A Long Way from Chicago (A Long Way from Chicago, #1)

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A Long Way from Chicago (A Long Way from Chicago #1)

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 15,266 ratings · 1,278 reviews

Join Joey and his sister Mary Alice as they spend nine unforgettable summers with the worst influence imaginable--their grandmother!

Paperback, 160 pages

Published April 12th 2004 by Puffin (first published September 1st 1998)

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Jul 27, 2008 Gloria rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Older children, younger teens

Recommended to Gloria by: Teacher

Shelves: young-adult

This story’s grandma does not exactly fit the mold of the classic plump, white-haired, cookie-baking character used in other stories or commercial ads. Grandma Dowdel has a rather tough and leather-like persona that fascinates her two grandchildren each summer as they learn more and more about how she thinks.
Through these summer experiences, the reader learns about the Great Depression, small town America, and gets a glimpse of Chicago during its gangster-plagued years. More than history, howeve...more

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Feb 29, 2012 L12_Marie Schiller rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-source-audio, historical-fic

Richard Peck’s, A Long Way from Chicago is the first book in the trilogy about larger than life character Grandma Dowdel and her grandchildren, Joey and Mary Alice. (The second is A Year Down Yonder and the last is A Season Of Gifts.) Joey and Mary Alice are sent from Chicago to spend the summer each year with their Grandma Dowdel in rural Illinois. The book immediately grabs the reader’s attention: “You wouldn’t think we needed to leave Chicago to see a dead body. We were growing up in there ba...more Richard Peck’s, A Long Way from Chicago is the first book in the trilogy about larger than life character Grandma Dowdel and her grandchildren, Joey and Mary Alice. (The second is A Year Down Yonder and the last is A Season Of Gifts.) Joey and Mary Alice are sent from Chicago to spend the summer each year with their Grandma Dowdel in rural Illinois. The book immediately grabs the reader’s attention: “You wouldn’t think we needed to leave Chicago to see a dead body. We were growing up in there back in the bad old days of Al Capone and Bugs Moran.” Grandma Dowdel is not to be outdone by anyone so she offers to hold the viewing of Shotgun Cheatham’s dead body in her parlor. Late that night when the body moves on its own Grandma takes out her shotgun and proceeds to shoot! (Little did the other participants know that it was just the cat causing the chaos.) Each chapter describes another year (during the Great Depression from 1929-1942) of antics their Grandmother subjects them to. From ghosts to outdoing the banker’s wife the reader is sure to enjoy Grandma’s antics.

Peck grew up in Decatur, Illinois and certainly used his experiences to write this historical and hysterical fiction. Written in the point of view of Joey the readers get a glimpse into how Grandma rids the town of bullies and brings down the “society” class a peg or two! This well written book won a Newbery Honor Award. I enjoyed this book but liked A Season of Gifts even more! In A Season of Gifts Joey and Mary Alice are now adults and don’t visit any longer. But when a preacher and his family move next door the antics start all over again. I could relate to the characters more in A Season for Gifts.

Novelist Plus suggests ages 8 and up but to get the full depth of life during this time I would suggest grades 4th and higher. Activities for this age group might include learning about Chicago gangsters and what life was like during this era. The website: http://libraries.risd.org/wallib/alon... has numerous activities relating to the book, include colloquialisms of the time. One example is “she hightailed it out of there.” Another activity would be a reader’s response journal chapter by chapter to share with peers in discussion groups.
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May 31, 2008 Abby rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this little book. It was funny. It's about two kids from Chicago who go and visit their Grandma in the country every summer, and how she is exactly like my funny Grandma (aka "Granny") in North Carolina.

My sister recommended this book to me after she read it in her book club. I am a book club virgin. (Meaning, I have never actually belonged to a book club, or attended a live meeting, but I DO love talking about books on this website - oh my gosh, is that like the dorky guys who never act...more I liked this little book. It was funny. It's about two kids from Chicago who go and visit their Grandma in the country every summer, and how she is exactly like my funny Grandma (aka "Granny") in North Carolina.

My sister recommended this book to me after she read it in her book club. I am a book club virgin. (Meaning, I have never actually belonged to a book club, or attended a live meeting, but I DO love talking about books on this website - oh my gosh, is that like the dorky guys who never actually talk to girls in real life, but chat with girls online all the time and think that counts???)

I forgot what I was saying.

Oh yeah. So anyways, I have never been in a real live book club, but I don't know what you would actually discuss about this book. Unless, of course, you have a southern grandma like me and my sister do. I don't think most people do.

