Attack of the 40-foot chicken

The town of Nevermind endures another zany episode, this time pitting an 11-year-old's epic survivalist skills against an extremely large rooster. Chronically overprepared Barker Mifflin has just started his second year of picking strawberries at McFadden Farm, receiving one essentially worthless McToken for each flat delivered. His stellar performance and survivalist know-how bring him to the attention of Megan McFadden, the farm owners' 11-year-old daughter, who offers him a spot as a row commander and enlists his help solving an unusual problem. Her mother has mysteriously shrunk down to the size of a doll--apparently the work of Megan's father, Maverick, a scientist who used to work at Colossal Chemistry. And before long, Barker crosses paths with the enormous chicken. It'll take all his talents and maybe a little luck to avoid complete disaster while getting to the bottom of things. Though occasionally meandering, this second series installment is chock-full of wild antics, wacky wordplay, just enough scares to create suspense, and a generous sprinkling of Barker's always entertaining, sometimes useful Survival Nuggets. Familiarity with the first entry in the series is recommended, though Carman has made a strong effort to keep this story accessible to newcomers. Characters' descriptions are minimal. A wonderfully weird, madcap tale with just a tiny bit of terror. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.