Again.
I have fallen – and fallen hard – for a new middle grade. Every. Single. Line is perfect, witty, and chosen with care. It’s no surprise, as the author is my hero. (The illustrations are spot-on, too.)
So, THE TROUBLE WITH CHICKENS by Doreen Cronin.
I took it to the gym and read it in a one hour stint on the elliptical. I daresay it made my workout more enjoyable. No telling what the lady in the red Lycra to my right thought about my maturity. Especially when I did one of those hiccough/laugh combos. Tears hit the corners of my eyes faster than my fingers punched “Lower Resistance”. Not from the cardio burn, but from hysteria.
This book puts the unny in funny.
I’ll throw a line out there. We’ve all seen dogs wearing the cone of shame, right?
“He had a long, skinny build, beady eyes, and a giant white funnel around his neck. He looked like a cross between a dachshund and a lamp.” (Page 37.)
Hysterical.
If you have 8-12 year-olds, or even the younger set, I beg you to run, not walk, to the nearest library or bookstore and sniff this book out. This is read-aloud writing at its best.
Oh, and there’s another one coming, THE LEGEND OF DIAMOND LIL.
That makes my puppy’s tail wag something fierce.
That sounds hilarious; is that the author's first mg book? I will definitely check it out. Thanks for the recommendation!
Faith – Good morning! She has oodles of picture books, but I do believe it is her first MG.
This has happened to me, as well – reading a book in a public place and getting weird looks when I laugh aloud. I've done it at the gym, too, but I made the mistake of taking Percy Jackson with me to my astronomy class one time. I literally laughed out loud in the middle of a lecture…haha
Thanks! I love Doreen Cronin's picture books.
Oh my husband makes SO much fun at me for laughing while reading. He just doesn't get it. haha. This book sounds really cute!
KM – My oldest is flying through the Percy Jackson books. I need to read one, but there's only so much time!
Myrna – I know, she's like the Queen of PBs. 😉
Kristin – So glad to know I'm not alone. I once had a flight attendant ask me what in the world I was reading, she caught me laughing so much. 😛
Adding it to my must-read list!
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it has been on my list…this makes it bump up to the top. thanks!
I always love a book suggestion for my kids!!! We'll check it out!!
Catherine – It's a guaranteed laugh.
Tess – A fairly quick read. I've got A NAME LIKE LOVE reserved for September.
Jenny – Hope they like it, thanks for dropping by.
I'll have to check that out out, I too love middle grade novels!
That sounds like a great book! Thanks for sharing!
Oh my gosh! I did not even know Doreen Cronin had a middle grade RUNNING to buy it! (Luckily it's a short run to amazon) Thanks for sharing!
Missy – It's hilarious!
Laura – Sure thing.
Corey – Hey, you! Thanks for dropping by. And I KNOW. We should start a !!!! DOREEN !!!! fan club or something.