Goodbye Chicken Little Essay, Research Paper

The name of my book is Good-bye, Chicken Little, and was written by Betsy Byars. Betsy Byars has written over fifty books for young people. Her first book was published in 1962 and since then she has published regularly. She also won the Newbery Medal in 1971 and the American Book Award in 1981. Good-bye, Chicken Little is a book written for younger readers which I consider to be an adventurous book.

Good-bye, Chicken Little takes place in Morgantown, West Virginia. The story is written from a modern-day viewpoint. Jimmie Little, the main character, is a typical young boy who enjoys spending time with his friend Conrad. Mrs. Little, Jimmies mom, is a widow woman who has two children, Jimmie and Cassie. Both of these characters are very effective characters all throughout the novel. Jimmie and Mrs. Little are both very likeable characters.

Jimmie Little is scard of life. Ever since his father s death, the world has seemed so unpredictable that Jimmie nicknamed himself Chicken Little. Good-bye, Chicken Little is a perceptive exploration of Jimmies reaction to his Uncle Pete s death, which takes place at the beginning of the novel. Jimmies uncle is well known for his jokes and pranks. On a cold wintry day, while visiting the bar, Pete, while drunk, was dared to walk across the river which ran through town. As usual, Pete accepted the dare and wasn t fortunate enough to make it across without falling in and being killed. Because Jimmie was at the river side when Uncle Pete began to cross the river and did nothing more than he did to stop him he feels worse than ever. This terrible feeling of guilt Jimmie has last only until a special party with his relative which provides him with the understanding to face life no matter what happens instead of running away. The novel is fast-moving and does a good job of holding your attention until the end. The climax of the story is when Mrs. Little all the sudden decides to have a party which will bring together all of their family that is still living.

Betsy Byars did a very excellent job with her choice of words in Good-bye, Chicken Little. Her choice of words makes this an easy book to read and understand for readers of all ages. Characters are made to seem so real all throughout the novel. The plot also seems very real and is easy to follow. Because Betsy Byars intended for Good-bye, Chicken Little for younger readers she wrote very simply.