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Chickens in the Headlights
What are a mother and father to do with SEVEN rambunctious boys under the age of eleven? For the Buckleys, the days are filled with running, yelling, food, wrestling, and burping. Every night culminates in an epic bedtime battle.When the school year ends, however, Mom and Dad decide to harness some of their boys' apparently inexhaustible energy and buy some goats and chickens for them to take care of. While they are initially thrilled with the "responsibility," the boys soon learn that it's far tougher-and far funnier for the reader-than it appears.
206 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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722 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews
June 9, 2014
We listened to this on audio cd as a family while traveling and we LOVED it! There were so many times that we were laughing. The guy that read the book did an awesome job! It made our 7 hour trip in the car fun!
January 8, 2021
Another great audiobook for a car trip with kids. So many laugh out loud moments... the picking up rocks anecdote had some of us laughing so hard there were tears. The last part of the book got a little slow, but overall a fun book with a nice message at the end.
July 11, 2021
This was such a fun family story. We had many moments of laughing outloud. Such a great book to read on a road trip. I had to tell my 5 boys not to get any ideas from their crazy stories. Every part of this story I could see me kids doing the same thing. It was relatable due to a house full of boys doing silly crazy boy things.
October 21, 2025
If you are looking for wholesome hilarity and family fun, this is the book! With 7 boys in the family and chickens for the summer, nothing can go wrong.
July 19, 2011
This was a hilarious book. Not only does it ring true to life with siblings, the crafting and timing of the stories was superb! My response was similar to my friend Nicole - I would be reading in bed and start laughing out loud so much that I cried and was hitting the bed trying to breathe. My husband, who was still up and about, would look in to see what had got my funny bone, and I had to share. Other stories I did not love as much, like the one where Matthew was locked outside all day. I was going to name some of my favorite stories, but I started to list the whole book. Oh, okay, here are a few: the bedtime games (so close to home), "Pass it around, for heaven's sake!" on the road trip after Simon wouldn't count down on the 99 bottles of beer song, and of course, all about Farding. And although I wasn't laughing in the fight scene, I liked how the boys stood up for each other even though they wouldn't have chosen to start a fight on their own.
I also listened to most of the book on CD with my family. The stories were so funny, we ended up listening to practically the whole thing together on a road trip. The kids would beg to hear more and thought it was great since they knew I didn't want them to get any ideas--it was a good family experience. (Spoiler, although you can see it coming from near the beginning - my youngest was really sad when they killed the chickens near the end of the story.)
I rarely read AND listen to a book, so I found it interesting that a couple of things were different in the book than the CD. I liked both versions, so was glad I was able to experience both. If you're interested, page 91 is one of the first differences I noticed - in the book, Simon asks Matthew to hold up a sign (even though Matthew has already put up his own sign); but on the CD, Simon asks him to "moon" passers-by. Page 110 the last 2 paragraphs of the section in the book were not on the CD, and page 113 the discussion with Grandma was completely different than the one on the CD. I may have missed some other things because then I read some/listened to some sections depending on where we were on the road trip, but I always like to know about things like that! What a fun read.
I also listened to most of the book on CD with my family. The stories were so funny, we ended up listening to practically the whole thing together on a road trip. The kids would beg to hear more and thought it was great since they knew I didn't want them to get any ideas--it was a good family experience. (Spoiler, although you can see it coming from near the beginning - my youngest was really sad when they killed the chickens near the end of the story.)
I rarely read AND listen to a book, so I found it interesting that a couple of things were different in the book than the CD. I liked both versions, so was glad I was able to experience both. If you're interested, page 91 is one of the first differences I noticed - in the book, Simon asks Matthew to hold up a sign (even though Matthew has already put up his own sign); but on the CD, Simon asks him to "moon" passers-by. Page 110 the last 2 paragraphs of the section in the book were not on the CD, and page 113 the discussion with Grandma was completely different than the one on the CD. I may have missed some other things because then I read some/listened to some sections depending on where we were on the road trip, but I always like to know about things like that! What a fun read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2011
This book was absolutely hilarious. I laughed out loud so many times, often late at night while reading in bed and my husband was asleep and I was trying to be quiet and then I'd just shake the bed with my laughter. Luckily he slept through it. ;) I love how the anecdotes are strewn together to make a story, although I was wondering about the title of the book until almost the end and then that is explained. The sweetest part of the book is when they go to grandma's on vacation and Matthew gets some one-on-one time with her (albeit after scaring the daylights out of her!!!) and their cute and poignant conversation. I loved that the dog's named was Farding and all the jokes that came with that (and what 9-year-old knows what that word even means and thinks up to use it instead of the one with a T??? I didn't until I read this!!) Great read, clean read. Really 4.5 stars for me.
May 12, 2009
I love this book. I want to listen to it again and buy everyone I know a copy. It is so real, happy, fun, and inspirational. Yes, it is about a 7 year old boy and his family of 6 brothers - so you may ask, "What can I learn from that?" Let me tell you, a lot. I learned to let things go, I learned everything can be enjoyable, and I learned that even though life is hard there are people that surround you that love you and want the best for you. Yes, I have already learned these things in life but the hilarious way this is presented and the love you feel within the book is terrific! From Goats to Bullies from Chickens to Sibling Rivalry it is a great read and I can't wait to read it again. Super clean and amazingly uplifting.
September 19, 2016
What a fantastic book! I grew up with 4 sisters and now have a daughter and 4 sons, and from my experience, this book is absolutely true to life! So enjoyable to get the perspective of the child (I was second oldest, too!) on what it's like to grow up in a big family. There were so many laugh-out-loud moments. You find yourself cheering for the parents, then cheering for the kids, then realizing that you're just cheering for the whole, wonderful family!
Side note...I started out reading this with my kids. They loved it, but I could see the wheels of their minds turning with fresh ideas for their own schemes a bit too much, and decided I better just read it by myself :)
Side note...I started out reading this with my kids. They loved it, but I could see the wheels of their minds turning with fresh ideas for their own schemes a bit too much, and decided I better just read it by myself :)
November 9, 2025
I started reading this book upon recommendation. After laughing out loud a few times in the first pages I knew I had to share it. I ended up reading it aloud to my youngest 3 kids and we all loved it! They found it just as funny as I did. We can't wait for the sequel.
Only we had to skip a chapter near the end because my children currently have chickens for pets and the prospect of killing chickens broke my little girl's heart.
Only we had to skip a chapter near the end because my children currently have chickens for pets and the prospect of killing chickens broke my little girl's heart.
July 22, 2009
I loved this book. I laughed so hard at times that I teared up, especially when I read parts of it to David. I highly reccommend it for a good laugh and a trip into the mind of a 10-year old boy with 6 other brothers.
February 3, 2019
I listened to the audio book as a child, in car rides with my family. This book is the only thing that could makr me enjoy a stuffy car full of my siblings. The shenanigans that the main character and his brothers get into are hilarious! Thoroughly Love this book!
October 23, 2020
Our favorite road trip audio book. We have listened to it at least five times. And we still laugh about it.
September 7, 2017
This book was so funny I was in tears and unable to keep reading at certain parts.
February 24, 2020
For me it is pretty hard to find a book that will keep me interested the whole time, but with Chickens in the Headlights it was hard to put it down. This book is about a family of 9 with all 7 of the kids being boys, it takes normal day events and puts hilarious spins on them. What I find extremely funny is how 7 boys under the age of 12 deal with the events that come at them daily. Even though I am a little older than the boys in the story I can still completely relate with the story and all the sibling rivalries they have.
What makes it even better for me is that this story is the childhood of the author Mathew Buckley the second oldest sibling of the 7. It is funny to see his point of view on the situation and it brings you back to when you thought that the whole world hated you and everything was unfair because of the events that happen in your life. There is not much that I don’t like but if I had to pick something it would probably that it doesn't really talk about some of the characters. Even this is okay because the baby's don't do anything really interesting so there is no real need to go on them too deeply.
This book is great for audiences of all ages because of the connection you can have to the little kids and adults can relate to the parents because of the struggles of dealing with the kids. I like how this book takes something that is kind of plain like chickens and takes a total twist on that subject. I think that Mathew Buckley did a great job on this book and I strongly suggest it.
What makes it even better for me is that this story is the childhood of the author Mathew Buckley the second oldest sibling of the 7. It is funny to see his point of view on the situation and it brings you back to when you thought that the whole world hated you and everything was unfair because of the events that happen in your life. There is not much that I don’t like but if I had to pick something it would probably that it doesn't really talk about some of the characters. Even this is okay because the baby's don't do anything really interesting so there is no real need to go on them too deeply.
This book is great for audiences of all ages because of the connection you can have to the little kids and adults can relate to the parents because of the struggles of dealing with the kids. I like how this book takes something that is kind of plain like chickens and takes a total twist on that subject. I think that Mathew Buckley did a great job on this book and I strongly suggest it.
February 24, 2020
For me it is pretty hard to find a book that will keep me interested the whole time, but with Chickens in the Headlights it was hard to put it down. This book is about a family of 9 with all 7 of the kids being boys, it takes normal day events and puts hilarious spins on them. What I find extremely funny is how 7 boys under the age of 12 deal with the events that come at them daily. Even though I am a little older than the boys in the story I can still completely relate with the story and all the sibling rivalries they have.