Here is a story about my Granny and my one and only cousin Daniel. This is exactly what the Grandma in this book was like, except it's a real story about my real Granny.

Daniel was a little kid, and he found fire crackers in one of her closets. He asked if he could set them off in her back yard and she said "Sure!". So he set them off. Unfortunately, they were illegal, and someone called the police. The cops showed up at her door, and Daniel hid in the closet, terrified. Granny knew how to handle the situation. The officers said, "Ma'am, we've had some reports of illegal fire crackers being set off at your house. Could we please have a look around?"

My Granny said, "What? You boys want some crackers? Don't bother me! I'm not feeding you!" And she slammed the door. And my cousin did not end up in the slammer. Slam dunk, Granny!

I think that tale gets taller each time my sister and I re-tell it. But hey, it's our heritage. Some people came from pioneer stock, but we came from a real "mountain woman". (Her words.) She sleeps with an ice pick under her pillow. Although she acknowledges that by the time a burglar (or one of the "dope dealers" she says hang out in the abandoned house across the street) gets close enough to her bed for her to stab him with it, it'll be too late, she says, "But at least he'll get a real good surprise from this little old lady first!"(less)

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Sep 20, 2008 george rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, read-in-2008

Joey and Mary Alice's Grandma ain't your sweet little granny. She's a tough old woman who makes her own soap, not afraid to use a shotgun, illegally traps fish and steals boats. She's outrageous and moody; gruff and caring. Joey and Mary Alice visit her for a week each summer in the country--a far cry from their regular life in Chicago. At first the siblings drag their feet to Grandma's, but after a few summers they can't wait to go and see what antics Grandma will get in to next.

Loved this! Gra...more

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Mar 17, 2009 Alm Melson rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone!

A great book! Very funny. People who live in or grew up in small towns will recognize something of their lives in Grandma's small Illinois town where everyone knows everyone's business--"sometimes before it happens." Grandma herself is an unforgettable character. Crotchety and aloof from the rest of the town, shunned by most of her neighbors (until they need her help), Grandma gets the best of snobby society women, out-of-town interlopers, Halloween pranksters & theives, and school bullies b...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Gale rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kid-and-relatives, humor-young-adult

WHERE EVERYBODY'S PRIVATE AFFAIRS ARE PUBLIC PROPERTY!

What a fun read! Peck presents 8 short tales which span several summers in rural Illinois during the Depression, when two kids make annual visits to their eccentric Grandmother. Narrated by the boy (two years old than his sister), these outrageous yarns create a wonderful atmosphere of wacky individualism and family bonding.

It would be hard to find a literary granny as feisty, resourceful and fearless of authority as Grandma. Things are nev...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Ginger Dawn rated it 5 of 5 stars

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
A book review by Ginger Dawn Harman

Imagine it is summer 1929 and you live in Chicago. The old days of Al Capone, Bugs Moran, and Prohibition are the headline new interest of the day. You are nine and your younger sister is seven. Oh by the way, you just found out that you are being sent to your Grandma Dowdel’s home in the country for the summer. There is plenty of time to anticipate the summer ahead while on the Wabash Railroad’s crack Blue Bird train. Get...more A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
A book review by Ginger Dawn Harman

Imagine it is summer 1929 and you live in Chicago. The old days of Al Capone, Bugs Moran, and Prohibition are the headline new interest of the day. You are nine and your younger sister is seven. Oh by the way, you just found out that you are being sent to your Grandma Dowdel’s home in the country for the summer. There is plenty of time to anticipate the summer ahead while on the Wabash Railroad’s crack Blue Bird train. Get ready to laugh, cry, and make a special bond with Richard Peck’s novel, A Long Way from Chicago.

Richard Peck has been described as an author with magnificent storytelling that is comparable to American humorists Mark Twain and Flannelly O'Connor. I completely agree! Richard Peck has created a memorable world filled with characters who, like Grandma Dowdel, who are larger than life and twice as entertaining. Grandma Dowdel is eccentric, spirited, quick-witted and unafraid of authority. I should also add that she has a mischievous side to her. The story begins in rural Illinois during the Depression; the children arrive at their Grandmothers to encounter their first corpse, Shotgun Cheatham. Word is buzzing at The Coffee Pot Café with many stories surrounding his death. Leave it to Grandma Dowdel to host the viewing and funeral for a stranger who becomes a war hero and philanthropist. Many more exciting adventures happen during those eight years such as spiders and cats that attack Joey and Alice on trips to the privy, the Cowgill boys that bully the townsfolk and sheriff O. B. Dickerson and President of the Chamber of Commerce Earl T. Askew in their underwear while singing The Night that Paddy Murphy died.

