March 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.
Starred review from February 1, 2015
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)
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Starred review from February 1, 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
Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
April 1, 2015
Grades 3-5 Twelve-year-old Sophie Brown has a lot on her plate: her beloved abuelita is dead; her father has lost his job, so the family has moved from L.A. to her great-uncle Jim's farm while they regroup; she has no friends; and most people she encounters in the predominantly white town think she is a migrant worker. In an attempt to stave off loneliness, Sophie contacts a poultry farm and requests information on purchasing and raising chickens. In a sequence of letters, Sophie tells the story of how she comes into the possession of five extraordinary chickens, foils the attempts of a neighboring farmer to steal her distinctive poultry, and eventually finds her place in her new community. Full-page illustrations work with the epistolary format to tell a story that is as much about the process of grieving as it is about supernatural chickens. The combination of real-life emotion and otherworldly farming makes for a comedic story with the right amount of pathos.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)
May 1, 2015
Moving to a farm inherited from her great-uncle may not be city-girl Sophie's first choice for improving her family's financial situation, but she's determined to make the best of it. Chickens would make the farm more interesting, so when she finds a flier in the barn advertising the titular fowl, she writes in. Responses from Agnes at Redwood Farm come in the form of an extensive correspondence course in chicken-raising, and in the meantime decidedly unusual chickens find their way to the farm: Henrietta has telekinetic powers, and Chameleon is aptly named. Sophie quickly becomes devoted to her flock, but so does Ms. Griegson, a neighbor with her own interest in chickens with superpowers. It's new-girl Sophie's word against Ms. Griegson's in a town unused to new people, especially new families with one white and one Mexican American parent; to the townspeople's credit, they ultimately give Sophie the benefit of the doubt. The epistolary format consists mostly of letters in Sophie's earnest voice; often the addressee is either her late abuelita or her great-uncle Jim in various iterations of the afterlife ( Mictlan; Heaven's Dance Party; Valhalla, maybe? ). Sophie's unique way of figuring life out on her own makes her easy to root for and provides entertainment beyond the inherent humor of chickens. Black-and-white illustrations match the mostly light feel of the text. shoshana flax
(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
July 1, 2015
Hoping to enliven her family's new farm, Sophie responds to a flier advertising the titular fowl. She receives a chicken-raising correspondence course; meanwhile, decidedly unusual chickens begin arriving. Sophie becomes devoted to her flock--but so does neighbor Ms. Greigson. Sophie's unique way of figuring life out on her own makes her easy to root for. Black-and-white illustrations match this epistolary novel's light text.
(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)