Title:  A Long Way from Chicago  

Author: Richard Peck

Genre:  Historical fiction

Publisher: Penguin Group

Place of Publication: New York, New York

Copyright: Richard Peck, 1998

Number of Pages: 148

Star Rating: ****

 

Summary:

    A Long Way  from Chicago is a book about a boy named Joey and his younger

sister Alice who live in Chicago. Every summer Joey and Mary Alice would

take a train to visit their Grandma Dowdel who lives in a small town in

Illinois, which is where the story takes place. Grandma Dowdel isn’t like

any other grandmother, she is much more exciting then your average

grandmother, which makes it hard to put the book down. Every chapter is a

new year, and something exciting is always happening.

 

Review:

    Visiting your grandmother probably isn’t the most exciting thing to do

over summer vacation. But if your grandmother was Grandma Dowdel, you

might want to stay for more than a week. Stealing a boat to catch fish

illegally with smelly cheese, and catching the officer in his underwear

along the way are just a few encounters Grandma Dowdel experiences.

Grandma Dowdel is definitely not your average grandmother, at least when

Joey and Mary Alice are visiting.

    Grandma Dowdel is very exciting, though she isn’t the skinniest person in

the world she can be very quiet. Mary Alice hates having to go out to the

privy, because almost every time a tomcat jumps out at her. And for Joey,

he’s just an average kid doing whatever Grandma Dowdel wants, like going

on her adventures.

    One of the days while visiting, Grandma Dowdel took Joey and Mary Alice

to the county fair. Grandma Dowdel cheated her way into getting a ride on

the passenger plane, but she couldn’t fit. Mary Alice used to jump rope

all the time, but then she got into tap dancing so that is what she does

now. Joey went on every adventure Grandma Dowdel did, such as fishing

illegally, and going to the county fair where Joey got to go in a plane

for the first time.

    Grandma Dowdel is very exciting and adventurous. She makes this book very

enjoyable. I think these three characters are what make this book hard to

put down. Grandma Dowdel is definitely not your average grandmother.

 

Reviewer: Katelyn M

House:  Androscoggin

Teacher:  Ms. Deschambeault

Date:  January 5th, 2005