What do you think?
Rate this book
The Plot Chickens
The Plot Chickens by Auch, Mary Jane [Holiday House, 2009] Library Binding [L...
Library Binding
First published February 26, 2009
5 people are currently reading
330 people want to read
About the author
Mary Jane Auch
48 books70 followersMary Jane Auch also writes as MJ Auch.
The thought of becoming a writer never occurred to MJ Auch as a child. Her only literary efforts in those days were the plays which she and her girlfriend, Noreen, wrote for their marionettes. They produced these extravaganzas in Noreen’s garage and organized the neighborhood boys into a sales force to sell tickets and refreshments.
Summer visits to both of MJ’s grandmothers led to her fascination with chickens. One grandmother had a small backyard flock and the other grandmother and two bachelor uncles had a large farm that supplied eggs to half of Long Island. MJ learned that a flock of chickens had almost the same range of personalities that could be found in a classroom, from the quiet, shy chicken to the big bully.
MJ loved books and read constantly. She wrote stories, drawn in comic book style with speech balloons for the dialog. Her interest in drawing continued through high school, and she went on to become an art major at Skidmore College. After graduation, MJ headed for New York City to seek fame and fortune, but after a year of designing prints for men's pajamas, she decided she wanted to do something more meaningful with her life. She enrolled in the Occupational Therapy program at Columbia University, which led to some wonderful years of working in a children's hospital near Hartford, Connecticut.
On a brief stop home to visit her parents before transferring to a new job in Denver, she met Herm Auch, a graphic artist and editorial cartoonist for the Rochester newspaper. It was love at first sight, and MJ never made it to Denver. They were married in 1967 and within a few years had produced a daughter, Katrin and a son, Ian. They moved from the city to a small farm, complete with chickens, ducks, and geese. Armed with a huge collection of Mother Earth News and absolutely no practical experience, they tackled farm life with gusto, gaining much comedy material for books MJ’s future books.
As the children grew older, MJ began to look for work in her original field of art. Like Jenna's mother in Mom Is Dating Weird Wayne, she had a brief stint as a “zit zapper” at a school picture factory. Then she started illustrating for Pennywhistle Press, a national children's newspaper, and this sparked her interest in illustrating children’s books.
In the summer of 1984, MJ took a week-long children's writing conference on Cape Cod. She tried to write a picture book manuscript to take to the conference, but instead found herself writing a middle-grade novel. When her instructor, Natalie Babbitt, told of starting out as an artist and finding she could paint better pictures with words, something clicked. MJ finally knew that she wanted to a writer.
She started sending manuscripts to publishers, writing four full-length novels before she sold the first one. Then she sold a second book to another publisher that same week. It had taken two years and thirteen rejections, but MJ had finally reached her goal!mShe continued writing books for older kids and abandoned her dream of illustrating for a while. Then, after nine books, she wrote and illustrated The Easter Egg Farm. This set in motion a series of picture books featuring poultry involved in the arts.
The Auchs have now become a family of artists. Their children are grown and pursuing art careers of their own. Kat, a graphic artist, is now working as Associate Art Director for Scrapbook Answers Magazine in San Francisco. Ian has been a graphic artist and 3-D animator and is now Assistant New Media Editor for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle newspaper. Ian is also a metal artist and created the chicken-sized beauty parlor chair for [b:Beauty and the Beaks|1918127|Beaut
The thought of becoming a writer never occurred to MJ Auch as a child. Her only literary efforts in those days were the plays which she and her girlfriend, Noreen, wrote for their marionettes. They produced these extravaganzas in Noreen’s garage and organized the neighborhood boys into a sales force to sell tickets and refreshments.
Summer visits to both of MJ’s grandmothers led to her fascination with chickens. One grandmother had a small backyard flock and the other grandmother and two bachelor uncles had a large farm that supplied eggs to half of Long Island. MJ learned that a flock of chickens had almost the same range of personalities that could be found in a classroom, from the quiet, shy chicken to the big bully.
MJ loved books and read constantly. She wrote stories, drawn in comic book style with speech balloons for the dialog. Her interest in drawing continued through high school, and she went on to become an art major at Skidmore College. After graduation, MJ headed for New York City to seek fame and fortune, but after a year of designing prints for men's pajamas, she decided she wanted to do something more meaningful with her life. She enrolled in the Occupational Therapy program at Columbia University, which led to some wonderful years of working in a children's hospital near Hartford, Connecticut.
On a brief stop home to visit her parents before transferring to a new job in Denver, she met Herm Auch, a graphic artist and editorial cartoonist for the Rochester newspaper. It was love at first sight, and MJ never made it to Denver. They were married in 1967 and within a few years had produced a daughter, Katrin and a son, Ian. They moved from the city to a small farm, complete with chickens, ducks, and geese. Armed with a huge collection of Mother Earth News and absolutely no practical experience, they tackled farm life with gusto, gaining much comedy material for books MJ’s future books.
As the children grew older, MJ began to look for work in her original field of art. Like Jenna's mother in Mom Is Dating Weird Wayne, she had a brief stint as a “zit zapper” at a school picture factory. Then she started illustrating for Pennywhistle Press, a national children's newspaper, and this sparked her interest in illustrating children’s books.
In the summer of 1984, MJ took a week-long children's writing conference on Cape Cod. She tried to write a picture book manuscript to take to the conference, but instead found herself writing a middle-grade novel. When her instructor, Natalie Babbitt, told of starting out as an artist and finding she could paint better pictures with words, something clicked. MJ finally knew that she wanted to a writer.
She started sending manuscripts to publishers, writing four full-length novels before she sold the first one. Then she sold a second book to another publisher that same week. It had taken two years and thirteen rejections, but MJ had finally reached her goal!mShe continued writing books for older kids and abandoned her dream of illustrating for a while. Then, after nine books, she wrote and illustrated The Easter Egg Farm. This set in motion a series of picture books featuring poultry involved in the arts.
The Auchs have now become a family of artists. Their children are grown and pursuing art careers of their own. Kat, a graphic artist, is now working as Associate Art Director for Scrapbook Answers Magazine in San Francisco. Ian has been a graphic artist and 3-D animator and is now Assistant New Media Editor for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle newspaper. Ian is also a metal artist and created the chicken-sized beauty parlor chair for [b:Beauty and the Beaks|1918127|Beaut
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
August 10, 2020
This is SO punny and also wonderfully educational. I mean, just look at that cover art (the brand of the typewriter is "Hunt & Peck" -- hahahaaa! Yeah, the whole book is crammed with jokes like that. You'll either love 'em or hate 'em!) Henrietta loves reading books so she figures that writing books must be "eggshilarating" ;-) so she checks out a book from the library ("Writing Rules" by Reed Moore. Tee-hee!) Henrietta tries to write her story (with some not-so-helpful advice from the other hens) and along the way she (and we) learn some important rules for writing stories such as "you need to hatch a plot" ;-) build suspense, write what you know, make your story come alive using all five senses, and the protagonist must solve his or her own problem. Alas, Hunter Fox, Editor does not wish to publish her story. So, Henrietta publishes it herself (love the spread where they turn the cider press into a book press -- we even get to see the ink colors lay down: yellow, magenta, cyan, black). Unfortunately, Noah Lyke of the Corn Book Magazine (HAHAHAAAAA) does not give it a favorable review. Poor Henrietta! Will anyone ever like her stories? Maybe she just needs to find the right audience. This was a winner for me, but I need some humor in my life these days. I honestly wasn't a huge fan of the illustrations but they did kind of work for the zany story. Lots of fun!
July 14, 2016
We really enjoyed this story! It shows a chicken going to the library for both pleasure reading as well as research; it offers tips on writing a story; and it's a funny story about a chicken. What more could you ask for?!?
The humor was often subtle, but our girls got most of the jokes without me having to explain. I loved the nod to the other stories - a few (The Easter Egg Farm and I Was a Third Grade Bodyguard) were by the author, but others (Nouns And Verbs Have a Field Day, Little Grunt and the Big Egg, Ghosts in Fourth Grade, Big Jeremy, and The Hero of Third Grade) were not and if we haven't read them yet, we added them to our to-read list. Fun story!
