THE WILD CHICKS pulls from Funke's own suburban German upbringing and takes place in the late 20th century--before the popularization of cellphones, Wi-Fi, and many of the things that children now use to amuse themselves indoors. The members of the Wild Chicks gang--Charlie, Freya, Trudie, and Melanie--don't have perfect families, but they have each other, humor, and plenty of adventures.