Worried for the well being and safety of her unusual chickens, Sophie goes to some desperate lengths, although the tension and danger never gets too intense and the presence of caring adults, ghosts or otherwise, is felt throughout the story. Griegson, the neighbor who has been trying to poach them, has an unusual chicken of her own - one that can turn into from a Rhode Island Red to a red-tailed hawk at will. Read Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Jones, Kelly, lexile & reading level: 880, (ISBN: 9780385755542). After realizing the magical qualities of her unusual chickens, Sophie discovers that Ms. There is a friendly librarian, a friendly feed store employee and a neighbor with chickens of his own. While Abuelita and Great-Uncle Jim don't write back, after Sophie discovers a small, angry white chicken she names Henrietta, she does get a few mysterious, typo-ridden missives from Agnes of Redwood Farm.Īlthough told all in letters, Jones creates a complete world and a rich story for Sophie and her chickens. All these details, and more, unfold as Sophie, lonely and a little sad at the loss of her beloved abuela, Mariposa Garcia González, writes letters to her, Great-Uncle Jim and Redwood Farm, all delivered by Gregory, the friendly, knowing mailman.

Dad is white, but brown-skinned Sophie and her mother are occasionally taken for migrant workers in this small farming town. However, Sophie has all summer to sort through his piles and piles of stuff. Sophie's dad is unemployed, her mother is a freelance writer, money is tight and is seems that Uncle Jim was a hoarder. Sophie, her mother and father, have moved from Los Angeles to this rural town north of San Francisco after her father inherits his Uncle Jim's farm.

Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer begins with Sophie's letter to Redwood Farm Supply in Gravenstein, CA, requesting a catalog with more information about their unusual chickens.

Unusual chickens for the exceptional