The humor was often subtle, but our girls got most of the jokes without me having to explain. I loved the nod to the other stories - a few (The Easter Egg Farm and I Was a Third Grade Bodyguard) were by the author, but others (Nouns And Verbs Have a Field Day, Little Grunt and the Big Egg, Ghosts in Fourth Grade, Big Jeremy, and The Hero of Third Grade) were not and if we haven't read them yet, we added them to our to-read list. Fun story!
Read
January 11, 2011I got a good cackle out of this book.
The end. Good story!
The end. Good story!
August 9, 2010
A clever way to introduce children to the process of writing a book and publishing it. I love her chicken illustrations! I enjoyed the reference to "The Corn Book Magazine," though I'm sure children wouldn't get it. I also like the fact that Henrietta's story was rejected by the publisher--a very realistic scenario--and that she then chose to self-publish. Recommended!
September 1, 2012
I read this little gem while working in the children's library. As an author I was intrigued by the idea of plotting chickens. Auch has written an adorable book about a wannabe chicken author. Writers will get a real cluck out of it and if you have young children this is a great way to share with them what you do. The oil painting and digital art illustrations are bright and fun and I appreciated Henrietta's devastation over bad reviews and rejections. But in the end this fowl author realizes it's all about the readers. All in all, this is an eggscellent book for parents and kids alike.
February 4, 2024
Adorable must read for young aspiring authors. Don’t give up. Don’t listen to the negative voice inside your head. Keep at it and mostly importantly, find your audience.
October 4, 2013
Book Title: The Plot Chickens
Short Description of the Book: In this book, Henrietta chicken loves to read so much that she thinks writing a story will be even more fun. She learns all the elements of plot as she tries to write her book.
FOCUS: Narrative Features I would Use in a Mini-Lesson:
1)Plot- This story uses humor to cover the basics of plot and story elements. Henrietta the chicken wants to write an exciting story, so she checks out a book from the library on the rules of writing. These rules could be a guide to an students independent stories. 1-You need a main character. 2-You need to hatch a plot. 3-Give your main character a problem. 4-Develop your plot by asking “What if?”. 5-Write what you know. 6-Build Suspense 7-Make your story come alive using all 5 senses. 8- The main character solves his/her own problem. I think that using this book would teach plot in a humorous way that students will connect to and remember.
TEACH: CCSS Connection:
4.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
*1.Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
2.Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
3.Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.
4.Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
5.Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
Mini Lesson- 1-Have students turn and talk to brainstorm what makes a good story (story elements). Make a chart for the class of students thoughts. Focus on story elements related to plot. 2-Read the story to students. 3-Revisit the chart. Is there anything that needs to be added? Did we include everything that Henrietta read about? 4-Have students choose one of the elements of plot to focus on today. They can start a new story or look back at a previously written one. Students should look for elements of a good story, perhaps code them with a sticky note or highlighter. 5-Write into the day. Conference with students that struggled to share plot elements. 6-Author’s Chair time
EXPECTED OUTCOME: Students will be able to share the elements of a narrative story. Students will be able to look for and label elements of a narrative story within their own writing.
November 18, 2009
from my blog: http://imaginationsoup.net/2009/11/th...
Henrietta is a writing chicken. She uses the book Writing Rules and discusses her story writing process with her chicken aunts, one of whom is slightly deaf.
“Rule One:You need a main character. . .
Rule Two: You need to hatch a plot.
A plot of land? . . .
Rule Three: Give your main character a problem.
I don’t want any problems! . . .
Rule Five: Write what you know. . .
Rule Six: Build suspense.
Build a fence?” (Am I the only one giggling here?)
And so it goes. Henrietta builds her story using character, plot, problem, background knowledge, what if’s, the five senses and the main character solving her own problem.
Do you recognize Henrietta? She lives in the book The Plot Chickens by Mary Jane and Herm Auch. It’s a hilarious read with fiction writing elements every writer must use – young or old! The Plot Chickens teaches literary elements which are found in all fiction books.
Use what you learn in this book to discuss other books you read or when you write.
Dialogue during reading. Here are some ideas.
PROBLEM / SOLUTION: “What is the problem in this book? How do you think the main character will solve this problem by himself or herself?”
FIVE SENSES: “Does this make you see a picture in your mind? Hear something in your mind?”
CHARACTER: “Who is the main character?”
P.S. Plot Chickens even talks about writer’s rejection. Know any adult writers who might need to read that part? (Holiday gift idea?!)
Henrietta is a writing chicken. She uses the book Writing Rules and discusses her story writing process with her chicken aunts, one of whom is slightly deaf.
“Rule One:You need a main character. . .
Rule Two: You need to hatch a plot.
A plot of land? . . .
Rule Three: Give your main character a problem.
I don’t want any problems! . . .
Rule Five: Write what you know. . .
Rule Six: Build suspense.
Build a fence?” (Am I the only one giggling here?)
And so it goes. Henrietta builds her story using character, plot, problem, background knowledge, what if’s, the five senses and the main character solving her own problem.
Do you recognize Henrietta? She lives in the book The Plot Chickens by Mary Jane and Herm Auch. It’s a hilarious read with fiction writing elements every writer must use – young or old! The Plot Chickens teaches literary elements which are found in all fiction books.
Use what you learn in this book to discuss other books you read or when you write.
Dialogue during reading. Here are some ideas.
PROBLEM / SOLUTION: “What is the problem in this book? How do you think the main character will solve this problem by himself or herself?”
FIVE SENSES: “Does this make you see a picture in your mind? Hear something in your mind?”
CHARACTER: “Who is the main character?”
P.S. Plot Chickens even talks about writer’s rejection. Know any adult writers who might need to read that part? (Holiday gift idea?!)
May 12, 2009
A funny story about a chicken who likes to read and tries her hand at writing. Her story is rejected and does not receive a favorable review from the Corn Book magazine. Nice ideas to use with kids on how to write a story. Henrietta never gives up and does find an appreciative audience for her story.
February 13, 2010
A story of a librarian who loves to read so she decides to write a book on her own. But when the book gets rejected by publishers she get discouraged and thinks she is a bad writer. Lengthy book. Lots of words. Some kids might find it hard to follow along.
February 18, 2011
A cute picture book that follows Henrietta, a chicken who loves to read and decides that writing must be "eggshilarating." This could be used as a mentor text in Writer's Workshop - guiding children to develop a creative writing piece through the steps Henrietta takes to write her story.
March 17, 2016
This earned itself an extra star because it had eggcellent chicken puns. But really, It's cute. Would be great to teach how to write a story :-)
July 6, 2017
First sentence: Henrietta loved to read. Soon she had read every book on the farm a dozen times, so she went to town to find more. When she spotted people carrying books out of the library, she went inside to wait in line. When it was Henrietta's turn, the librarian said, "We have nothing for chickens here. Try the feed store." Frustrated, Henrietta clucked at the top of her lungs: BUK, BUK, BUK!" "Well, why didn't you say so?" The librarian handed her three books.
Premise/plot: Henrietta the hen loves, loves, loves to read. But one day she decides that she might like to write as well. She's never written a book before, but, with a little help from a book about writing, she begins the long writing process. Writing has rules, and, she is determined to follow them. Will this mean her book gets published? that her book is favorably reviewed? placed on library shelves? The answer may just surprise you!
My thoughts: I really loved this one. I loved seeing Henrietta and the other hens (her aunts mainly) work together in the writing process. I loved seeing the actual finished story. But even more I loved how the book captured the process of writing. Here are the rules she sets out to follow:
1) You need a main character.
2) You need to hatch a plot.
3) Give your main character a problem.
4) Develop your plot by asking, "What if?"
5) Write what you know.
6) Build suspense.
7) Make your story come alive by using all five senses.
8) The main character must solve her (or his) own problem.
As you can see, this isn't bad advice! The book has humor as well. For example, the publisher who rejects the story is named Hunter Fox. And the reviewer from Corn Book who hated her review was named Noah Lyke. There is plenty of pun-based humor as well.
Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10
Premise/plot: Henrietta the hen loves, loves, loves to read. But one day she decides that she might like to write as well. She's never written a book before, but, with a little help from a book about writing, she begins the long writing process. Writing has rules, and, she is determined to follow them. Will this mean her book gets published? that her book is favorably reviewed? placed on library shelves? The answer may just surprise you!
