When seven-year-old Sam Graham, eager for some spending money, volunteers to look after a neighbor's chickens, the experience inspires him to get his own chicken--a special bird named Helga.

Since the death of his mother, Tobin's family life and school life have been in disarray, but after he starts raising chickens with his seventh-grade classmate, Henry, everything starts to fall into place.

"When the family minivan needs replacing, Sam has the perfect plan to turn the new car into a monster minivan, complete with a dragon painted on it. But first, Sam has to convince his family why a monster minivan is the best choice--not to mention learn how to paint a dragon!"--