Module 9: The Trouble With Chickens

Module nine was all about mystery books.  I chose to read The Trouble With Chickens because I was intrigued by the title, and once I found it on the shelf at the library I was even more interested due to the cover art.  Needless to say, I was not disappointed by this funny mystery for children.

Image Credit : Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (http://clcd.odyssi.com/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~v9CtQ8:11)

The Trouble with Chickens is the story of J.J. Tully, a former search-and-rescue dog who is now retired.  One of the chickens, who lives in his backyard, ask J.J. to help her find her missing chick - a ransom note has been found!  J.J. attempts to get to the bottom of the mystery and is surprised when one of the missing chick's siblings turns out to be working for the enemy - the dog who lives inside the house.  In the end, J.J. recovers the missing chick and narrowly escapes being taken to the vet in place of the inside dog.

This book was a humorous, light-hearted mystery, and I think kids from 1st grade through 3rd grade would especially like the story.  There are surprise twists in the plot, and the author keeps your attention by changing narrators throughout the book.

Ilene Cooper of Booklist writes:
"The plot is a bit convoluted, and when the narrator changes in the middle of the book, even experienced readers might be confused. But the noirlike detective Tully and the funny chickens running around, well, like chickens make appealing characters, especially as drawn by Cornell, who knows how to get TV cartoon–style humor out of the action. Readers can expect to see more of Tully at work in future installments of this new series."

I feel this book is best suited for individual reading, but librarians could book talk this book along with others, such as The Dragon Slayers' Academy, to get kids interested in reading series of books.  While the J.J. Tully books are solidly mysteries, The Dragon Slayer' Academy books have more adventure elements in them, so comparing and contrasting the two series would be a great way to talk up these two series.

References:
Cronin, D.  (2011).  The Trouble With Chickens.  New York: Laura Geringer Books.
Cooper, I.  (2011).  The Trouble With Chickens.  Booklist, 107(11), 80.