Review: "Cheating for the Chicken Man," by Priscilla Cummings

The story centers around Kate Tyler, the sister of J.T., one of the protagonists in Cummings's Red Kayak. Kate is entering high school, her brother is just back from spending a year in a juvenile detention center, and her father has just died of cancer. The family owns a chicken farm, and soon, J.T. is being bullied at school with signs calling him the Chicken Man. Kate takes it upon herself to stand up for her brother, even going so far as to agree to do the bully's homework so he'll leave J.T. alone. A side story revolves around the family's chicken farm, with J.T. doing some off the books scientific research about their chicken feed and Kate taking the baby chicks that are different and hiding them instead of letting them be killed. Cummings really hits the reader over the head with the behind-the-scenes dealings at chicken farms. I think it may turn some readers off.

Mrs. Denney's Rating: **1/2

#review #family #bullying #school