The Chicken Doesn't Skate

by Gordon Korman

Milo Neal, a favorite to win first prize at the science fair, inadvertently sets off a series of funny mishaps with his project, which involves a chicken, a star hockey player, a nerd, and an animal rights activist. Reprint.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Humor, Middle Grade, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Audiobook

197 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1996

About the author

Gordon Korman is a Canadian author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Reviews

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me want a chicken. Enough said.

[Kate McMurry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, G-rated, middle-grade comedy of errors

Milo is the 11-year-old son of a world-famous scientist, who has ambitions to be a great scientist himself someday. When he brings a baby chick to school for his project for the state science fair, the chick is nothing but a specimen to him. His experiment involves following the life cycle of a chicken from exiting an egg, all the way up to being slaughtered and turned into dinner. Never once during the entire story does Milo view this chicken as anything but a food source.

Milo's attitude stands in strong contrast to all of the other significant characters in this novel. The entire student body at his middle school falls in love with his chicken, whom the biggest animal lover in the school insists on naming, Harriet. When the moment inevitably arrives for Milo to haul Harriet to the local butcher to be slaughtered, all sorts of wild shenanigans ensue to prevent her untimely demise.

Unfortunately, Milo is rather unsympathetic throughout this story, because of his callous attitude toward Harriet. But given the fact that this novel is structured around an ensemble cast, rather than a single MMC, young readers have an opportunity to pick and choose among various other more sympathetic characters to vicariously identify with.

This whole story is presented as quirky comedy, and I did laugh out loud multiple times throughout. Overall, this is an entertaining read that children between the ages of 8 and 10 will very likely greatly enjoy.

This novel was first released in 1996. In spite of the fact that almost 30 years have passed, it does not seem terribly dated other than, of course, the fact that there are no ubiquitous cell phones, and no constant mentions of social media.

This book is not currently available in ebook format, only as an audiobook. The story is told from multiple points of view, and there are multiple talented voice actors who narrate the individual characters. They do an excellent job. I obtained access to this audiobook for free through Hoopla.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gift from my nine-year old nephew because he thought I would like it. And indeed I did like it. Very funny!

"Chickens don't have personality," Milo insisted. "They exist purely--"
"She does so!" countered Kelly Marie. "She's happy and outgoing, but with a quiet, contemplative side--"
"And she's friendly," added Brendan.
"She's great at Monopoly," Sheila put in.
"Oh, come on!" Milo exploded. "The specimen doesn't have anywhere near the intelligence necessary to play even the most simple board game!"
"Well, I have to roll for her since her little wings can't hold the dice," Sheila conceded. "But if she wants to buy a property, she kind of cackles. And when she lands on Free Parking, she gets really excited."
(p 65 - 66)

[David MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourite read alouds with students!

[A.S. Ember · Rating 3 out of 5]

The different viewpoints are fun and keep the story moving at a good clip towards its triumphant, chaotic finale. The rest of the book is a bit forgettable, but you can't go wrong with Gordon Korman!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

honestly????? 4.5 i enjoyed every single moment of this

[Feathertail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny and entertaining even for readers of the adult variety in both events and wording. Korman really does excellent work and creates books that hold up to the test of time and growing up.

That said, with nearly a hundred books under his belt, Korman has developed something of a pattern. Kelly Marie is very similar to Savannah Drysdale from Zoobreak (my all-time favorite Korman book, which came out about a decade later) with her all-consuming love of Henrietta and attempts at (human/animal) psychology. Milo Neal himself is like Griffin Bing of the same book, complete with a famous father whose passion (science/inventing) he shares. And the "on-again-off-again" relationship of Joey and Lynette is just like another dramatic relationship in his 2021 book Linked. Still, the writing isn't formulaic and is a very good read.

[Ethan Hulbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was … uh, well, I’m not the target audience for this book, because this book is for children. I’d guess a mid elementary school level, as it was simple vocabulary but an interesting narrative structure, or at least, interesting compared to other books you’re reading in 4th grade.

A student’s science fair project involves raising a chick from birth and then getting it butchered when it’s a fully grown chicken, to illustrate the full span of one link in the food chain. Other kids get emotionally attached to the chick, especially after a winning streak in hockey is attributed to the chicken’s presence, and even the main jock wants it alive – if only for his team’s victory to continue. Meanwhile, another nerdy kid dreams of being a writer and longs to not get picked on by the jocks.

Is the chicken going to be killed in the name of science?

This book was in a free bin at Green Element Resale in Chicago. I thought it looked funny and kinda dumb and was confused by the title, so I was like… sure. It’s free. I’ll take it.

I proceeded to have it on my shelf for years, even moved places once or twice with it, and kept putting off reading it because, yeah. But space on my bookshelf is at a premium, so finally I forced myself to sit down and get through it.

It was a surprisingly well-written, good book. It switched viewpoints a lot and they were all very clear and differentiated, and I appreciated getting into some characters’ heads. The ending was not at all what I expected and was a little unbelievable, in the nice way that children’s books should be with how they wrap everything up nicely, though I do wish we would’ve seen more epilogue.