My thoughts: I really loved this one. I loved seeing Henrietta and the other hens (her aunts mainly) work together in the writing process. I loved seeing the actual finished story. But even more I loved how the book captured the process of writing. Here are the rules she sets out to follow:
1) You need a main character.
2) You need to hatch a plot.
3) Give your main character a problem.
4) Develop your plot by asking, "What if?"
5) Write what you know.
6) Build suspense.
7) Make your story come alive by using all five senses.
8) The main character must solve her (or his) own problem.
As you can see, this isn't bad advice! The book has humor as well. For example, the publisher who rejects the story is named Hunter Fox. And the reviewer from Corn Book who hated her review was named Noah Lyke. There is plenty of pun-based humor as well.
Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10
September 14, 2017
The humorous story Henrietta the hen, who loves reading so much she decides to write a book. Henrietta discovers the rules of writing a good book and writes what her aunts assure her is a "good story." However, when Henrietta's book is rejected by a publisher and a well-known review journal, Henrietta is disheartened and considers giving up writing--until she visits her local library. Auch uses humor and word play to create a story that realistically portrays the process of writing through Henrietta. An engaging book for both teachers and authors to use in the classroom.
September 6, 2020
Oh my, what a wonderful book! If you like libraries, read this.
Henrietta loves to read, visiting the library on a regular basis. Eventually, she decides to write a book. There is much help from her chicken friends and relatives but difficulties ensue. What will happen? Will the book be published?
Puns abound in this moving tale of a chicken and her passion.
Henrietta loves to read, visiting the library on a regular basis. Eventually, she decides to write a book. There is much help from her chicken friends and relatives but difficulties ensue. What will happen? Will the book be published?
Puns abound in this moving tale of a chicken and her passion.
August 11, 2017
LOVE.
September 10, 2020
(See Dolly's wonderful review for titles of referenced storybooks.)
Oh come on, chickens are inherently funny! Which means that even though this is a writer's manual, it' made me chuckle. And I love that it points out how professional publishers and critics do not always know what the real readers enjoy.
Oh come on, chickens are inherently funny! Which means that even though this is a writer's manual, it' made me chuckle. And I love that it points out how professional publishers and critics do not always know what the real readers enjoy.
April 22, 2011
Henrietta is a chicken who loves to read, so one day she decides to write a book. Of course, she is just a chicken, so of course the publisher rejects her book. Well, this isn't an ordinary chicken, mind you, she is a chicken who perseveres. Henrietta is a self-publishing chicken, but alas, the review from "The Corn Book Magazine" is not exactly a hit, five stars, or two thumbs up. I won't give away the sweet little ending, but I will tell you there is hope for all writers...even a chicken.
Kids and adults (writers in particular) will get a kick out of this funny little picture book. My fourth graders thought it was pretty darn funny, but I must confess, I had to explain a few of the "plays on words" made by the author. They did get the cheesiest word plays, like, "eggcitedly" and "eggshilerating".
The Plot Chickens is a fun read aloud with some great teaching opportunities. After all, Henrietta reads the "rules of writing" and applies them to her pitiful little plot, but as far as rules go, there is a lesson in each one of them. For example: Rule 1: You need a main character.
As far as picture books for teaching writing go, it's a gem of a book to have around when you introduce your fiction writing unit to your students. Once you finish reading this book, teach your students how to hatch their own plot.
Kids and adults (writers in particular) will get a kick out of this funny little picture book. My fourth graders thought it was pretty darn funny, but I must confess, I had to explain a few of the "plays on words" made by the author. They did get the cheesiest word plays, like, "eggcitedly" and "eggshilerating".
The Plot Chickens is a fun read aloud with some great teaching opportunities. After all, Henrietta reads the "rules of writing" and applies them to her pitiful little plot, but as far as rules go, there is a lesson in each one of them. For example: Rule 1: You need a main character.
As far as picture books for teaching writing go, it's a gem of a book to have around when you introduce your fiction writing unit to your students. Once you finish reading this book, teach your students how to hatch their own plot.
September 27, 2011
A chicken named Henrietta loved to read books. She loved to read so much that she had read every book on the farm. Henrietta then decides to write a book herself. She found an old type writer on the farm and started typing away, teaching all the chickens how to write a book, like needing a plot, a main character etc. Henrietta sent her story into a publisher, but they hated her book and refused to publish a book written by a chicken. Henrietta brings her book to the librarian "The Corn Book" and the librarian decides to let her read it to the children, they loved Henrietta's book.
