The Secret Chicken Society

Gr 2–4—A funny story with endearing characters both human and fowl, this is a great choice for readers just moving on to chapter books. Daniel's third-grade class is going to hatch chicks, and he hopes to take one home when the project ends. His mother reluctantly agrees to one, but Daniel ends up with five, setting up the family for lots of chaos. The Secret Chicken Society is, uh, hatched when Daniel realizes that one of the chicks is not a hen but a rooster, and roosters are forbidden within city limits thanks to their noisy nature. The club's purpose is to keep Peepers a secret from the police and a grumpy neighbor. After several flawed attempts to muffle the bird, Daniel's deceit comes home to roost, and the rooster is a sitting duck. The boy, though, comes up with a great compromise, and all's well that ends well. Humorous cartoons are scattered throughout the text. While it is descriptive and action-packed, the story is not dense, making it both accessible and rewarding.—Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR