial (Mexican American and white). She often mentions how people think she and her mom are the "help" or that she and her father aren't related. She also makes sure to point out the races of other kids and notes that even though she's used to being the only "brown" person in a room, she doesn't like it. I never see that in kids' books and it was great to see it here.
* I love a book in letter format.
* I show more love realistic fiction with a little fantasy thrown in to spice things up. Because whose inner world isn't fantastic?
* The rural setting was super and also something I've rarely seen in juvenile fiction written in the 21st century.

Would recommend for 4th-5th graders but content is also appropriate for 3rd graders reading at a high comprehension level. And adults, of course. I can't wait to read the next one. show less

There aren’t too many epistolary novels for children. This is a fun one with a lot going for it. Young Sophie moves with her parents to an old farm they inherited after Great Uncle Jim dies. Transplanting from Los Angeles is tough: they are isolated, lonely, and at a bit of a loss for what to do with the farm and its decades-long accumulations of stuff. Sophie begins writing letters to Uncle Jim, and her Abuelita (grandmother), also recently deceased. The letters are lonely and reflective and curious. Sophie asks them both for advice about making friends, about how to help her parents through their dire financial situation, about the awkwardness of being the only brown person in her new environment. Sophie also begins corresponding show more with Agnes of the Redwood Farm Supply Company, writing for advice and information concerning a chicken she has discovered on their property that is… unusual. Sophie gradually discovers more unusual chickens, as well as a neighbor who appears to be trying to steal Sophie’s chickens. The story’s resolution is satisfying, as Sophie earns a place in her new community, has an occupation, and a ray of hope for her struggling family. show less

At first Sophie, or Soficita Brown, isn’t happy with her family's move to the farm her father inherited from her Great Uncle Jim. It's quite a change from crowded Los Angeles, where she had friends, now she’s miles away from town and doesn’t know anyone, except the local letter carrier. So she starts writing letters to dead people, her abuelita Mariposa who’s in “A Better Place Than This Farm.” Then to her Great Uncle Jim in Valhalla (because his “great-grandad was Norwegian”). She needs advice. She’s discovered a very unusual, small, white, angry chicken who can levitate jam jars and lays glass eggs. Then an invisible chicken appears and disappears, and at the same time a chicken thief with a red-tailed hawk that’s show more able to transform itself into a chicken. Some of the poultry in rural California is very unusual!

Jones and Kath have created a delightful fantasy reminiscent of Roald Dahl. Sofia’s transition into and acceptance by her new community, aided by sympathetic elders from beyond, is told and drawn in a lively style incorporating information about chicken breeds and care the way Herman Melville sandwiches information about whales and whaling into Moby Dick. show less

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 show more 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. show less

UNUSUAL CHICKENS FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL POULTRY FARMER by Kelly Jones is a charming and fun fantasy about a twelve-year-old girl who moves to a farm and stumbles upon chickens with superpowers.

With the help of family and friends Sophie becomes a poultry farmer, but faces the challenge of dealing with a chicken thief who’ll do anything to steal her special chickens.

The story unfolds in letters written by Sophie to her deceased great-uncle and grandmother. Sophie also communicates with the owner of a poultry supply company who helps her learn about raising chickens.

The author does an outstanding job seamlessly weaving in topics related to diversity without making it the focus of the story. From Sophie’s brown skin to a passing show more reference to Jane’s girlfriend, readers are exposed to authentic situations, relationships, and reactions. There’s even a great recipe for migas.

Katie Kath’s whimsical illustrations add to the appeal of the story and also visualize the diversity represented in the book.

Librarians will be happy to see Sophie riding her bike to the library and interacting with a caring librarian. Many readers will particularly enjoy the informational pages describing the breeds and care of chickens.

Children who enjoy farm settings, humorous stories, and animal books will be delighted to find a novel that combines all three into an engaging, fast-paced fantasy.

To learn more about the author, go to http://curiosityjones.net/.

Published by Alfred A. Knopf (Random House) on May 12, 2015. show less

If you love Roald Dahl's children's stories, but hate some of the attitudes, this is a good book for you to read. This is an absolutely adorable story of a middle school kid who inherits her great-uncle's unusual chickens after her parents inherit his farm. Complete with a villain who wants the chickens for evil purposes, low grade farce about keeping the chickens safe, and a range of fabulous supporting characters.

The story comes through entirely through the letters that Sofia writes -- those that are sent, such as to the chicken supply company, and those that are not, such as to Sofia's abuela --and there is such an innocence to much of it.