Mr. Chickee, the genial blind man in the neighborhood, gives 9-year-old Steven a mysterious bill with 15 zeros on it and the image of a familiar bu...
read full description
reviews
Jan 23, 2010
MissDziura
rated it: 
Mr. Chickee's Funny Money but Christopher Paul Curtis was overall dissappointing mainly because of the format I experienced the book in, audio. I am not a fan of listening to books on CD so I first had to adjust to hearing someone else read to me. As far as that, I found the reading by actor Joe Holt to be about as boring as watching (or listening) to paint dry. The story is multiethnic in nature because of the setting, urban, and the main characters who are African-American. Joe Holt, who i
More...
Apr 23, 2009
Kent
rated it: 
I have enjoyed Curtis's novels in the past and thought this would also be a fun one.
The premise of the novel is that Mr. Chickee gives Steven a quadrillion dollar bill (Soul singer James Brown is the portrait on the bill). It turns out the bill is real and the Feds are trying anything to recover it. The book was okay, but not excellent. The feds were written as fools, the premises of many of the sub-plots were ridiculous. If the book had been written as more of a fantasy, I might hav More...
The premise of the novel is that Mr. Chickee gives Steven a quadrillion dollar bill (Soul singer James Brown is the portrait on the bill). It turns out the bill is real and the Feds are trying anything to recover it. The book was okay, but not excellent. The feds were written as fools, the premises of many of the sub-plots were ridiculous. If the book had been written as more of a fantasy, I might hav More...
Apr 06, 2010
Sarah
rated it: 
Christopher Paul Curtis continues to hit the mark with just the right combination of humor, mystery, suspense, accessible reading level, and quick plot. In my continual search to find light-hearted books with African-American protagonists for reluctant readers, Mr. Chickee is one of the few that met my hopes. Junior Detective Steven receives a mysterious dollar bill from neighbor Mr. Chickee, not only does the currency have more zeros than Steven can imagine, it boasts a picture of motown leg
More...
Jun 03, 2009
Caroline
rated it:
Fun and light-hearted first story in his Mr. Chickee series, Christopher Paul Curtis includes elements common in his other books (set in Flint, Michigan, for example) but provides a whole new kind of reading experience. The protagonist, Steven, is given a quadrillion-dollar bill by his blind--and somewhat mysterious--neighbor, Mr. Chickee, for all the help Steven provides him on his weekly grocery shopping trip. Mr. Chickee goes out of town immediately after, leaving Steven to figure out if the
More...
May 17, 2008
Jodysegal
rated it:
Steven has received a quadrillion dollar bill imprinted with the face of James Brown on it from his neighbor Mr. Chickee and now it’s up to him to figure out if this very real looking bill could be authentic. Enlisting the help of his friend Russell, the two must stand up to the black-suited agents of the Department of Treasury. Funny, at times irreverent, and with some refreshing surprises, Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money delivers. An audio-book read by James Holt is enjoyable, though the actor plays
More...
Mar 16, 2009
Josiah
rated it:
This book is absolutely hilarious; I'm talking about quite a few laugh-out-loud moments being attributable to this book. There were also some heartfelt scenes snuck in amongst the sublime comedic syntax. Perhaps it's the limited amount of stories published by him, but Christopher Paul Curtis is always 100% on the ball with whatever comes from his pen. Simply put, if it's written by Christopher Paul Curtis, my advice to anyone is: Read it.
Nov 27, 2011
Sherry
rated it:
A rare piece of currency originating from a blind old man leads the government to trail a boy, his dog, and his friends. Enjoyable and zany, and quite different from others by Christopher Paul Curtis. Starts out with the revelation that a best friend has just died in a tragic accident, which starts the book in a grim way, then begins a flashback to story leading up to that event, where the mystery and zaniness comes in.
Booklegger 3/4.
Booklegger 3/4.
Feb 19, 2009
Kristi
rated it:
This was the second book I read to my sixth graders. A boy is given a bill that is so outrageously large, and he goes to the FBI to see if it is even real. It's a fun, silly book. I mean, James Brown is on the bill! How crazy is that! The bill is real, and the FBI want it. Craziness ensues.
May 11, 2007
Abby
rated it:
Steven, member of the Future Flint Detective Club, has been given a quadrillion dollar bill by his friend Mr. Chickee. When he goes to the Department of the Treasury to find out if the bill could be real, he meets Agent Fondoo and he thinks there's something fishy about him. Unbeknownst to Steven, Agent Fondoo has just gotten a memo about the missing quadrillion dollar bill and the huge reward for finding it. Fondoo will stop at nothing to get it back, but are Steven's detective skills sharp eno
More...
Jan 04, 2009
Diana
rated it:
Cute and funny book, but I was not happy with the ending. It didn't wrap up as neatly as I expected, apparently there are more...
May 07, 2010
Anne Marie
rated it:
This was a quick read/listen and a fun mystery to share with kids looking for adventure, but not a long commitment.
Oct 23, 2011
Akilah
rated it: 
Listened to this on a road trip. HILARIOUS. We laughed so hard. Great characters, fantastic narrator.
Feb 20, 2010
Jaqui
rated it:
I wouldn't read this book again but I guess it was ok. It was a little confusing at some times though
Jan 04, 2012
Timothywashington
rated it:
I like it because it was funny and it talks about a freindly freindship between a boy and a man.
Nov 26, 2011
Monica
rated it:
Rockin' Funny story/mysterey but 1st chapter was hard to understand. I don't reccommend.
Jun 09, 2009
Jamani
rated it:
This had some small giggles in it throught out the story, but it is full of mystery.
Nov 04, 2011
Junio
rated it:
Humerous with its own logic. It's almost a modern folktale. James Brown's face on the quadrillion dollar bill, is a nice touch and integral to the storyline.
Apr 17, 2008
Rebecca
rated it:
I laughed out loud through the entire book. One of my favorite parts was the discussion of the Poneytail Patriots. I love how Curtis really captures the story through Steven's eyes - even when he's not speaking.
Jan 25, 2012
Keith
rated it:
Very off the wall, but entertaining. Steven Carter is a kid with a wild imagination...or is there more to him than that? That's part of the fun!
Aug 04, 2007
Arguably, the best line ever: "Besides, only somebody really strange would even think about changing the words that another person had written."
Feb 09, 2008
Sami
rated it:
I wish I had a dictionary that constantly wrote insults. It would come in handy when fighting with my brother.