The one flaw with the multiple-viewpoints thing was that there was never really a clear protagonist. It was an ensemble book, but I’m not sure if it was a clear ensemble, and there wasn’t really a hero until one kinda emerged out of nowhere at the end. But again – I am not a child, so it’s hard for me to come at this book with any criticism.

I would recommend this book for your kids though. I guess. If they like … reading books about … middle school social politics? I don’t know. Kids aren’t my thing. But the book was enjoyable, so yeah, cool!

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite! But, here's some quotes:


"I went over to his house every day that week. I mean, the guy needed the support. Even his own mother wanted to stop him from whacking Henrietta. I give him credit, though. He was brave. Every single day he tried to talk me out of coming, saying it wasn't necessary and stuff.

'Oh, it's no problem,' I told him. 'I'm here for you, buddy.' He just groaned with gratitude."



">Did you ever get the feeling that there's something going on and everybody knows about it except you? And that something, if you could just find out what it was, would unlock so many mysteries?"



"I just so happened to run into Milo by standing in front of his locker for twenty minutes. He tried to walk away but, like any good friend, I stayed loyal. I followed him all the way to the science room.

"'I had a nice conversation with your mom on Saturday.' Actually, while I'd talked on the phone to Mrs. Neal, in the background I could hear my dearest friend hissing, 'Tell him I'm not here! Tell him I've gone out! Tell him I moved to Europe!'

"He blushed. 'I was kind of busy,' he mumbled."

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Korman is true to form with his funny plot lines and over excited people. The book is dated--it came out in '96 (something I didn't notice until someone said, "Far out!", which should probably indicate earlier than '96...
The book is kind of fun because it's written from so many different people's perspectives, including one viewpoint of a scientist child taking notes on a project.
It's appropriate for 6th and 7th grade.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. Probably most appropriate for end of 4th or 5th grade. Well written. Nice twist. The narrator changes in each chapter, which is a nice challenge for 9 and 10 year olds.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was originally published in 1996 by Scholastic, in has been through numerous reprint since then, the currently not in print. According to Goodreads there are 14 editions and versions format including paperback, hardcover, cassette and even CD. The covers have been through 2 rebranding’s. My introduction to Korman’s works was the 39 Clues back in 2009. Since then I have read 56 of his books. Just over half way thorough his canon, but with each one I read I am entertained and often challenged. And always entertained. I do plan on trying to read them all. My son, who is 17 often, reads these books to me or with me, and he still loves them.

A description of this volume states:

“What do a scientist, a screenwriter, and a hockey team all have in common? A chicken!
Milo has a problem. He's trying to do a project on the food chain, so he charts the growth of a baby chick, and makes arrangements to serve his specimen to the judges at the science fair. But he's baffled by the rest of his class. They name the chick Henrietta. They sign up to take her home on weekends. They claim that she's a good luck charm, a friend, even the new hockey team mascot!

Milo just wants to win the science fair to impress his dad. But when the class finds out that Henrietta will be cooked and eaten for Milo's project, everyone panics!”

This story is another excellent read and one that took me completely by surprise. I had figured out one of the major twists but did not know really what to expect. At first I thought the chicken would have been a new hockey player or even the new kid in town taking up the sport. I had not read the description and was unsure what to expect. But once I started reading I could just not put this book down. In some ways it reminds me of Tribes by Arthur Slade. And I really enjoyed the way the story was written. Like many of Korman’s books it is written in a series of first person narratives, but each voice has very different styles, one starts and or ends with screen play pieces, one is written like notes in lab books. One is a captain’s log. The chapters are by:

Captain Adam Lurie 7
Files of Zachary Gustafson 8
Experiment Notes Milo Neal 4
Psychology Talks Kelly Marie Ginsberg 3
Diary of Mrs Baggio 1
Secret Recordings Joey Sorrentino 1
Clipboard Coach Crenshaw 1

This story does a great job of capturing middle school or even early high school groups and feel. A chicken that is being raised for a school project takes on a larger than life role in the school and community. It becomes the team mascot. The hockey team wants to win the championship so they get to play a school from Canada. Milo Neal just want to understand what is going on, and to have more attention from his dad who is back in LA. Zachary want to be a screenwriter and is doing all he can to befriend milo. And Kelly Marie has fallen in love with the little animal.

This was the penultimate of Korman’s stand-alone books for me to read. I still have one to go and about 40 books from series left to read to have completed the canon of Korman’s works. I am grateful I gave it a read. It is a wonderful School Story and Korman is a master of the genre. If you can track it down pick it up and give it a read I am certain it will entertain and you will likely laugh out loud a few times!

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say, this is Gordon Korman at his best. Pure ridiculousness. Only Korman can write dialogue with this level of wit. Kids love anything funny. The more absurd the plot, the more they like it. I can just imagine Korman and his friends sitting around with a few beers playing that word dice game where you have to make a story out of five totally unrelated words. I'm sure chicken and hockey were two of the words and his friends bet him a huge sum of money that he couldn't get a book deal out of it. Here's my attempt to explain this crazy story.

The main characters are a writing nerd, a science nerd, a hockey player, and an animal lover. Zachary, the writing nerd, wants to be friends with Milo, the science nerd, to build connections with his famous dad. Milo is doing a science project on the food chain and his main specimen is a chicken. Being friends with Zachary is the last thing he wants. Adam, the hockey player, realizes the chicken is a good luck charm that helps them win games. Kelly Marie, the animal lover, is appalled that Milo intends to eat the chicken at the end of the project.

So much happens in this book, it's hard to believe it's only 200 pages. You have the crazy hockey games, a crazy party, a crazy chicken heist. Everything's crazy. All because of the chicken. This excerpt pretty much describes the characters, the plot, and Korman's classic humor. This is Adam talking when he finds out the vet has put the chicken on bed rest.

"I was going to find Milo and tell him that Henrietta was coming to the next game even if she was in the final stages of bubonic plague. I didn't care if she was on a stretcher with a breathing tube in her beak and an IV sticking out of her wing. The Rangers weren't setting blade to ice without our chicken."

Slightly dated, but still relevant. A must for every school library, especially in states where hockey rules.

[William Leight · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid mid-90s middle-school Korman novel. For this one he uses what would become his standard method of writing, switching between viewpoint characters for each chapter. To heighten the contrast, each chapter is written in an idiosyncratic style: thus, Milo the wannabe scientist's contributions are framed as experimental notes, while Zach the wannabe screenwriter's comments are interspersed with bits of his horror-movie screenplays. Some of these work better than others -- Milo's notes point up his desperate quest for his father's approval, for instance -- but as always, Korman sets a good pace to the book, so you never spend too much time on any individual chapter. The four main characters are drawn in broad strokes -- they have to be in a book as short as this -- but Korman avoids caricature and the interactions between them always feel believable. And, of course, he's very funny. Not quite as good as "The Toilet Paper Tigers" -- though to be fair, I've never been much of a hockey fan -- but still very enjoyable.

[Samuel Valentino · Rating 4 out of 5]

This the simultaneously a page-turner and really annoying, although page-turner won out as I read it through. The annoying part are the characters. One main character is a hockey player, who considers everyone who is not like him to be a loser. That's only part of the annoyance - the other is that the word is used probably hundreds of times, probably to show his mindset and/or limited vocabulary, but I never warm up to the character. Another boy, the target of the hockey player, is one I want to sympathize with, yet he is an ingratiating fake, even by his own standards. And the main girl character is shrill and supercilious. And yet, I read the whole thing through. The writing was good and kept me engaged, even when I didn't empathize with any of the characters! That alone is a standout for me, if an author can pull that off.

[David Erkale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Milo Neal decides to make a food chain-related science fair project and conjures a chick (from who knows where) so he can see it grow to the point where it'll be ready for slaughtering. In a short time, his 6th-grade class has already adopted the bird, now named Henrietta, as their class pet as well as the hockey team mascot. Chaos rises as the kid tries to get his bird back, with perspectives from not only him but hockey player Adam, screenwriter Zachary, eccentric activist Kelly Marie, and various others. Hilarious Korman!

[LPMS Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a riot of middle-school hilarity and high-jinxs as several characters voices unite to tell you the story of how a chicken used for a science-experiment becomes the mascot of the school's struggling ice hockey team (since this book takes place in Minnesota - hockey is a VERY big deal!)

Fast-paced and full-of-action, this book is the perfect next read for any young person who is trying to find an easier and light-hearted read.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I both listened and read this book. If you're a fan of Korman books, you'll love this one. It is the story of a chicken who starts out as part of a science experiment and ends up being the hockey team's mascot. The story is told from the perspective of several characters as they switch between chapters.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am actually surprised with how much I enjoyed this! The last book I read by Gordon Korman was just okay, so I came in with lower expectations. Throughout reading this, I kept thinking how perfect this would be as a movie! So many funny storylines. I’m excited for my students to read this because I think they would enjoy it regardless of if they like hockey or not.

[Kimberly Hinman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gordon Korman remains one of my favorite all-time authors. This is one of his earlier books and although his storytelling has evolved over the last 30 years, he still has the unique ability to keep his readers on the edge of their seats. This one involved chickens, science, and hockey, a great combination. It was a fun story about friendship, teamwork, and the life cycle of a chicken.

[Asher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This on started off a little slow. However, this is a captivating tale after the first little bit. I also read a Q&A with Korman and he said that this is based off a real story although he changed some details and character names.

[Gable Roth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun little story apparently partly based on a true story. The only true aspects were that a chicken was part of a science project and then the whole school fell in love with it.

This story was told from many different perspectives which made it fun.

[Jakob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chickens don't skate... or do they? In this spectacular funny what the heck is going on romp around things, this might be Gordon Korman's best book yet!

[Carol Curley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A much needed break from the heavy books. Love Gordon Korman.

[Sarah Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tidy hockey underdog tale with good human interest.

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2

[Karijean31 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute book! I really enjoyed this book. the kids were so fun to read about and it was just an entertaining story!

[Madeline Pratchler]

My son enjoyed this even though he's not into sports.

[Kristie Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious! A great, easy ready. Love KG and his crazy movie scripts. Lots of fun.

[Marsha Fouts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny story. Excellent class read for teaching point of view.