Fall Reading 2013 Young Chicken Farmers and Children of the Tipi

Any reader interested in raising chickens, or curious about what is involved in being a chicken farmer, will enjoy Young Chicken Farmers by Vickie Black. The author and her family have their own backyard chickens, so she is speaking from experience on the subject. The book covers all areas of the process from choosing a breed, to ways you can use the eggs that your chickens will lay. There are plenty of photographs to illustrate key points in the text, as well as a glossary of terms like brooder and roost. Mrs. Black also includes a list of resources to help readers decide on which breed to choose. The information about the author at the end of the book includes a photo of her family beside their chicken coop.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley, but it was published last November. It has won several awards:
2013 Indie Excellence Award: Children's Non-Fiction,
2013 International Book Award: Children's Non-Fiction,
2013 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award: Young Reader Non-Fiction, and the
013 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award: Animals/Pets.



The publisher has posted an interview with the author.



Children of the Tipi is written by Michael Oren Fitzgerald, the adopted son of Thomas Yellowtail, an American Indian spiritual leader of the 20th century. With that background, he handles the subject of the book with obvious respect. Mr. Fizgerald's goal is to help young people today understand the way of life of the tribes living on the plains during the time of the great buffalo herds. He uses quotes from members of various tribes along with historical photographs to do this. The photos illustrate toys and games, family life, and other interesting details. This would be an excellent book to use in a study of Native Americans, perhaps as a read-aloud. It would not be the best choice for research because it gives more of an overview of various tribes, rather than an in-depth discussion of one particular group.


Check out the publisher's website for more information about the award-winning author.