I would say this is a primary book for children because it teachers them the elements of writing a story and it also teaches children the five senses. The Plot Chickens had very bright and bold colors that make the pictures stand out to the reader and listeners. The style of art i think fits this book most is folk art because it distorts reality, but showing chickens writing books and going to the library, interacting with people. This book also had very dramatic and bold shapes. I think this book should be read in a classroom because it teaches children their five senses and how to write a book. It teaches them they need a plot for a story, a main character, giving your main character a problem, and to build suspense. The Plot Chickens is a very informative book for children.
I would say this is a primary book for children because it teachers them the elements of writing a story and it also teaches children the five senses. The Plot Chickens had very bright and bold colors that make the pictures stand out to the reader and listeners. The style of art i think fits this book most is folk art because it distorts reality, but showing chickens writing books and going to the library, interacting with people. This book also had very dramatic and bold shapes. I think this book should be read in a classroom because it teaches children their five senses and how to write a book. It teaches them they need a plot for a story, a main character, giving your main character a problem, and to build suspense. The Plot Chickens is a very informative book for children.
November 10, 2013
genre- post modern
This is a beautiful and fun book about a chicken who loves books and aspires to be an author, even though people around town are astonished to see a chicken can even read. The book has a very realistic setting in that people believe animals cannot talk, yet the characters themselves go against the traditional setting- chickens check out books from the library, read books, use type writers and communicate with each other about how to improve a story- all for the story to be rejected by publishers at the end because chickens simply shouldn't be able to write anything. The irony of a character defying the laws of her time, showing success and being turned down simply because she is defying everyone's expectations is a distant social commentary reflection of how many people today refuse to accept others simply because of set ideologies. The irony, moral implications and the fact that half of the story is not told by the narrator, but rather floating pages of the chicken's page and dialogue boxes from her fellow chickens classifies this text as post-modern.
The almost 3-D pictures, showing layers and texture of every little detail (feathers, book pages, leaves, etc.) make this book a visual splendor as well. I highly recommend it not only for teaching moral lessons of adjusting your world views, but also for showing students the process of creating a story.
This is a beautiful and fun book about a chicken who loves books and aspires to be an author, even though people around town are astonished to see a chicken can even read. The book has a very realistic setting in that people believe animals cannot talk, yet the characters themselves go against the traditional setting- chickens check out books from the library, read books, use type writers and communicate with each other about how to improve a story- all for the story to be rejected by publishers at the end because chickens simply shouldn't be able to write anything. The irony of a character defying the laws of her time, showing success and being turned down simply because she is defying everyone's expectations is a distant social commentary reflection of how many people today refuse to accept others simply because of set ideologies. The irony, moral implications and the fact that half of the story is not told by the narrator, but rather floating pages of the chicken's page and dialogue boxes from her fellow chickens classifies this text as post-modern.
The almost 3-D pictures, showing layers and texture of every little detail (feathers, book pages, leaves, etc.) make this book a visual splendor as well. I highly recommend it not only for teaching moral lessons of adjusting your world views, but also for showing students the process of creating a story.
Read
June 12, 2016Holy cow, I loved it! This story is hilarious, and clever, while also teaching students how to follow the writing process. The characters were very well written. What especially did it for me was the speech bubbles that give the reader insight into what each of the chickens is adding to the story. Aunt Golda’s input is the best. On every page, she tries to end the story prematurely by saying something like, “Then he eats her. The end. Good story.” Aunt Golda reminds me so much of many of my students writing our writing block, who just want to get done with their writing. I can’t wait to read this to my class so that I can remind them, don’t be like Aunt Golda! I also love use of colorful vocabulary in this story. The authors do not dumb down the writing in the least, and this allows for much more interesting sentence structure, and for great teaching opportunities. Finally, The illustrations in this book are excellent. They are colorful, and do an excellent job of showing character moods and motivation through body language. Overall, this is an excellent book to read just to enjoy, or to read as a class to gain some insight into the writing process. I recommend it to readers of all ages, and for use in the classroom for elementary grades.