Richard Peck creates a loveable and unforgettable cast of characters such as; Effie Wilcox, Grandma’s arch enemy who is described as ”cross-eyed ugly” and “has a tongue attached in the middle and flaps at both ends.” Yet the author discreetly weaves a variety of political, social, and moral issues into the fabric of the story. Examples include: the way that Grandma takes care of old Aunt Pus saves Effie Wilcox, the outcome of Grandma switching her gooseberry pie with Mr. Pennypacker’s pie at the county fair, and most of all the love that is shared with a family no matter what is going on in the outside world. The primary point is that the book is first and foremost an entertaining and enjoyable historical novel. Readers will find much food for thought and discussion. The savvy teacher or parent can use this book on many different levels. Our son had no idea what a privy or the depression was, or who mobsters were. The character building discussions of what would you do created many vibrant conversations, and what fun is it to hear your father or friend sing Sweet Adeline.

With unforgettable imagery, impeccable writing, and breathtakingly poignant writing, this novel is a masterpiece of a story. The author maintains the pace and drama by providing unique and believable adventures. It is a page turner. My favorite part was the ending, as I lay beside my son in bed and we read this ending many tears were flowing. I guarantee this novel will light up your heart with the special ending as the train chugs by Grandma Dowel’s house! I highly recommend Richard Peck’s young adult novel, A Long Way from Chicago.
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Feb 20, 2013 Nana S. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recently I have read a book titled A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck. The book takes place in the 1930's during the time of the great depression when siblings Joey and Mary Alice spend a week at their grandma's house every summer for nine summers. They thought spending a week at their grandma's house in her sleepy town might be boring. But it turns out that grandma's town is a lot less sleepy than Joey and Mary Alice thought. They help their grandma do everything from trespassing, to seein...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Danielle Friel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, middle-school, intermediate-grades, historical-fiction

Joey and Mary Alice are two city-going kids when one summer, their parents decide to send them to visit their grandmother in a “middle-of-nowhere type town, somewhere between Chicago and St. Louis. Throughout the book, Joey tells us about their exciting adventures - which are intimidating at first, as they don’t know Grandma Dowdel all that well - but become bonding experiences between them all. As the years go by and each summer passes, Joey learns a lot about himself through these experiences....more

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Dec 02, 2012 Shelby Schumaker rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelby Schumaker 12-1-12
English Honors 9 4BD Book Review November
For book review in November, I read a Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck. The book’s copyright date is 1998 and the genre is historical fiction.
In the beginning of the book there are multiple events that occurred in the book I can relate to. On page 4, the book states, “Dad said Mary Alice and I were getting to the age when we could travel to Chicago on our own,” One way I can relate to this part in the book is that I have als...more Shelby Schumaker 12-1-12
English Honors 9 4BD Book Review November
For book review in November, I read a Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck. The book’s copyright date is 1998 and the genre is historical fiction.
In the beginning of the book there are multiple events that occurred in the book I can relate to. On page 4, the book states, “Dad said Mary Alice and I were getting to the age when we could travel to Chicago on our own,” One way I can relate to this part in the book is that I have also been on a plane to Chicago, Illinois. On page 51, Joe, Mary Alice, and Grandma Dowdel all bring food to Aunt Puss’s house. She is very poor and can not provide a satisfying meal for herself. During the Great Depression, It was very difficult to provide a meal for you or a family member. Grandma Dowdel took the time to buy, deliver, and cook a meal for Aunt Puss. According to the book on page 51 it states, “I has to fire up the stove with a bunch of kindling while Grandma and Mary Alice went to work on the potatoes and onions.” In relation to this matter, a few years ago my friends and I went to a rest home. We offered to all of the patients anything they would like or need. I can relate to the book and what my friends and I did easily. We both took the time and effort to do something that is not always easy. This can also make others very happy and thankful. During the beginning of the book, there were multiple events that I could relate to.
In the middle of the book, there are multiple events that I can relate to. According to the book on pages 70-71 the book states, “Rupert Pennypacker! He was responsible for the other gooseberry pie!” The winner of each contest at the fair gets to take a ride in a airplane. Grandma Dowdel really wanted to take a ride in the plane but also knew how much Rupert Pennypacker did also. She has won against him multiple times before and knew how much better her gooseberry pie was. Before the winner was announced, Grandma Dowdel switched
Rupert and her pies number so he would win. Rupert won and was so happy but he did not know Grandma Dowdel switched the pie numbers. Rupert Pennypacker was awarded a blue ribbon and a ride in the airplane. I can relate to this event easily. In 1st grade our class had an art contest. We were awarded a blue ribbon and some candy. I was the winner of my classes contest. After I won my awards, a girl was very upset because she did not win. I gave her some on my candy and she was happy. This goes to show that giving up something for someone else can make a person feel very good. Another event I can relate to when Mary Alice was tape dancing on Grandma Dowdel’s back porch. For example on page 90 the book states, “Mary Alice began to run through her routines calling out the steps: shuffle, ball, change, step, step, shuffle, ball, change, step, step.” Reading these words brought me back to when I was a child. My mother was employed at a dance studio where I spent most of my time. The words “shuffle, ball, change, step, step” were frequently used. Hearing these words brought me back to such a happy time. I loved dancing and going to work with my mother. During the middle of the book there are multiple events that I can relate to.
Toward the end of the book, there are various events that occurred that I can personally relate to. For example on page 126 the book states, “She was bending over her treadle Singer sewing machine, threading the bobbin.” First and foremost, this reminds me of my grandmother. She is a seamstress and I have seen her thread a bobbin many times before. Secondly, Singer is the same type of sewing machine I just learned how to use on my home and careers class. Lastly, in Social Studies last year we learned that Isaac Singer built the first commercially successful machine in the 1850s. In conclusion, there are various events I can personally relate to through the entire book A Long Way from Chicago.
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Nov 20, 2012 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars

In A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck, the narrator named Joey tells humorous stories about the weeklong summer visits that he and his sister Alice had with their unconventional grandmother. Joey and Alice—who are from Chicago—visit Grandma Dowdel each summer in her small rural town from 1929 to 1935. Each visit is one adventure after another with their Grandma who has her own way of doing things. Grandma Dowdel is a larger than life type of character who overshadows everyone. She is an ol...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Josh added it

A Grandma with a shotgun, a boy in a plane, and his city-slicker sister. This fantastic, grabbing-you story is sure to put you into the novel like Al Capone in Alcatraz. The story takes place during The Great Depression in a seemingly normal Illinois town. The story spans over seven summers, each one more exciting than the last. There are three main characters in the book. One is Grandma Dowdel, another is Joey and the last one is Mary Alice. Grandma Dowdel is a larger than life, sort of scary,...more A Grandma with a shotgun, a boy in a plane, and his city-slicker sister. This fantastic, grabbing-you story is sure to put you into the novel like Al Capone in Alcatraz. The story takes place during The Great Depression in a seemingly normal Illinois town. The story spans over seven summers, each one more exciting than the last. There are three main characters in the book. One is Grandma Dowdel, another is Joey and the last one is Mary Alice. Grandma Dowdel is a larger than life, sort of scary, older women that in heart is a great person, but in the eyes of the people she shot or blackmailed, she is the Devil’s mother. Joey is a 9 year-old boy who left Chicago, then a city made from crime, to see his first corpse. Mary Alice, his sister, is a 7 year-old girl who looks on the dark side of things and believes that her parents dump her with her grandma just to go fishing in Wisconsin. The book is made up of 7 different stories of the kids’ summers at Grandmas. Joey and Mary Alice have always known that their grandmother was crazy but they didn’t know that she could set illegal fish traps, catch the sheriff playing poker in his underwear and even cheat the town’s banker. When people break into Grandma’s house-how will she react? With words or with a shotgun.?
The lesson that I got out of this book is that no matter what the situation you are in, you can always have fun with the right attitude.
I think that the author made you feel part of the story but also made it hard to understand that the story was 7 summers. This story is perfect for people who like a hard read and a long term story. I rated it a Koenigsegg ( see rating chart) because it was catching book and gives you a challenge.

My Rating System
Mercedes=1 point Corvette=2 point
Lotus=3 points Porsche=4 points
Maserati=5 points Ferrari=6 points
Lamborghini=7 points Koenigsegg=8 points
Noble=9 points Bugatti=10 points
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Oct 08, 2012 Kaitlin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1-12

Richard Peck weaves a hilarious tale of two kids in the eary '30s who are forced to visit their wacky grandma every summer. Each chapter highlights one summer of adventures, and Grandma Dowdel's mischievious nature and slap-on-the-back, down-to-earth ways are immediately endearing to the reader. With each year, Mary Alice and Joey grow to appreciate Grandma Dowdel and their experiences with her, which include housing a corpse in the living room, playing pranks on neighborhood teenagers, stealing...more

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Sep 17, 2012 fuzzgig rated it 3 of 5 stars

Joey and Mary Alice are two city kids from depression era Chicago who have to spend a week each summer with their Grandma Dowdel. The children are sure that only boredom awaits them in Grandma's small country town. But every year, Grandma Dowdel manages to surprise the kids with something unforgettable.

With Joey narrating, each chapter is an episode from the yearly visits. Grandma Dowdel has no use for the daily dramas of small time life, and generally tries to keep to herself. But she always ma...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Patti rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Undeniably, A Long Way from Chicago and its sequel, A Year Down Yonder, are the two funniest and most entertaining stories I have EVER read!!! Positive reviews from people of all ages peaked my curiosity…

Were they right! Grandma Dowdel is an unforgettable character that rocks the little hick town she lives in – on purpose, and WITH purpose to make a point. Borrowing a few words from the inside flap: “ …this richly entertaining story is masterfully interwoven with tales of moonlit adventures, lov...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Jack Cheng rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a novel in short stories told by a boy from Chicago who goes (with his younger sister Mary Alice) to visit their Grandma Dowdel for a week every summer from 1929 to 1935. The rural setting and Grandma's sneaky, roundabout exercises in justice or charity reminded me of Twain in Tom and Huck mode. Peck does a wonderful job of describing situations so the reader either is a few steps ahead or behind the narrator. In reading this to my kids I would sometimes pause and then they would shout,...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Meredith Trotter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemp-real-fict

Publication: 1998

Grade/Age: Grades 4-8

Annotation: Every summer Joey and his sister, Mary Alice, spend a week with their larger-than-life grandmother in rural Illinois during the 1930s.

Themes: Coming of age, the Great Depression, country life, humor,

Ways to use the book:

Social Studies - Have students make a timeline of national events that occurred between 1929 and 1935. Then have each student select one of the events to research in detail. How did the events of the nation during this time affec...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Ms.Gaye rated it 4 of 5 stars

A long way from Chicago is how Joey and Mary Alice felt when they went to visit their Grandma each summer. She lived in a small town in Illinois and although it wasn't really that far from Chicago, it was like a whole different world to Joey and Mary Alice.
Besides that, Grandma was strange. She didn't talk much and she didn't seem to like the other townsfolk; but she always provided amusement and surprises for Joey and Mary Alice. By their fourth visit they actually looked forward to seeing her...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a book that was just fun. It told the story of a boy and his sister and the 7 summers (1 week visits) they spent with their unorthodox grandmother, Mrs. Dowdel. The books is divided in chapters according to summers. Mrs. Dowdel is an interesting character; definitely different from any other grandmother I've ever read. What I liked best about the book is that there were really no lessons to learn. It was just several funny stories put together to paint a picture of a small Illinois town...more

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Dec 26, 2011 Nicole Politi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Joey and his sister Mary Alice spend a week each summer at their Grandma Dowdel’s Illinois house, where their larger-than-life Grandma alternately ignores and instigates the townsfolk, cleverly outwitting them all. An excellent book whose humor I enjoyed. I highly recomend it.

At our last mock Newbery meeting, someone posed the question, “Will the committee select a funny book?” Dead End in Norvelt is hilarious and it’s on our reading list for this weekend’s meeting but when was the last time a s...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Israel Graves rated it 4 of 5 stars

(historical fiction)
This is an amazing book! I really enjoyed reading this book full of humor and adventure. In this book the narrator Joey and his sister, Alice, travel to a small town every year to visit their Grandmother. They usually dread having to take the ride to visit their grandmother and would rather spend their summer months elsewhere but as time goes on the brother & sister become part of a quite fun adventure! Now see the grandmother in this book isn't the typical Red Hat Socie...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Madison Daub rated it 3 of 5 stars

My group read the book " A Long Way From Chicago". I really liked this book, it has adventure and fun stories that will help keep children intrigued and interested. This book is about two children (Joey and Mary Alice) who are brother and sister. They spend the summers visiting their Grandmother in a small Illinois town. Their Grandmother is far from normal and they soon realize that while staying with her. I would recommend this book for grades fourth to eighth. The book takes place during the...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was a little hard to get into at first but as I continued reading my interest was heightened. The stories were told by a young boy, and his views on his grandma and his surroundings were hilarious. My favorite thing about this book was the grandma. She was the most interesting character, with each chapter I came to love the grandma more and more. I was always wondering what she would do next, I loved the unpredictability of her character. I think part of the reason I enjoyed this book...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Lolene rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book will always hold a special place in my heart. I read it aloud to my mother in her declining years...and she LOVED it. It's the story of a brother and sister who go to live with their grandma for a time during the Great Depression. Enough about the story. You know how I hate to summarize.

Each chapter has some sort of closure, so it was a perfect read-aloud book. We could share a chapter, then pick it up days later. Many of the things the author wove into the story from the depression e...more

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Feb 03, 2011 Linda Lipko rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: newbery-winner, young-adult

A 1999 Newbery Honor award winning book that I absolutely loved!

This is a touching, memorable walk down memory lane told from the perspective of 15 year old Joey Dowdel. This book was written before Peck's 2001 Newbery Medal winner A Year Down Yonder.

Each chapter is a separate story of a summer spent with Joey and his sister Alice who travel from Chicago to rural Illinois to visit their down and out, no frills, salt-of-the earth grandmother.

As I read these stories spanning seven wonderful summer...more

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May 06, 2010 Becca Hay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adolescent-lit

This fictional book, prequel to "A Year Down Yonder," is a fabulous story about Joey and Mary Alice Dowdel's summers spent with Grandma in her small town located somewhere between Chicago and St. Louis. Most grandkids enjoy time spent with their grandmas but most grandmas aren't the most feared person in town with a 12gague shotgun, perfect aim and claim a trigger-happy finger. Now, not to give the wrong impression of Grandma, she is not the harsh, rough and tumble woman she she claims to be and...more

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May 04, 2010 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

“You wouldn’t think we’d have to leave Chicago to see a dead body.” P.3 This is how adolescent Joey and Mary Alice Dowdel feel about visiting their aging Grandma who lives outside the city because they suspect their parents want to take a month long fishing trip in Wisconsin. At the beginning of the Great Depression in a small town, there is not much for Joey and Mary Alice to do besides to chores for their Grandma and jump rope. Over the next few summers, Joey and Mary Alice will realize that...more

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Jan 10, 2010 Christina rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is really good! I loved the plot and its lesson is great. It teaches kids or adults that anywhere you go you can always find something to do. It remindes me of when i was in Washington State and we were staying in a log cabbin with nothing to do but sit and watch stuff. Luckily my parents had broughten a video camera with tapes that had some of my favorite shows because there was no TV. Later that week my parents found a big ball that was bigger than me ( I was about 3 years old ) and...more

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Dec 15, 2009 Katie Carson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I was very pleased with this reading being my first Richard Peck novel. Known for his historical fiction writing, Peck tells the story of a boy traveling through the Illinois countryside with his sister to visit their grandmother around the time of the Great Depression.
My first favorite part of this novel were the great examples of dialogue, representative of vernacular during the time period. When discussing this book with my colleagues, apparently this book has been used my the seventh grade...more

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Oct 12, 2009 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ahhhh! This was so good! I chose it because I wanted something that both Jake and I would enjoy for a quick road trip (Hence, "The Treasure Map of Boys" will have to wait).

It was perfect. Funny at times that we both burst out laughing. Awesome sense of place and time, wonderful characters, entertaining stories. We both so thoroughly enjoyed it. I must admit, I dozed off towards the end of the book. So I asked Jake to tell me the ending. As he explained the scene, I got all teary-eyed right there...more

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About Richard Peck

Richard Peck is an American novelist known for his prolific contributions to modern young adult literature. He was awarded the Newbery Medal in 2001 for his novel A Year Down Yonder.

Richard Peck was born in 1934 in Decatur, Illinois, a town he describes as quiet and safe. His mother, Virginia, was a dietitian and his father, Wayne, was a merchant who often rode his Harley Davidson to work.

Richard...more

More about Richard Peck...

Books by Richard Peck

A Year Down Yonder (A Long Way from Chicago, #2)

The Teacher's Funeral : A Comedy in Three Parts

A Season of Gifts (A Long Way from Chicago, #3)

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Quotes from A Long Way from Chicago

“The years went by, and Mary Alice and I grew up, Slower than we wanted to, faster than we realized.” — 17 people liked it

“Never trust an ugly woman. She's got a grudge against the world,' said Grandma who was no oil painting herself.” — 8 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39963.A_Long_Way_from_Chicago?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347475753l/39963.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39963.A_Long_Way_from_Chicago?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck[/url]

A Long Way from Chicago (A Long Way from Chicago #1)

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