A Year Down Yonder

Mary Alice has to go live with her Grandma Dowdel in a small town in Illinois because the Depression is hitting her family hard, with her father out of work and her parents temporarily moving to a place too small for her to stay with them. She starts off a bit appalled by life at her grandma's, without the amenities she's used to in Chicago, but grows to appreciate the town, its quirky people, and her relationship with her tough grandma.

This Newbery Medal winner is a sequel of sorts to A Long Way from Chicago, but can be read as a standalone and was in fact one of the first books I read by Richard Peck. Where the first book was more a series of short stories from the summers Joey and Mary Alice stayed with Grandma Dowdel, and in fact show more focuses more on Joey, this one is Mary Alice looking back and remembering one year. I loved the humor and the character sketches readers get following a school year in 1937-38. Grandma Dowdel is a force of nature, and most people are afraid of her. But the relationship she has with Mary Alice grows strong, and I loved seeing how both of them changed in the course of the story. There's a lot of humor and hijinks that make for fun reading or listening. show less

Hmph. I _thought_ she was imitating Grandma Dowdel a little too well. Now there's two of them running their little plots. Interesting but not enjoyable, for me - if you don't mind manipulators, you might like it better.

Richard Peck's ability to create strong characters in such a short book astounds me. I love the spirit in A Year Down Yonder just as much as in A Long Way From Chicago. Both books are collections of incidents and mishaps around Grandma Dowdle. She is a delightful, funny, strong character. Richard Peck portrays her through the eyes of her grandchildren - in this case, Mary Alice - and it's interesting to see her transform in their opinions.

I also like the hints of a darker, sadder backstory behind her. If Richard Peck wanted, he could have written about Grandma Dowdle before she was Grandma (maybe he did?) and still have a thoughtful, exciting story.

Because the tone is so light, this book is the perfect length. I enjoyed it and would add show more it to my collection. show less

It's 1937, and fifteen-year-old Mary Alice Dowdel finds herself having to leave Chicago and live downstate with her grandmother for a year due to her parent's financial troubles. It's a year of fun and adventure for Mary Alice as she settles into her new school and finds herself swept up in the chaos Grandma Dowdel causes as she rides roughshod over the small town's other residents. The school year of stories mostly revolve around the holidays: Halloween, Armistice Day, Christmas, and Valentine's Day.

I slightly prefer this sequel over A Long Way from Chicago as Mary Alice is a more interesting narrator with more character growth than her brother Joey.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Prologue -- Rich Chicago Girl -- Vittles and Vengeance -- A show more Minute in the Morning -- Away in a Manger -- Hearts and Flour -- A Dangerous Man -- Gone with the Wind -- Ever After show less

“I can’t fight all your battles for you…”

However, Grandma Dowdel continues to fight for Mary Alice, her granddaughter, and becomes her savior.

When the Great Depression in 1937 causes Mary Alice Dowdel’s father to lose his job in Chicago, Illinois, Grandma Dowdel opens her door and her heart to Mary Alice. Thus, a touching and beautiful relationship between the larger-than-life grandmother and her fifteen-year-old granddaughter unfolds in the countryside of St. Louis.

Grandmother Dowdel, Mary Alice, and all their neighbors gather at the Abernathy farm to celebrate Armistic Day, a holiday that commerates soldiers who died during the war. Peck mentions that people in Chicago take this holiday very seriously; they still do. In show more addition, many women characters are in the Legion Auxiliary, an organization that helps veterans through. This organization still exists. In addition, Grandma Dowdel laments when Mary Alice wants to spend $2.75 on a pair of new shoes: "I remember when you could shoe a whole family and the horse for that money." This provides readers with a clear view of how the Great Depression affected everyone's survival.

This is becoming one of my favorite children's books! The target audience is ages 9-12. I really connected with Mary Alice, such as the hardship of being separated from my family. The book is outstanding! show less

I *LOVE* this book! Grandma is such a larger-than-life character. I love how strong and independent she is, how she always works her own form of justice into the world, and how really, at the heart of it under all those layers of armor, she is a tender soul. This book is a hilarious look at small town life in Illinois during the recession following the Great Depression. Highly recommended!

9/2012 Damn, this book makes me miss my grandma Millie. Beautifully written, hilarious and poignant in equal measure. Now I'm going to have to re-read [b:A Long Way from Chicago|39963|A Long Way from Chicago|Richard Peck|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1347475753s/39963.jpg|1207111] too!


2007 The grandmother in this book reminds me of my own irrepressible grandmother. The warm and nostalgic tone never tips over into treacle. Highly recommended.