February 27, 2011
While the puns probably provide copious enjoyment for adult audiences, many of them seem like they would go over the heads of children. The text is portrayed in two different fonts, a different one to represent the story within a story but while the type appears on the paper form the typewriter, it hasn't been appropriately skewed and reads like a faux overlay. I am most annoyed by the combination of digital and oil techniques though. They are too similar to provide contrast and don't seem to complement each other. Anyway, probably not a bad pick if you want to teach about writing and publishing but otherwise, entirely skipable despite the fabulous title.
July 19, 2011
ATTENTION: all teachers who teach writing--you must have this book! This is a funny telling of how Henrietta loves to read and rationalizes that if books are this good, writing must be fabulous. She sets out to write a book while reading a style guide that describes how to write stories. She undauntingly finishes her story amdist all kinds of advice, but the writing process is not over until it is over. Teachers and student alike will enjoy this take on writing for publication. Younger children will like it and enjoy this book as a read aloud, but this is a perfect book for the 4-6 language arts classroom.
September 5, 2013
This book is a great illustrated writing guide for kids. I plan on using it that way, in fact! However, the illustrations bothered me more than a little, which is why it received a 3 instead of a 4. The writing gets a 4 instead of a 5 because I thought the interplay between the chickens while Henrietta was writing could have been more dynamic. I liked that the one chicken kept trying to end the story too early, as many children do that already. Being able to make it fun that, no, we're going to keep writing this thing, is a good idea. We'll see how well it works on the kids when we sit down to write our Kid Book Club story this year!
March 15, 2016
Okay story, really great illustrations. About a chicken name Henrietta who loves to read and ends up writing and illustrating her own story. The reader learns the process of creating a plot while Henrietta does the same. The story is turned down by a publisher and given a horrible review by a library journal, yet the librarian encourages Henrietta still. It is voted the best book of the year by the story hour children. Illustrations are a mixture of pictures and drawings. Good for teaching children about library appreciation as well as appreciation for literature, and instructional books.
March 18, 2016
Okay story, really great illustrations. About a chicken name Henrietta who loves to read and ends up writing and illustrating her own story. The reader learns the process of creating a plot while Henrietta does the same. The story is turned down by a publisher and given a horrible review by a library journal, yet the librarian encourages Henrietta still. It is voted the best book of the year by the story hour children. Illustrations are a mixture of pictures and drawings. Good for teaching children about library appreciation as well as appreciation for literature, and instructional books.
April 5, 2011
So much fun! Henrietta the chicken visits the library and gets a book about how to write her own book. She follows each rule to write a pretty terrible story about a chicken. She even submits it to Corn Book for a review! While there is a certain amount of word play in this book, it's well done and children who don't get the jokes will still understand the text. The librarian I'm working with performed this as a great read aloud, fully committing to the chicken's Buk! Buk! A great story for kids who are just starting to write their own stories.
June 18, 2014
Henrietta loves reading books so much she decides to write one herself. She checks out a book about writing from the library about how to write a book and then goes through the process of submitting her manuscript to publishers, facing rejection and poor reviews, and finally finding an audience that connects with her work. Chickens get me every time, and this book is no exception. It's a goofy introduction to the writer's process, but it accurately portrays the guts and perseverance it takes to become a published author.
May 27, 2014
This book is about a hen who loves to read and goes to a library to get a book, the library says, "Oh you should go to a feed library" the hen tells her, "bum, bum," then the librarian understands her and lends her some books. This is where the whole story starts, where Henrietta wonders about writing and what is put in a good story, a character, plot and end. This teaches the children about what stories have and when they will write what it should have, a beginning, middle and an end. Good book for narrative skills.
May 5, 2010
When Henrietta the chicken runs out of books to read, she heads into the town library. Excited by the books she reads, she decides to write a book! All the other chickens on the farm want to be the characters in her book until they learn that characters have problems. As Henrietta types her story, readers find out how a book is made and published.
Your Turn to Write: Henrietta needs to write another book for the children at story hour. What happens when she tries to write a sequel?
Your Turn to Write: Henrietta needs to write another book for the children at story hour. What happens when she tries to write a sequel?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews