Review Blog

Jul 01 2010

Chicken Stu by Nathan Luff

Scholastic, 2010. ISBN 9781741695566.
(Age Middle school) When weedy asthmatic Stuart is sent to stay with his aunt and uncle for the Christmas holidays, things look bad from the start. Stuart is not close to his cousins, the loud and boisterous James and Matt who are no help in guiding him around the mysteries of farm life, while Auntie Gwen makes it her personal business to rid Stuart of his allergies and fears. City life has made him soft, so living on a farm for six weeks will do wonders, she thinks. Much fun ensues in this easy to read story, as Stuart learns about the perils of the crutching shed, the vagaries of milking a cow, catching the poddy calf as well as having to contend with the young girl next door, who appears to have a liaison with Matt, despite Auntie Gwen's best intentions.
Rural life has a whole lot of things that frighten Stuart horribly, and for a while he wishes to be with his mother, but things take a turn for the better in this laugh out loud story.
Fran Knight