Book Club Guide for Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer
Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer
By Kelly Jones
For Ages 8-12
Genres: Humor & Fantasy
Twelve-year-old Sophie isn’t sure what to expect when her family moves from Los Angeles to a farm, but it isn’t chickens with superpowers. Sophie must learn to care for her unusual flock and keep them safe from a menacing chicken thief. Use these discussion questions, snacks, and activities during your next book club to bring this charming and humorous tale to life. Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer is great for tween and homeschool book clubs or to recommend to fans of fun animal stories.
Discussion Questions
Use these discussion questions to get participants engaging with you and each other. Still need more questions? See The Youth Desk’s Book Clubs page for general fiction and nonfiction questions.
- Sophie thinks her parents will freak out about her finding a chicken. What animal would make your parents freak out?
- Sophie moves from the big city of Los Angeles to a farm. Have you ever moved somewhere new? What was it like?
- The postman, Gregory, is the only brown person Sophie knows besides herself and her mom. What would it be like to be the only kid that looks like you around? Would you want to live in a town where you were different in some way from everyone else?
- How would you react to discovering your pet or farm animals had superpowers?
- Do you think Sophie made the right choice in keeping the chickens’ superpowers a secret?
- Do you think it was right that Sophie went to Ms. Griegson’s farm alone?
- Spoiler Alert: Did you guess Agnes was a ghost?! Why or why not?
- Has anyone been to a poultry or animal show? What was it like?
- Which chicken was your favorite?
- Sophie’s recipe for Migas is included in the book. Do you have any favorite family recipes? Who made them originally?
- Will you read the sequel???? Why or why not?
Unusual Chickens Book Club Snacks
Sunflower Seeds
Sophie gives the chickens sunflower seeds as a treat and uses them to lure them into their cages.
Migas
Another more complex snack would be migas, just like Sophie’s abuelita used to make! Sophie surprises her parents by making them migas, and they claim they’re the best they’ve ever tasted. Sophie’s recipe can be found on page 151.
Unusual Chickens Extension Activities
Chicken Trivia
This makes a great icebreaker!
- What is the average lifespan of a chicken? 6-8 years
- How long does it take for a chick to hatch? About 21 days
- What is the difference between white and brown eggs? Color. There is no other difference. However, the darker the yolk, the better the taste and healthiness.
- At what age do hens start laying eggs? About 5 months
- What is molting? The process of replacing old, worn-out feathers with new ones. Happens in late summer or early fall.
- How many breeds of chicken are there? According to PoultryKeeper.com, there are 93 breeds.
For more icebreakers, check out The Youth Desk Book Clubs.
Guess the Chicken
Ask attendees to guess the chicken’s name based on the breed OR visa versa:
- Bantam White Leghorn: Henrietta
- Barred Plymouth Rock: Chameleon
- Bantam Black Frizzle Cochin: RoadrunnerBuff Orpington (chicks turn things to stone): Buffy
- The unnamed chickens were Speckled Sussex, Red-Tailed Hawk, and Rhode Island Red
Design A Super Chicken
Design your own chicken with one of these coloring pages from ColoringBuddy.com. Ask attendees to name their chicken and decide what superpowers it would have. Give them 5-10 minutes to design their chicken, and then share their artwork and superpowers with the group.
Design a Super Egg
If your unusual chicken laid an egg, what would it look like? Use puffy paints to decorate plastic eggs and turn them into unusual chicken eggs! See “Spring Into Crafty Action with These Puffy Paint Plastic Easter Eggs” by Jennifer Perkins for more tips. No budget for puffy paint? Print an egg coloring page and provide attendees with colored pencils, crayons, or whatever you’ve got.
The Cat & The Ducklings Video
While decorating an egg or chicken, enjoy The Cat & the Ducklings, an adorable 5-minute video about a real farm in Ireland where a cat adopted a gaggle of ducklings.
More Resources
Kelly Jones Educators’ Guide
Including letter-writing exercises, curriculum connections, and more.
Texas Bluebonnet Award Activities & Resources for Unusual Chickens
The Texas Library Association presents the Texas Bluebonnet Award, and its website offers a TON of great ideas for bringing this book to life. From info about chickens to readers theatre scripts, they truly have everything you need.
Read-Alikes
If your readers loved Unusual Chickens, they’ll also enjoy:
