The Challenge Continues . . . The 2009 Buckeye Book Award Winner

And the reading challenge continues!  As stated in a previous post, my librarian friend Ashley Lambacher of the Book Talker and I are hosting the Buckeye Book Award Reading Challenge.  Our goal is to read all the past winners from the children’s book category in chronological order from 1982 to the present.  I will read the K-2 picture book winners and Ashley will read the 4-8/3-5 chapter book winners.  Today I continue my challenge by reading the winner of the K-2 Buckeye Book Award in 2009, The Chicken of the Family by Mary Amato.

I had never read Chicken of the Family, so this award winner was new to me.  This book is about a gullible little girl named, Henrietta.  Her two older sisters Kim and Clare were always teasing her, but when they told her a big fib she fell for it.  They told her she was a chicken!  At first she didn't believe it, but the more information the girls gave her, the more convincing they sounded.  They told her she had long toes like a chicken and yellow legs.  On and on they went and she began to think she was a real chicken.  In the morning when she got out of bed she saw an egg and two feathers.  So she ran away to Barney's farm to find her chicken family.  To fit in, she flaps her arms and rolls in the dirt. When her sisters come to take her home, they work hard to convince Henrietta that she is a real girl.  The cartoon-like illustrations are bright, busy, and appealing to kids.  I shared this book with my four year old daughter and she loved it!  This adorable book is an understandable winner of the 2009 Buckeye Book Award.

Ashley, are you familiar with Chicken of the Family?  Your upcoming 2009 book is Found by Haddix.  I love this book and series, and everything Haddix writes.  To me, this is a true award winning book!

Would you like to join Ashley and I as we read through Ohio’s award winning books?  We welcome any and all who are interested in participating in this fun reading challenge.  For more information, click here.