A Year Down Yonder
Did you read the book A Long Way From Chicago also written by Richard Peck? If you have, then you know who Grandma Dowdel is. If you haven’t read it, and you’ve picked up a copy of A Year Down Yonder, get ready for Grandma Dowdel to start ruling your world.
The setting of the book takes place in the 1930’s when the United States was going through some very hard times. People had to work hard for everything that they had-and when life in Chicago becomes too difficult for Mary Alice’s parents to care for her in the big city, they send her down to Grandma Dowdel’s small town in rural Illinois. Mary Alice by this time is a teenager, and is not really excited about changing her life so drastically. Think about it: moving from a big, bustling city where your friends all go to big city schools, to a small, sleepy town where everybody knows everybody else and their dog! And smack at the center of it all is Mary Alice’s Grandma Dowdel.
One thing you have to understand about Grandma Dowdel, is that she is not a quiet, little granny rocking away the hours on a porch. Nope, Grandma Dowdel is alive and kicking. She intends to help Mary Alice adjust to life in the little town, whether or not Mary Alice wants the help! This book recently won the Newbery Award, so you know it’s got to be good. Check out A Year Down Yonder and discover one of the greatest grannies ever.
