Module 1: The Plot Chickens

Book Summary:

In this book, the main character is a chicken named Maxine. Maxine loves to read, and makes many trips to the library to get books. She reads to the other chickens, and they love to
have her read to them. She decides that she should try to write a book, and even checks out a book on how to write a story. Following the steps in the book (and with some input from the other chickens), Maxine writes her story and
sends it to a publisher. When it is rejected, she is sad but decides to publish it herself, and gives a copy to the library. The librarian suggests that she should have it reviewed, so she sends it in for review, and it gets a very bad review. Maxine is so embarrassed by the bad review that for a while she will not even go into the library. The other chickens miss her reading, so she gets brave and returns. When she returns, she finds that the children of the library have voted her book “best book of the year”, and the librarian asks her to read
it to them.

APA reference:

Auch, M.J., & Auch, H. (2009). The plot chickens. New York: Holiday House.

My impressions:

At first, I did not like this book, although I can’t exactly pinpoint why I didn’t like it. After
reading it a second and third time, however, I do really like the book. The
illustrations are wonderful, lively and colorful. The story is interesting,
with lots of interaction between characters. Even in a book this short, the
author manages to make the reader like the main character and want her to
succeed. I actually felt quite bad for Maxine (that may be why I initially
didn’t like the book!) when her book got rejected and she got the bad review,
and I was glad that in the end the children liked her book.
This book makes several
interesting points, which children may or may not care about, but parents will
love. For one thing: reading is fun. Maxine loved reading and the other
chickens enjoyed it when she read to them. Another point is of course, to try
again if you fail the first time. Giving up after one try was not something
Maxine wanted to do, and in the end she wanted to keep writing even though her
feelings had been hurt by the rejection. One more point that this story makes
(although I am not sure if this is what the author intended) is that the real
audience that matters for children’s books is the children—what adults think of
children’s books does not always match up to what kids will think. I very much
agree with this; adults do not always know what is in the mind of a child, and
they will not be interested in the same things, so it is reasonable to assume
they will not always enjoy the same books. I have found that when I re-read
books I adored as a child I just don’t see them the same way at all now, and
cannot always remember what it was about them that I liked.

Professional Review:

School Library Journal
( March 01, 2009; 9780823420872 )
K-Gr 2-Henrietta the chicken, star
of Souperchicken (Holiday House, 2003), is an avid library user and decides
that because reading is so much fun, "writing books must be
eggshilarating." She finds a manual of writing rules and creates her own
story-with the unsolicited help of the other fowl. When it is rejected by a
publisher, Henrietta decides to self-publish. She takes a copy to her
librarian, who tells her to send it to The Corn Book Magazine for review.
Henrietta gets another rejection: "odoriferous." Then she wanders
into the library at storytime and sees that her book was chosen best of the
year by the children. Henrietta is asked to read it aloud. "She read with
dramatic expression. Of course, all the children heard was BUK, BUK,
BUK.." The illustrations, a combination of oil paints and digital technology,
are bold and colorful. The pictures are busy, with Henrietta at her typewriter
while her friends cavort around her. There are imagined scenes in cloud shapes,
word balloons, and jokes aplenty. A droll chicken with a repeating line adds to
the humor. This offering works on two levels. It's a funny picture book that
could be used as a manual on writing.-Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library,
MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media
Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted

Bates, I. (2009, March 01). [Review of the book The plot chickens, by M.
J. & H. Auch]. School Library Journal 55(3), p. 105-106. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

Library Uses:

This book could be used to encourage children to write their own stories ; perhaps an activity for story time could be to have children try to write their own story. It even has some very basic guidelines for what makes a good story. Another possible use would be to encourage children to read, maybe even in a group setting. The children could be encouraged to read to their friends like Maxine does.