What makes it even better for me is that this story is the childhood of the author Mathew Buckley the second oldest sibling of the 7. It is funny to see his point of view on the situation and it brings you back to when you thought that the whole world hated you and everything was unfair because of the events that happen in your life. There is not much that I don’t like but if I had to pick something it would probably that it doesn't really talk about some of the characters. Even this is okay because the baby's don't do anything really interesting so there is no real need to go on them too deeply.
This book is great for audiences of all ages because of the connection you can have to the little kids and adults can relate to the parents because of the struggles of dealing with the kids. I like how this book takes something that is kind of plain like chickens and takes a total twist on that subject. I think that Mathew Buckley did a great job on this book and I strongly suggest it.
What makes it even better for me is that this story is the childhood of the author Mathew Buckley the second oldest sibling of the 7. It is funny to see his point of view on the situation and it brings you back to when you thought that the whole world hated you and everything was unfair because of the events that happen in your life. There is not much that I don’t like but if I had to pick something it would probably that it doesn't really talk about some of the characters. Even this is okay because the baby's don't do anything really interesting so there is no real need to go on them too deeply.
This book is great for audiences of all ages because of the connection you can have to the little kids and adults can relate to the parents because of the struggles of dealing with the kids. I like how this book takes something that is kind of plain like chickens and takes a total twist on that subject. I think that Mathew Buckley did a great job on this book and I strongly suggest it.
October 19, 2020
What are a mother and father to do with SEVEN rambunctious boys under the age of eleven? For the Buckleys, the days are filled with running, yelling, food, wrestling, and burping. Every night culminates in an epic bedtime battle.When the school year ends, however, Mom and Dad decide to harness some of their boys' apparently inexhaustible energy and buy some goats and chickens for them to take care of. While they are initially thrilled with the "responsibility," the boys soon learn that it's far tougher-and far funnier for the reader-than it appears.
January 2, 2025
This one made our whole family laugh out loud and giggle mercilessly. We relate, maybe a little too close, to the full house of boys who are always up to shenanigans. The boys had rivalries but also alliances, and seeing those dynamics play out was just fun. Each character was so clear and understandable, it just felt like you were part of the family you know them so well. It was a clean, wholesome read for the whole family. My six year old said it was his favorite book of the year.
September 18, 2018
I picked this up for a family road trip this past weekend, and liked that it had something that could appeal to everyone in the car. It wasn't quite as funny as I thought it would be, but it did have several laugh-out-loud moments. The narrator did a great job adding color and dimension to each scene.
January 28, 2019
This is a very fun book to read out loud to your kids. Oh my goodness did we have some great laughs! It's written by a local Utahn who grew up in a large, Latter day Saint family. Some parts were way more funny to me because I could relate more to the time and situation than my kids could. . but they really enjoyed it as well. I highly recommend it!
March 4, 2023
This is the perfect book for a family roadtrip, which is when we recently listened to it. My kids loved it! It's also great for fans of A Christmas Story, as it's basically that tone and feel, but about a family of boys getting into trouble on a small family farm. Hilarious infighting among the siblings, crazy mishaps, wise parents, and lessons learned. Great and funny book!
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November 9, 2024I almost gave up on this as the writing was slow & repetitive at the beginning, but I'm so glad I stick with it.
Read this aloud with my 7/8 year-old son, and there were parts we were both laughing so hard I had tears running down my face. We enjoyed it tremendously, and what a relief to read a book that appeals to elementary school boys that isn't completely inane.
Read this aloud with my 7/8 year-old son, and there were parts we were both laughing so hard I had tears running down my face. We enjoyed it tremendously, and what a relief to read a book that appeals to elementary school boys that isn't completely inane.
February 3, 2024
I grew up listening to these audiobooks on family road trips and they were some of the funniest books I’ve ever heard. They were very relatable to my family and the way I was raised and I have nothing but fond memories of these books.
August 11, 2025
Not sure if this really deserves 4 stars, but it was fun and lighthearted and made me laugh out loud. And it felt like these kids were growing up in the 80s like me so I could relate in a lot of ways.
So there you go.
So there you go.
May 26, 2017
This is my favortie book of all time. It is HILARIOUS. This book is about a family with seven boys and thier adventures trying to raise chickens. Awesome book, would definently recommend.
July 21, 2017
Perennial road trip favorite!
December 23, 2017
Funny! My kids enjoyed it too.
July 12, 2018
Hilarious, action packed book that anyone of all ages can love!
June 23, 2018
A fun, light, feel-good summer read.
August 19, 2018
My kids read it and loved it so I wanted to see what it was. It was pretty funny. Great read for middle grade boys especially.
November 28, 2018
Entertaining stories of boys growing up.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews