Funny Puns
Inspiration Book:
The plot chickens by Auch, Mary Jane — Holiday House, 2009--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.9 Henrietta the chicken loves to read so much that she decides to write a book herself, but she has trouble finding someone to publish a book written by a chicken, and then, when she publishes it herself and it gets a terrible review in "The Corn Book," Henrietta is devastated.
Rationale: Nothing motivates student writing like publishing their work. About every three years my small private school works on a writing and publishing project resulting in commercially bound hard cover books. The library (or classroom) gets the original copy of each book and students/parents may purchase additional copies of the book for souvenirs. Some years, an extensive one or two month book writing effort is made, other years, and this method is more effective, students collect all of their writings, choose the best, and word process or print for publication. I place the library copies in an easily accessible place for browsing and check-out. There is always a crowd around the area during book selection time.
At some of my schools, I have also been able to encourage the PTO/PTA to sponsor a Writer in Residence program. Sometimes the writer merely does a presentation, sometimes he/she works with each of the classrooms in the writing process. When I have been at a small school that can’t afford full payment, I’ve tried to find another librarian who would like to share the costs. If there is a local author, the costs of transportation and lodging can be saved. A picture book author or illustrator is a good choice for all grades K-8. For upper elementary and middle school, a poet, a non-fiction author (allows for the research process), or a creative writer are suitable.
The Inspiration Book, in a humorous manner, describes the whole writing and publishing process. Other titles in the Related Books section can be used to motivate for and/or explain the process. If the whole school publishes regularly, choose specific titles from the list for each grade or even classroom and then the titles can be reused the following year or publishing cycle with the new group of students. Although all Related Books are picture books, they can be used with upper grades as well.
See the following Books Alive entry about authorship: Word After Word After Word by Maclachlan.
Within Books Alive there will be other entries about chickens. There are ten story hour themes within the entry for The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County, including: Oh Minerva!, I’ve Hatched!, Growing Up Chicken, Chicken Lore, Palatini & Auch, Chicken Power, Chicken Music, Chicken Action, Chicken Soup Maybe with Rice, and Chicken Jokes.
Teacher Resources:
The Plot Chickens by Mary Jane and Herm Auch (2009) Have the students pick another animal to write a story about. Talk about parts of a book (index, glossary, etc.) Other books to use with this book: Look At My Book: How Kids Can Write and Illustrate Terrific Books by Loreen Leedy, Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin and Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters From Obedience School by Mark Teague.
Related Books:
The titles listed here are all by Auch who loves playing with words and using puns. That’s why this group of stories may also be used for a slightly older group. You will also find ducks and turkeys here because Auch enjoys all type of fowl.
Beauty and the beaks : a turkey's cautionary tale by Auch, Mary Jane — Holiday House, 2007--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.4 When Lance, a very pretentious turkey, arrives on the farm and boasts that he is the only bird invited to a special feast, no hen is impressed, but when Beauty learns that Lance is the main course, she convinces the others to save him.
Poultrygeist by Auch, Mary Jane — Holiday House, 2003--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.8 On Halloween night, two rowdy young roosters encounter a "poultrygeist" in the barn.
The Easter egg farm by Auch, Mary Jane — Holiday House, 1992--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.0 Pauline the hen lays unusual eggs, but Mrs. Pennywort, her owner, thinks they're beautiful, and she and Pauline work together to open an Easter egg farm.
The nutquacker by Auch, Mary Jane — Holiday House, 1999--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.0 Clara the duck is so impatient to discover the farm animals' secret of Christmas that she puts herself in danger and almost misses the party. OP
Peeping Beauty by Auch, Mary Jane — Holiday House, 1993--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.1 Poulette the dancing hen falls into the clutches of a hungry fox, who exploits her desire to become a great ballerina.
The buk buk buk festival by Auch, Mary Jane; illustrated by Auch, Herm— Holiday House, 2015. Dewey: -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.5 Henrietta is a reader and a writer, unusual traits for a chicken, but when her book is published and she is invited to the Children's Book Festival, only the local librarian believes she is the author.
Souperchicken by Auch, Mary Jane — Holiday House, 2003--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.5 When Henrietta becomes the first chicken in her coop to learn how to read, she uses her skills to save her aunties from becoming chicken soup.
The princess and the pizza by Auch, Mary Jane — Holiday House, 2002--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.8 An out-of-work princess applies to become the bride of Prince Drupert, but first she must pass several tests, including a cooking contest.
Chickerella by Auch, Mary Jane — Holiday House, 2005--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.9 This barnyard version of the Cinderella story features a mild-mannered chicken, a fashion-conscious Fairy Goosemother, and a prince at a Fowl Ball. OP
