Module 8- Mystery: The Trouble With Chickens: A J.J Tully Mystery by Doreen Cronin

*Summary:

JJ Tully is a retired search and rescue dog who has found himself enjoying a retirement in the country, when he is approached by a chicken who has lost one of her chicks. She offers JJ a cheeseburger for his help in finding the lost chick. JJ follows many clues that lead him to Vince the Funnel, an inside dog who has it out for JJ. Yet, nothing is as it seems, and each character has their own agenda.

*Bibliography:

Cronin, D., & Cornell, K. (2011). The trouble with chickens: a J.J. Tully mystery. New York, NY: Balzer + Bray.

*My Rating:

Out of all the mystery books I read this week, I waited to read this one last. I thought that it would be predictable and silly. I was wrong! This was such a refreshing read for me! I loved the silliness in this book and the mystery had me guessing the whole time. Kids would love this book and it had me laughing out loud more than one time. Also, the illustrations were really funny.

*Review:

JJ. Tully, retired search-and-rescue dog, is one tough cookie - laconic, unflappable, and master of speech noir: "Sometimes there's a plan, sometimes there's only adrenaline. Sometimes adrenaline is all you need." He is lured out of retirement by a determined chicken who promises him a cheeseburger if he'll take on the case of her kidnapped offspring. The perp is Vince the Funnel, who looks like "a cross between a dachshund and a lamp" (he's a wiener dog with a cone on his head), and the victims (or so we think) are a couple of chicks, Poppy and Sweetie. Perfect pacing and reliably placed zinger lines keep us engaged and pulled into the next short chapter. A genial denouement involving the pleasures of community and the power of reading is fully earned. Tidily embedded clues, a generous scattering of vignette and full-page illustrations, a dandy plot twist, and a cast of hilarious characters add up to a treat of particular delight to fans of the mystery genre, dog lovers, and the chicken positive. SARAH ELLIS

Ellis, S. (2011). The trouble with chickens: A J.J. tully mystery. The Horn Book Magazine, 87(2), 113-114. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/852999894?accountid=7113

*Uses in a library:

A librarian could use this book to create a mystery program at the library. Kids could look for clues throughout the library that lead to this particular book. The first to get there could win a prize. 
Here is a book trailer from this book that the author has created: 
http://readinginaction.org/bookcasts/trouble-chickens-jj-tully-mystery