Chicken Friend [Hardcover]

Nicola Morgan (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

When her eccentric parents suddenly move their family to a new home, an insecure girl discovers the downside of changing herself to fit in.

I suppose they're all saying I messed up. Yes, well, I'd like to see you cope any better if you had a family like mine . . .straight out of Crazyville.

Getting plucked out of school, uprooted from your city home, separated from a loyal friend, and plunked into the boonies to be homeschooled is hard enough. Add to that a seriously weird family — Dad, the convention-flouting writer; Mom, the scatter-brained inventor; and gross younger twin brothers — and eleven-year-old Becca is sure she will never find another friend, especially if she reveals that she has diabetes. Just when it seems her pet chickens are destined to be her only confidants, Becca meets up with a cool, super-trendy pair of girls who not only want to be friends but also invite their whole gang to Becca's twelfth birthday party, which her parents are letting her have in the empty barn (no grownups allowed). Life is finally looking up — so why does Becca have the nagging feeling that things are about to spin out of control?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–From self-imposed exile in the chicken coop, Becca, 12, narrates the disastrous events of the past week with invigorating humor. After her family's recent move to the country, she tries to befriend a pair of trendy girls who are "seriously cool," but not particularly kind. Becca ends up hosting a wild party complete with older boys and alcohol, and she finds herself helpless to prevent several minor and major mishaps. Her voice is extremely fresh and engaging. With a meandering pace and various asides, it seems to be just how this character would tell the story, and her self-deprecating attitude is both funny and touching. At the same time, she keeps several key bits of knowledge from readers until they become necessary for the story's context, such as her own diabetic condition. This reticence rings true and also allows for some minor but effective plot twists. When readers learn at the end that her friend from London is in a wheelchair, it's a quietly powerful moment that gives a little extra insight into some of the events just described. In a satisfying conclusion, Becca has learned the big lesson that she should "just be herself." She kind of knew it all along, but she just wasn't quite strong enough to manage it before. The girl is believable and likable as both character and narrator, which turns an apparently simple story into one that is funny, insightful, and moving.–Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR
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From Booklist

Gr. 5-7. What preteen could resist a book that begins, "I suppose they're all saying I messed up"? Eleven year-old Becca has "messed up" big time. Sitting in a corner of the chicken coop ("a good place to sit and think"), she rants, then rationalizes, and finally accepts responsibility for her part in the near tragedy that began weeks earlier after her father abruptly pulled Becca and her brothers out of school and moved the family to a rural community. Becca's primary concern after the move was making new friends. She considered her boring personality, her weird family, and being diabetic and home-schooled as insurmountable obstacles. Then she met two very cool, slightly dangerous girls, Jazz and Mel. Deciding to remake herself in their image, Becca found herself courting disaster before discovering the truth about family and friendship. Becca occasionally seems too reflective and self-aware for her age, but readers will appreciate her strong voice and understand her self-absorption, her discontent, and her need to fit in. Chris Sherman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (February 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763627356
• ISBN-13: 978-0763627355
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.6 x 7.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,400,789 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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