Chickie Jurin's Toad Rodeo

By Heidi DeStefano

Chickie Jurin, a ten-year-old school misfit, needs to find her missing hen before a hungry wild animal does. But, she's too busy keeping her troublesome little brother and sister from drowning in the ranch cistern. Meanwhile, Mom braves the muddy roads to her job interview at the country school. On top of that, cranky Aunt Tabitha makes life unbearable for everyone as rain continues to fall.

"They were everywhere Since the toads blended in with the ground, it was hard to see them unless they moved. I tried to watch where I stepped. I didn't want to add squashing toads to my morning mistakes."

When Chickie hatches a plan for a toad rodeo in the chicken yard to entertain her siblings so they'll stay away from the cistern, the outcome forces her to second-guess her dreams. Will she continue to pursue a future as the chicken expert of the world? Or, will she give up her coop and hope her parents move back to town?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 164922091X
• ISBN13: 9781649220912
• Release Date: October 2025
• Publisher: Sastrugi Press LLC
• Length: 140 Pages
• Weight: 0.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7