Type of bind: Hardcover
Format: Bargain Price
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 191
Printing Date: February 28, 2001
Sale Popularity Level: 1691130
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Product Description:
Each summer over the nine years of the Depression, Joey and his sister, Mary Alice-two city slickers from Chicago-make their annual summer visit to Grandma Dowdel's seemingly sleepy Illinois town. Soon enough, they find that it's far from sleepy... and Grandma is far from your typical grandmother. From seeing their very first corpse (and he isn't resting easy) to helping Grandma trespass, pinch property, catch the sheriff in his underwear, and feed the hungry-all in one day-Joey and Mary Alice have nine summers they'll never forget. Richard Peck's laugh-out-loud funny, episodic novel makes sure that you never will, either!
The 1999 Newbery Honor Book-'A small masterpiece of storytelling.' -The Horn Book
Reviews for A Long Way from Chicago:
'Peck deftly captures the feel of the times...Remarkable and fine.' -Kirkus Reviews, pointer review
'Warmly nostalogic, beautifully written, and full of thought-provoking interpersonal relatinships.' -Children's Literature
'A rollicking celebration...Perfect for reading aloud and a great choice for family sharing.' -School Library Journal, starred review
Awards for A Long Way from Chicago:
( The 1999 Newbery Honor Book
( A 1998 National Book Award Finalist
( An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
( A Riverbank Review 1999 Book of Distinction
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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As the country slides into the Great Depression, Joey and his sister Mary Alice are shipped out to the sticks to spend a week at Grandma Dowdel's. They batten down for seven days of boredom and country chores, but nothing could have prepared them for a storm like Grandma. She lies, cheats, smokes, and drinks beer. A mountain of a woman, she answers the door wielding a shotgun, welcoming visitors with a "What now?" or a "Whatever you're selling, I don't want any." But over time, Joey and Mary Alice learn to cherish their adventures with Grandma and to see through her gruff exterior to the heart and soul of a country town.
Richard Peck's novel in stories A Long Way from Chicago (Dial Books for Young Readers: 1998) is a throwback to the heyday of American storytelling, carrying on the tradition of Mark Twain, Sherwood Anderson, Ring Lardner, and James Thurber. He brings Middle America to life with a pitch perfect ear for dialogue and a wonderfully humorous touch. In "A One Woman Crime Wave," Grandma and the kids trespass on the local Rod and Gun Club's stream to trap catfish that they'll later feed to the drifters on their way out of town, complete with bottles of home brewed beer despite Prohibition. Joey's describes their stop to visit Grandma's old boss: "She was by many years the oldest person we'd ever seen up till then. Bald as an egg, but she needed a shave. And not a tooth in her head." Later, in "The Phantom Brakeman," they harbor a fugitive girl and facilitate her elopement. Grandma fends off the girl's irate mother: "And I'll tell you something else for free. If you set a foot over that doorsill, I'll ring your blue neck." Peck has the natural storyteller's talent for making us laugh at ourselves while conveying something meaningful about life. Through Joey and Mary Alice's outlaw adventures with their renegade Grandma, readers learn the virtue of defiance, the meaning of courage, and the essence of pride while laughing out loud at this deserving Newbery Honor Book.
Rated by buyers -
This was one of the funniest books i have ever read it's characters were great grandma especially. Other great things about this book was how Richard Peck was able too make it so funny but same time give it a great plot.
A MUST READ...!
Rated by buyers -
In perhaps his best known work, the stories of Richard Peck shine more than any tale of early America by Mark Twain ever could. The characters and era are layered in such a way that the historical time comes to life in these fictional pages.
Joey and Mary Alice Dowdel spend a week each August with their grandma in Southern Illinois starting in the time they reached school age until high school. Yet the adventures grandma leads her grandchildren on were hardly a reflection of a woman dealing with old age. Allegedly a respected elder, grandma proves as mischivous as any child. From the plane ride depicted on the front cover of the book to the mouse in the milk, there was never a dull summer with grandma.
"A Long Way from Chicago" is fast paced and certain to bring a smile to reader's faces with its recollections of a simpler time. Peck is the type of writer that makes children excited about reading, and I commend him for his work.
Rated by buyers 
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This book came in within 5 days and was in excellent condition. It was as good as or better than I expected.
Rated by buyers -
Peck's narrative style is humerous and engaging that manages to extract insights from odd adventures. The laugh out loud scenes and the characters make this a joy to read. At the same time painting a endearing and thought provoking picture of a small-town life America going through some hard times.Young readers will love the bond between them. Don't we all want a Grandma Dowell in our lives!
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