Goodbye, Chicken Little

by Betsy Byars

Jimmie Little is scared of life. Ever since his father's death, the world has seemed so unpredictable that Jimmie has nicknamed himself Chicken Little. And now, after not doing more to help save his drowned uncle, Jimmie feels worse than ever--until a special party with his relatives provides him with the understanding to face life instead of running away.

Genres: Young Adult, Childrens, Fiction

Library Binding

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Betsy Byars was an American author of children's books. She wrote over sixty books for young people. Her first novel was published in 1962. Her novel Summer of the Swans won the 1971 Newbery Medal. She also received a National Book Award for Young People's Literature for The Night Swimmers and an Edgar Award for Wanted ... Mud Blossom!!

Daughters Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers are also writers.

Reviews

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever since his father died in a coal mining disaster, Jimmie Little has been very fearful. When, on a dare, his uncle Pete drunkenly walks out on thin ice and drowns, Jimmie witnesses the whole thing, and he and his mother both blame Jimmie for not stepping in to prevent the accident. When the surviving family members gather in memory of Pete, however, it becomes clear to Jimmie that he doesn't need to be afraid of facing life head-on because he can draw strength from his relatives.

This book is one of the author's weakest. Though the subject matter should be very emotional, the writing style feels very detached, and it's hard to get into Jimmie's mindset. I was thankful in some ways that she didn't dwell more on the horror of Jimmie's uncle dying before his eyes, but I also felt that for an author who usually shows such empathy for her young characters, she didn't really have any for her protagonist this time around. While it is certainly comforting to surround oneself with family, it seems like, after losing both his dad and his uncle to accidents, Jimmie should probably need something more than a single family reunion to bounce back. The stakes were just too high in this book; Byars does better when the drama of a story takes place within typical everyday occurrences.

If you need a book about grief and loss for kids, you're much better off with either On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer (which is short like this book, but deeper) or the quintessential Bridge to Terabithia. Even big Byars fans, of which I am one, will find this book difficult to like.

This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jimmie Little has called himself "Chicken Little" ever since his father died in a mine accident. His father represented security. Now, without his father's strength and protection, Jimmie is afraid of everything. He tries very hard to overcome his fears and feels he is gaining ground. Then, he watches Uncle Paul drown. Uncle Paul takes a dare to walk across the Monday River. It is 4 days before Christmas, and the river has been iced over for a week. Everyone warns Paul that the ice will be too thin in the middle to bear his weight, but Paul ignores their warnings. When he gets to the middle of the river, the ice cracks and he disappears into the raging waters below. Jimmie's mother accuses her son of neglect. She says that if he had really tried to keep his uncle from taking the dare, Paul would be alive now. At heart, Jimmie knows that he couldn't have influenced his uncle, but he still feels to blame. Now Jimmie is faced with another fear; the fear of not doing enough, of not trying hard enough. Mrs. Little decides to have a big family party in Uncle Paul’s honor on Christmas Eve. She and Jimmie take a comical drive to the rest home to get Uncle C.C. The party and Uncle C.C. help Jimmie overcome his fears.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how to rate this book. In some ways, it was a great book, but in others, it was boring.

It's about Jimmie Little, age 11 (I think), who witnesses the death of his uncle. His uncle was drunk and was trying to walk across the not-very-frozen river. When his mom finds out her brother had drowned, she turns on Jimmie, blaming him for not stopping Uncle Pete.

Jimmie believes her, and feels very guilty because he didn't stop his uncle. Even though his mom takes back her harsh words, she has already done the damage.

Finally, through a family party Mom holds in memory of Pete, Jimmie comes out of his guilt and grief.

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I barely remember this book, but what I do remember it was just pretty much boring.

[Selena Hanet-Hutchins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book taught me some of what I know about grief and guilt

[wanderer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I owned this one and read this often as a kid. I remember it as sad, but I liked the unusual premise, after all those girly books.