The Chicken Salad Club [Hardcover]

Marsha Diane Arnold (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1998 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Nathaniel Hopkins is lucky enough to have a 100-year-old Greatpaw with a treasure trove of wonderful stories. During each visit, Greatpaw serves a feast of chicken salad sandwiches and lemonade to go with his storytelling. But when he tires of his own tales, Nathaniel must find a way to lift Greatpaw's spirits. Like Greatpaw, Marsha Diane Arnold is a natural-born storyteller. Here she teams up with an award-winning artist in this perfect summertime read that shows how stories keep people connected.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?Every day after school, Nathaniel and his 100-year-old great-grandfather share lemonade, chicken-salad sandwiches, and stories. Greatpaw tells wonderful tales about the old days, the Great War, and meeting Greatmaw. When the old man and the boy try to form a "Century Club" of other storytellers, they are disappointed when no one shows up. Nathaniel saves the situation by placing an ad in the paper and when 99-year-old Sadie Johannsen rings the doorbell with cookies and stories in abundance, the Chicken Salad Club is formed. The neighborhood children soon gather on the porch where "Sometimes Nathaniel and his friends tell stories of their own, but mostly they just listen." The soft, lively watercolor and colored-pencil drawings pull readers into the plot and will make their mouths water for lemonade and their spirits yearn for a good yarn. A delightful intergenerational book that promotes families, stories, and fun.?Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-7. This isn't a book about sandwiches, although that is what young Nathaniel and his great-grandfather like to share when "Greatpaw" tells stories. Nathaniel loves the tales of century-old Greatpaw's boyhood and courtship with his long-gone wife, but Greatpaw wants to share his stories with an audience that hasn't heard them. Arranging that seems as simple as putting together chicken-salad sandwiches: Nathaniel tenderly offers his dog and his class as listeners. When neither audience proves successful, Nathaniel and Greatpaw start a Century Club for seasoned story-swappers. Sadly, no one shows up. Greatpaw is discouraged, but Nathaniel keeps at it until he finds the perfect listeners. Downing's charming watercolors leap between past and present with expert agility, bringing to life this heartwarming story about an intergenerational bond. Kathleen Squires --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial; 1st edition (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803719167
• ISBN-13: 978-0803719163
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,209,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marsha Diane Arnold is an award-winning author who the media has called "a born storyteller".

She's written eleven books, some magazine articles, a few poems, and when her children were young, over 500 newspaper columns! The column was called "homegrown treasures" She's received picture book honors as well, including The Ridgeway Award for Best First Book, Children's Choice awards, IRA Distinguished Book, and Smithsonian Notable Book.

Her two newest books show the range of her writing ability. The sweet Family Choice Award winner, Hugs on the Wind, is a very, very quiet book and the uproarious Northern California Book Award nominee Roar of a Snore is a very, very LOUD book.

Marsha travels nationally and internationally as a speaker for schools, conferences, and author festivals. When she's not visiting schools in her travels, she's traveling for fun. Recent trips include China, Alaska, and the Galapagos Islands. Marsha is currently working on a picture book about the Galapagos with a Galapagos nature guide who was born and raised there.

In 2008, Marsha was invited to be one of seven artists involved in Sequoia National Parks Foundation's 2008 Artists in the Back Country, the only children's author ever invited. Part of that involvement was a week at 11,000 feet at Foxtail Camp in Sequoia National Park, where she, along with a National Geographic photographer, a Hugo Award winner, painters, and photographers walked the hills, talked about their experiences, and were inspired by the magnificent landscape. The program hopes to rekindle the American tradition of enhancing public awareness of and appreciation for our national parks and natural world through the arts.

Her vision is to inspire readers to follow their own unique dreams and to have fun doing it! Talking about this with her young fans reminds her to keep following her own dreams, even though she's 60, not 6. "We should never stop dreaming!" she says.

You can find out more about Marsha and her books at her website, www.marshadianearnold.com, or her blog, www.storymagician.blogspot.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Father's Day Gift, March 27, 2003

By 

Suzanne Norfleet (Raleigh, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Chicken Salad Club (Hardcover)

My four year old and I read this book today. It was a little long and wordy for him but he enjoyed the entire thing. The illustrations are lovely and the words delightful. The book made me think of my grandfather and how he loves to tell stories.