Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken?

Unusual Chickens #2

by Kelly Jones

This laugh-out-loud sequel to Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer has EVEN MORE MAGIC CHICKENS! Twelve-year-old Sophie Brown is finally settling into her new home and her new role as keeper of some highly unusual poultry--chickens with secret superpowers! But the arrival of two new magical chickens for her flock and some unusual eggs to be incubated and hatched (what will their superpowers be?), plus an impending inspection from the Unusual Poultry Committee (who even knew this existed?) has Sophie feeling pretty stressed out. Her older cousin, Lupe, is coming to stay with her family, which is great--but will Lupe like chickens too? And on top of it all, Sophie's first day at her new school is rapidly approaching! In this wildly funny and quirky novel told in letters and lists and quizzes, Sophie learns that even an exceptional poultry farmer can use some help.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Animals, Humor, Magic

Library Binding

First published November 6, 2018

About the author

Once upon a time, Kelly Jones was a librarian and a bookseller. Now, she writes novels for young people and takes care of a few hilarious chickens. She’s the author of Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer; Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken?; Murder, Magic, and What We Wore; Sauerkraut; and Happily for Now. You can find her online at her website, curiosityjones.net, or on Twitter and Instagram @curiosityjones.

Reviews

[Kyra Leseberg (Roots & Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

We started raising chickens when our daughter was just a baby, so she has grown up with a yard of feathered friends.  She enjoys their eggs (and the song they sing when the lay an egg), chicken jokes, and collecting the feathers when they fall out.

Last year we came across the children's middle grade book Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer about 12 year old Sophie Brown who has just moved with her parents from L.A. to a farm they inherit from a great uncle Jim.  Sophie finds a small flock of hens on the farm and learns rather quickly that these are no ordinary chickens... they have powers!  Sophie is both determined and resourceful as she learns about chickens and how to care for them (and handle their unusual abilities).

When I found the sequel on NetGalley recently, I had to request an ARC to find out what happens next in Sophie's adventure!

In Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken?, Sophie is settling in at Blackbird Farm and adding new magical chickens to her flock.  She has inherited Redwood Farm from Agnes, an exceptional poultry farmer who raised and sold unusual chickens for many years.

To continue Agnes's work with unusual chickens, Sophie is sent a batch of eggs to hatch all by herself in an incubator and she's excited to learn what their super powers will be!  Since the new flock cannot be added to her existing flock (because of the pecking order), Sophie needs to prepare Redwood Farm for its first new flock of chickens in ages!

With her friends and her cousin Lupe (who has recently moved in to attend a nearby college) they clean up Redwood Farm with the help of their community.

It isn't long after the eggs have hatched that Sophie finds one chicken has an alarming power that could be dangerous!  While navigating her new school, new and exisiting friendships, Sophie also has to learn how to care for baby chicks, keep up with her chicken chores and Redwood Farm, and face her first inspection with the Unusual Poultry Committee!

This was another fun and quirky novel in this children's middle grade series told in letters/e-mails, lists, and quizzes.  I enjoy the chicken facts and the information included (brief but accurate descriptions on molting, incubating/hatching, etc.) and my daughter loves the funny powers the chickens have.  Young readers can also learn a great deal from Sophie, who is enthusiastic, determined, and caring.  I look forward to seeing what happens next at Blackbird and Redwood Farms!

Thanks to Knopf Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!  Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken? is scheduled for release on November 6, 2018.

For more full reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was young, I used to go visit my grandmother’s farm in the Sierra foothills. She had chickens, and crops. It was not a large farm. Only five acres. But we learned how to grow food, and pluck chickens, and even how to milk the neighbors cow.

The area that Sophia finds herself in, when she and her family move to her great uncle’s farm, reminds me of that area. And it is true that it was very white. And I can imagine how she would feel slightly out of place and worry about racism.

There are covert and overt instances of racism, and Sophie deals with them well, with the help of her cousin Lupe.

This is not the main focus of the book though I am glad that it is there. Kids love to see themselves in books, and this is good for them, to be seen in books.

Mainly, though, this is a book about chickens. This is a book about a young girl who is new to the area, who is raising these chickens. This is a book about a girl raising unusual chickens.

We were introduced to these unusual chickens in the first book, and in this second book, we get to meet two other types. Along the way, we learn about chickens, and how to hatch them. I love how this is woven into the story. My hens hatched their own chicks, so I didn’t have to turn eggs, but I know about having to watch the baby chicks, when I first started raising chickens.

You know a book is good when you miss it when you are done. That is how it is with this book. There is a hint that there will be another book, and I am thoroughly looking forward to it.

Sophie has a good sense of humor, and thinks things through, and tries to do what is right. A good, strong female protagonist.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Billie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are new characters and new chickens and new adventures for Sophie and her friends and family. Plus there's a tease of even more new chickens and adventures to come! I love this series and I love recommending it to young readers because we all need a little unexpected magic in our lives.

[BatgirlBela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are there going to be more of this series? I love how the book has a good balance of humor and emotion. It is enough to cry at some parts, but always a good laugh next to it. This book always will be one of my favorites in humor.

[Renata · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really fun and sweet! I think I preferred the mystery and novelty of the first book but kids who are very into animals will get a lot out of this--there's a lot of information about egg hatching and farm life etc, and Sophie remains a delightful correspondent/narrator.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the first installment of Kelly Jones’ Unusual Chickens series back when it was nominated for the Texas Bluebonnet Award. It was also my pleasure to meet the very sweet and unassuming author at the Texas Library Association conference that year. Book 2 starts right after book 1 ends as Sophie, her parents and her friends are beginning to get a handle on raising chickens and living in a rural farm community. Sophie is going to try her hand at hatching her own unusual chickens and hopes to begin filling the coops at Redwood Farm. The tale is told predominantly through letters and emails to the departed Uncle Jim, Agnes and her beloved abuela and to new fellow unusual chicken farmer Hort along with some lists, descriptions of chicken breeds, and awards given to the same. Added bonus—terrific sketches by Katie Kath that accompany and enrich the story every step of the way. I look forward to purchasing this one for both my Intermediate libraries and will be able to recommend it without any content warnings issued. Even Jones’ reference to a same sex couple who provide support to Sophie and her family shouldn’t ruffle too many feathers. Librarians looking to increase the representation of books with positive Hispanic main characters or strong, hard-working girls will find this one fitting those needs nicely. Thanks for the dARC, NetGalley.

[Khanh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took me a while to get into and not because I didn't read the first book. I wasn't sure how I would like the format--e-mail exchanges and letters written by Sophie, the main character. I ended up liking it a lot.

Sophie is smart, responsible, honest, vulnerable, and eager to learn and do right by her charges---chickens with magical abilities.

I loved the sidebars which contained different things such as chicken awards, an occasional recipe, a quiz, and an inspector's report. I also loved the dynamics between Sophie and her family, her friends, and the unusual chickens experts.

I got annoyed when her parents didn't believe her about her fire-breathing chickens, but then again, this is not unusual of adults.

Overall, it was a fun read; I would have finished it faster had I not been in such a reading slump. I'll definitely go back and read the first book.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fabulous mix of fun storytelling through letter-writing, life lessons, and useful and interesting information about raising chickens. And the illustrations are THE BEST - I dare anyone not to love Henrietta, one cranky and unusual chicken.

I read this book myself, then couldn't stop talking about it to my twelve-year-old twins, who also picked it up. We raise chickens ourselves, so they agree that the author really knows what she's writing about.

My favorite quote, p. 208: "Dad says it's best to forgive people and move on with your life instead of using all your energy up being mad at them. But Mom says sometimes things really aren't fair, and sometimes being mad helps you understand that they aren't your fault, and that those things should change, not you."

[Tena Edlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as good as the first. Quirky, sweet, and informative. I’d love to read more in this series as Sophie continues to grow in courage and in wisdom, caring for her very unusual chickens. Very fun read.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t LOVE this as much as the first, and didn’t find it nearly as funny. BUT! It becomes such a different, confidence-boosting book for kids learning to have big responsibilities. I also loved the segment on the etymology of names. I just really love Sophie Mariposa Brown as a character.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Not as good/cute/funny as the first book. I wanted more unusual chicken antics! Felt a little too over-the-top with info about chickens and not enough fun story.

[☺Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in Kelly Jones' series about Sophie Brown and her adventures as a fledgling poultry farmer! In this installment Sophie endeavours to hatch some eggs which may or may not contain some Unusual Chickens!
The fantastic illustrations by Katie Kath truly enhance the reading experience!

[Tabitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another adorable read!! The pace was a little different than the first one and I didn't enjoy it AS much, but there were still so many charming moments.

[Bloss ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had a lot more “padding” than the first one did and it sort of bogged it all down. This also felt like it had less chicken content than the first book.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Full disclosure: the author is a friend] Sophie is just getting used to living on a farm in a part of California where there aren't many Hispanic kids like her. The best part of the farm is the collection of unusual chickens she inherited from her great uncle Jim and his friend Agnes--she also inherited Agnes' farm, and is planning to re-establish Agnes' unusual chicken business. To do that, she needs to hatch some fertile eggs that come to her in the mail. It's kind of a scramble, since Sophie has no idea how to hatch eggs, but she gets lots of detailed help from friends in person and online. She also needs to fix up Agnes' farm, and keep learning about farms in general--all while starting at a new school, making a new friend, and spending time with her older cousin Lupe who has moved in to go to a nearby college. It's a full life, and not without lots of ups and downs, but Sophie wouldn't have it any other way.

I loveloveloved the first book in this series, and this one had so many fun things in it as well. My favorite parts are about the unusual chickens, and I would have loved more about them and fewer details on how to incubate eggs--that seemed to go on forever. There was more of a throughline in the first book, and I think that would have helped this book as well--I kind of missed the tension about the possible chicken thief. In that, the second half of this book moved a lot faster than the first, after the chicks hatched. I liked Sophie and her cousin's relationship, and Sophie and her friends--I love stories in which people get along with and help each other. Overall, if you loved the first one, definitely give this one a try--wonderful, hilarious pictures once more! I need a t-shirt of irritated Henrietta. :-)

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are You Ready To Hatch An Unusual Chicken? is a delightful follow-up to Kelly Jones's Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer. Just when Sophie thinks she might have a handle on her unusual chickens, new eggs come her way. It's up to her to hatch them safely- all while navigating a new school, her cousin moving in, and her already hatched chickens being their usual (or rather, unusual) selves.

This series is told mostly in letters to Sophie's late relatives and in fun illustrations. This format makes for a quick read and excellent for reluctant readers who want something out of the ordinary.

Sophie's voice is clear and sincere. Much like the best shows involving smaller towns, every character is memorable and the right amount of quirky. I especially like the mailperson who is always there to help when needed. One of the most powerful underlying themes is the power of community, and every side character plays a specific role in bringing that out.

Jones ability to weave heavier themes of grief, anxiety, and major changes into a story about caring for unusual chickens is stunning. Readers will find themselves in moments of tears and laughter, ready to hug the book at the close.

Originally posted here: http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfic...

[LibraryDanielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, a story written completely in letters isn't my normal style, but I so enjoyed the first Unusual Chickens that when I saw this title on Netgalley I requested it immediately.

I LOVE the story of Sophie and her super chickens. I love it even more because Sophie is brown and talks about being brown and how it makes her feel, without making this a Cause Book. She just is, and this is her life. More kids need this kind of story. There's even a [small] passage about racism she encounters and how she feels after. I think it's a little glossed over, but the story is told in letters, so we aren't in Sophie's head.

In this installment of Sophie's Unusual Chickens Sophie is receiving a clutch of new eggs to hatch. She has to start from scratch with hatching her chickens from learning what an incubator is to discovering what their superpowers are and how to cope. It's a fun read and would be great for a class hatching chickens while they read. There are a lot of little life lessons snuck in- how you can't go it alone, how to ask for help, etc. but they aren't super obvious and they don't beat you over the head. 100% recommend.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally I'm all for fantasy (yay, magic!) but I resented its intrusion into this sequel about an imaginative young Hispanic girl who moves to the country, inherits a farm full of unusual chickens, and finds a new life. Like the first book, the story is told mainly in chatty letters to the main character's dead relatives and her chicken supplier and other documents. What I found most charming about the first book was its firm grasp on the details of real life chicken-farming, almost like a Laura Ingalls Wilder. And the magic was more or less in the eye of the beholder. This one took the magic bit too far and made it objectively real (within the world of the book, obviously). I didn't need a real magic chicken to enliven the story. It took away from the story. Kelly Jones, you let me down.

[Serenity · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley*

I kind of vacillated between 4 and 5 stars, but I was a little put off by the frequent references to skin color (and calling one of the teachers "a white guy"). If you really enjoyed the humor and epistolary style of writing in the first one, I think you'll enjoy this one, too. The sense of community and support present throughout the book was uplifting. Many of the kid characters are imperfect but kind and hardworking, and positive relationships between girls, and girls and boys, is also nice to see. No real drama, even though the kids are at the right age for it. Hand this to your readers looking for a funny book or a little magical realism.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second book in the series. Need to read the first one to understand the continuation of the story.
This time Sophie receives eggs to hatch. She learns all she can about the process. A new character arrives - her cousin Lupe. Her friends pitch in to help with the process and cleaning up the farm for the chicks.
Sophie learns to ask for and accept help from the community as she cleans up the farm.
Told in series of letters to her dead relatives and Agnes along with emails to other living people. She also provides reports for her various types of chickens.
Includes humor for middle grade readers.
Last email offers hints for the next book.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sophie is now hatching some of Agnes's eggs, and everyone is surprised by what ends up hatching. This is honestly so adorable and wonderful, just like the first. The humor is so great ("After we got to Agnes's farm, [we] pulled the ladder out of the car and helped Lupe get back up off the driveway, where she was recovering from the drive") and realistic for a tween, Lupe is a great new character, the chicken information was surprisingly interesting, and the letter format made it read so fast. Sophie's Xicana heritage and the racism she's encountered is neither glossed over nor highlighted, but is a fact of her life. I really hope there's more in this series!

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to a truly favorite book (Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer). The varied format continues here with letters, emails and reports as Sophie takes on the challenge of hatching some unusual chickens, meets a new friend and takes on the big responsibility of Redwood Farm.

Lost a little of its pace in the center but the story picked up and had a strong finish. Jones has a sweet light touch with the prose and the story is delightful and entertaining. Katie Kath's pen and ink illustrations - especially the chickens add to the fun.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun continuation of the series. Sophie is an interesting character and narrates the story through letters, emails, and illustrations.
Her newest chicken breathes fire -so she is forced to figure out a way to keep it, as well as the coop and the other chickens, safe. She gets help from Gregory and her friends and relies on Hortence to offer expertise.

Would make a good read aloud as it would lead to discussion and show scientific method, problem solving, note taking.

DRC from NetGalley and Random House

[Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely darling follow up to Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer. I think it would be possible to read as a stand-alone, but I think readers would be well-served to read the first one first, or they might be rather lost. Though that's said from an adult perspective - kids tend to get on board easier than adults, so it might not matter to them. The epistolary format of the first novel continues here, and maybe I'm misremembering, but it feels like there are even more of the delightful illustrations.

[Jaymie · Rating 4 out of 5]

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

4.5 stars. This is a delightful addition to a great series! I love Sophie and all of her unusual chickens. This is a great series that is anchored in reality - with family pieces and friendship pieces and learning to be part of a new community - except for the fun and "unusual" chickens. This is about learning to ask for help and allowing others to be part of your life. I love all the things Sophie learns in this one. Highly recommend.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was as enjoyable as the first. This is the kind of book where the stakes aren't so high that you're nervous while you read and you can just enjoy yourself. I love the illustrations (especially the one of the development of the baby chicks in their eggs) and the new characters that were added. I love how the town has come to love our hero and respect her work with the chickens. Of course, I love the chickens and their antics. I like that she gave the chickens awards for silly things. It was just an altogether good solid book when you want to relax.

[Aud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing in a quiet way. This book (like it's predecessor) excels at being a gentle read without being boring. You know that nothing TRULY awful will happen, and you're happy to just let the book carry you along. It's pleasant without being insipid, the chickens are funny, the writing is solid, and the main character feels both real and likeable (without being too-good-to-be-true). The setting is excellent, and the format keeps the pages turning quickly.

Perfect for a kid who needs to escape for a while, who just needs a break from stress and wants to meet a charming community.

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in the series made me want to own my own flock of chickens. Living in the city makes that difficult. Upon finishing this one, I’m seriously contemplating moving to the country just so I too can be a poultry farmer.
In this book Sophie learns how to hatch unusual chickens. For the rest of us, it’s a lesson in how to hatch regular ones. It turns out that one of her chicks has truly unusual powers. Will Sophie get to keep it after a visit from the unusual poultry inspector? Read the book and find out!

[Cindy Dobrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The adventures continue with Sophie and her unusual chickens. This one features a fire-breathing chick and the ending gives me hope that something BIG will appear in the next installment. Hooray! It's great to have such a fun Latinx character for middle-grade students. The letters, emails, and observational reports about the chickens are great, and her college-age cousin Lupe is a good addition to the cast.

[Jamie Klos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sequel was a lot of fun and followed closely after the style of the first one. It was also written as a series of artifacts (mostly letters) but this book included awards given to the unusual chickens. Readers will learn how chicks are hatched while enjoying some funny and fantastic elements. I would recommend reading the first book before this one, but a great read for fans of the first book.