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Chicken Boy

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About The Book

Meet Tobin McCauley. He's got a near-certifiable grandmother, a pack of juvenile-delinquent siblings, and a dad who's not going to win father of the year any time soon. To top it off, Tobin's only friend truly believes that the study of chickens will reveal...the meaning of life? Getting through seventh grade isn't easy for anyone, but when the first day of school starts out with your granny's arrest, you know you've got real problems. Throw on a five-day suspension, a chicken that lays green eggs, and a family feud that's tearing everyone to pieces, and you're in for one heck of a ride.

About The Author

Photograph (c) Clifton Dowell

Frances O’Roark Dowell is the bestselling and critically acclaimed author of Dovey Coe, which won the Edgar Award and the William Allen White Award; Where I’d Like to BeThe Secret Language of Girls and its sequels The Kind of Friends We Used to Be and The Sound of Your Voice, Only Really Far AwayChicken BoyShooting the Moon, which was awarded the Christopher Award; the Phineas L. MacGuire series; Falling InThe Second Life of Abigail Walker, which received three starred reviews; Anybody Shining; Ten Miles Past NormalTrouble the Water; the Sam the Man series; The ClassHow to Build a Story; and most recently, Hazard. She lives with her family in Durham, North Carolina. Connect with Frances online at FrancesDowell.com.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (January 9, 2007)
  • Length: 224 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781416934820
  • Grades: 5 - 9
  • Ages: 10 - 14
  • Lexile ® 860L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®
  • Fountas & Pinnell™ W These books have been officially leveled by using the F&P Text Level Gradient™ Leveling System

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Raves and Reviews

* "This is a refreshingly well-written encounter with richly developed and well-defined characters whom readers won't soon forget."

– School Library Journal, STAR

* "…strong narration and the child's struggle with forgiveness make for poignant, aching drama."

– Booklist, starred review

* "Tobin’s own blossoming, through friendship, and the rediscovery of his family, and the love for and of his chickens, is entirely satisfying—just right."

– Kirkus Reviews, STAR

Awards and Honors

  • ALA Notable Children's Books
  • Kentucky Bluegrass Award Master List
  • Bank Street Best Books of the Year
  • NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
  • Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best
  • Kirkus Editor's Choice
  • NCTE Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts
  • Kansas NEA Reading Circle List Starred Junior Title
  • Texas Bluebonnet Master List
  • Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award Master List (VT)
  • Massachusetts Children's Book Award Nominee
  • Rhode Island Children's Book Award Nominee

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More books from this author: Frances O'Roark Dowell