CHICKEN BOY by Frances O'Roark Dowell Accelerated Reader: Level: 5.1. Pts. 5. Number of Multiple Choice Questions on Quiz: 10. Take the Quiz! Book Description: Tobin McCauley begins the seventh grade out of step with the rest of the world in Frances O'Roark Dowell's novel. Unexpectedly forming a bond with the new kid, Henry introduces Tobin to Henry's "chickens have souls philosophy," the delights of chicken raising, and the richness of having a friend. Tobin, whose mom died five years ago, lives with his father and siblings. However, his dad is uncommunicative and often absent, so he spends plenty of time at his unconventional and absentminded Granny's house. Everything seems to be working out for Tobin, and he's even figured out a way to make this awkward home situation work. Then Granny decides she wants custody of Tobin, and he ends up in foster care while the courts decide his fate. The characters are well defined, and the writing is both simple and evocative.