middle-school readers who want clean contemporary fiction with a short, structured literary-analysis course
middle-grade novels and online novel studies
Chicken Scratch Books
Chicken Scratch publishes middle-grade fiction and pairs each novel with self-paced video courses. Explore courses emphasize discussion, character, motive, theme, and virtue; Analysis courses add close reading, vocabulary, comprehension quizzes, and an essay, with online and paper assignments plus author videos.
Visit product ↗Official listing captured in 2 states
Price$4.99-$12.99 per novel; about $23.99 per course; roughly $24.63-$31.43 for book-and-course bundles
Pricing modelper-student consumable book plus one-time course access; family and literature-circle bundles are also sold · per student
AgesPrimarily grades 5-8
Review depth2 parent quotes captured
The funding answer
Are Chicken Scratch Books ESA approved?
We found official public provider-level listings for Chicken Scratch Books in Utah, New Hampshire. That still does not prove every package, subscription or SKU is approved.
Overview
What it actually does
Chicken Scratch publishes middle-grade fiction and pairs each novel with self-paced video courses. Explore courses emphasize discussion, character, motive, theme, and virtue; Analysis courses add close reading, vocabulary, comprehension quizzes, and an essay, with online and paper assignments plus author videos.
literatureclose readingvocabularywritingcharacter analysisdiscussionvirtue studies
Quality
Who it suits—and the catch
Cathy Duffy selected the novels and studies as a Top Pick, praising the writing and the manageable, incremental literary analysis. The catalog deliberately avoids graphic content and overt political or religious agendas, which many families value, but parents should still sample the house style and worldview; the course is a novel study, not a complete language-arts sequence.
- narrow publisher catalog
- not a complete language-arts curriculum
- course depth varies by Explore versus Analysis format
- per-child books and writing feedback still require adult attention
“very impressed by the quality of the writing”
Cathy Duffy after reading two of the publisher's novels; her page contains affiliate links.Read the parent discussion ↗
“well organized with worthwhile content”
The same independent review of the online novel-study courses.Read the parent discussion ↗
State evidence
Where the underlying expense category may qualify
Category permission, provider approval and exact-SKU approval are separate questions.
AZ
Arizona
Empowerment Scholarship Account
Allowed
Curriculum, textbooks, workbooks, and instructional materials are eligible.
No public provider-level listing naming this brand was captured.Official category rule ↗TX
Texas
Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA)
Allowed
Textbooks and instructional materials are eligible.
No public provider-level listing naming this brand was captured.Official category rule ↗FL
Florida
Personalized Education Program (FTC-PEP) · Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA)
Allowed
Textbooks, workbooks, books, curriculum, and instructional materials are eligible.
No public provider-level listing naming this brand was captured.Official category rule ↗WV
West Virginia
Hope Scholarship
Allowed
Curriculum and supplemental materials across core subjects and the arts are eligible.
No public provider-level listing naming this brand was captured.Official category rule ↗UT
Utah
Utah Fits All Scholarship
Allowed
Textbooks, curriculum, and instructional materials are eligible.
Provider evidence: listed.Official category rule ↗TN
Tennessee
Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) · Individualized Education Account (IEA)
Conditional
Remaining EFS funds may pay school textbooks, curriculum, and instructional materials.
No public provider-level listing naming this brand was captured.Official category rule ↗AL
Alabama
CHOOSE Act
Conditional
Curriculum and instructional-material vendors can participate as approved ESPs.
No public provider-level listing naming this brand was captured.Official category rule ↗LA
Louisiana
Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity to Rise (LA GATOR)
Allowed
Curriculum, textbooks, instructional materials, and supplemental materials are eligible.
No public provider-level listing naming this brand was captured.Official category rule ↗GA
Georgia
Georgia Promise Scholarship
Allowed
Qualifying curriculum and supplemental materials are eligible.
No public provider-level listing naming this brand was captured.Official category rule ↗NC
North Carolina
Education Student Accounts (ESA+)
Allowed
Curriculum, lesson plans, learning kits, workbooks, and required textbooks are eligible.
No public provider-level listing naming this brand was captured.Official category rule ↗AR
Arkansas
Arkansas Education Freedom Account
Allowed
Curriculum and instructional materials are eligible.
No public provider-level listing naming this brand was captured.Official category rule ↗IA
Iowa
Students First Education Savings Account
Conditional
Textbooks and school-billed curriculum fees are eligible.
No public provider-level listing naming this brand was captured.Official category rule ↗NH
New Hampshire
Education Freedom Account
Allowed
Textbooks, curriculum, instructional materials, supplemental materials, and associated online instruction are eligible.
Provider evidence: listed.Official category rule ↗ID
Idaho
Empowering Parents
Allowed
Existing balances can pay for curriculum, books, and instructional materials.
No public provider-level listing naming this brand was captured.Official category rule ↗Compare
