The Chicken Doesn't Skate

De: Gordon Korman

Narrado por: Johnny Heller, Jeff Woodman, Robert Ramirez, Julie Dretzin, Barbara Caruso, L.J. Ganser, Ron McLarty

Sixth-grader Milo Neal plans to do a science project on "The Complete Life Cycle of a Link in the Food Chain". But when he brings his specimen - a baby chick - to class, everyone falls in love with the cute ball of fluff. Soon she has a name: Henrietta. Not only is Henrietta the class pet, she's even chosen as mascot for the school hockey team! How can Milo finish his project, which calls for frying up his specimen and serving it to the judges of the science fair? Each day, as Henrietta gets bigger, so does Milo’s dilemma. And students are hatching plans to rescue their feathered friend.

Gordon Korman, author of more than 20 books for middle school and young adult audiences, based this hilarious story on his own experiences while visiting a middle school classroom. Through the talented narrators’ performances, Henrietta’s adventures will have you cackling with laughter.

©1996 Gordon Korman (P)1999 Recorded Books

Good for kids and adults

This was one of my favorites when I was a kid. I came back to it for nostalgia, hoping it would hold up. It does, but in a different way. Much like Little Rascals, a kid takes the whole thing at face value, because it's written well on their level. As an adult, the way the kids take absurd situations and childish motivations so seriously is extremely endearing and cute. Even Milo, the straight-lace dorky kid, is very much a preteen. You don't notice that when you're 12 yourself, but it's obvious when you're 27. To me that says the writing is laser targeted at the age group, which is HARD to do for us stodgy grown-ups who forgot a long time ago what being 12 felt like.

HOCKEY

hockey is awesome and I love that this book has HOCKEY. more of gordans books should have hockey and stuff about sports.

It Holds Up Through the Years

This was one of my favorite audiobooks as a kid. I nearly had it memorized. When I was 14 (summer of 2004) my siblings had checked the audiobook out of the Marion county libraries in Indiana - again. Our house caught fire and the audiobook was destroyed. (Sorry if you wanted to check it out after that. It was an accident.) I made an Audible account a few months ago and was thrilled to find this among the titles. It has been 16 years since I listened to this book. It is as good as I remember. I think most people 10 and up will enjoy this audiobook. Gordon Korman is a wonderful writer and the narrators are fantastic.