A Year Down Yonder

Rating:
Summary: C'mon for A Year Down Yonder
Review: C'mon for A Year Down Yonder

The book A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck is very interesting, exciting and adventurous book with lots of detail. This book was specifically set in the early 1900's when they had just finished the depression and were having hard times recuperating. The family that this book is based on is one of the families that were not recuperating very fast. The members of the family are a boy, girl, mom and dad. The father had lost his job and the daughter had to move away and live with her grandma. The girl wasn't looking forward to staying with her grandma on a farm in the land of nowhere. The girl and her Grandma started to bond and that was when the book got good. I do not want to spoil the book for youso I will stop there. I really liked the book because it made me want to keep reading and that is why I gave it five stars.

Rating:
Summary: How so cute and interesting!!
Review: How so cute and interesting!!, September 12, 2003
Reviewer: Nutchanart Thapan From UBU, Ubon Ratchathani
Thailand

I never knew Richard Peck but after I finished reading "A Year Down Yonder", I want to know who he is, because he can create the character like Mary Alice's grand mom interestingly. For the first time, it seems Mary gets into trouble because she had to learn how to live in a new place, Illinois, which is very different from Chicago, even though she visits there every year with her brother, Joey. However, she has to go there alone this year because her father looses his job. Joey cannot go there with her because he has to work for the government. In reality, living with an elderly person might be boring, but for Mary's grand mom is not. Mary's grand mom is very cute and interesting because she likes to act as if she is not old like stealing pecans and pumpkins for cooking. Mary joins doing such a thing. Also, they do many things together like working and playing. However, I think Mary enjoys staying with her grand mom because her grand mom is not a typical elderly person who is strict and boring. On the other hand, Mary's grand mom can be both grand mom and friend. So, I think she is so cute and interesting. Mary has good luck even though she has to leave her family in Chicago to be in countryside like Illinois, because she has her grand mom. In addition, Mary has learned many things in Illinois that she would never find in Chicago.
If you want to know more about the cute and interesting grand mom and her niece, just read "A Year Down Yonder"

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Audio
Review: Lois Smith is an excellent reader of this book (in audio.) I listen to a lot of audio books, and some readers are awful. This one is outstanding, very expressive, and the right voices on the Grandma and characters that really help establish the personalities and dry humor.

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Summary: One of the Funniest Stories
Review: Mary Alice is stuck spending a year with her crazy yet extremely funny grandmother. All the people down there in Southern Illionis think of her as a 'rich little girl', but she makes some friends and ends up enjoying herself and finding her husband. It was quite a laugh, especially when the starving artist they rent part of the house to is drawing a naked lady when a snake attacks them and Mary Alice's boyfriend is over. Richard Peck is an awesome writer.

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Summary: "Fascinating blend of humor"
Review: This book offeres wonderful humor that no matter what the age will love. It's full of twists and turns and pop out adventures. What some might consider an ordinary book is definetly not. peck demonstrates hillarious humor in a storytelling setting, kids will love and their parents will to. This book is a true classic and will remain one forever.

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Summary: A Year Down Yonder
Review: As a student of West Virginia State College I was required to read this book for my Children's Literature class. The book was relaxing and enjoyable. Mary Alice has to go to her grandmother's to stay for a year while her family gets back on their feet. Her grandmother is not the most welcoming woman. As the story unfolds her grandma is always scheming to avenge enemies and to benefit her friends in the small town. Mary Alice is drawn in and becomes her partner in crime. As she begins to understand Grandma she comes to love and respect her. Although in the beginning Mary Alice dreaded coming to the small "hick" town to live she now hates to leave. That year she lived with Grandma Dowdel would have an impact on the rest of her life. This is a humorous and heartwarming book that reinforces that one should not judge people on appearances.

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Summary: Tyes Review
Review: My story was about a girl that lived in the big city,and evry year he and her brother had to go to there grandmas house, but this year her brother had to work so she had to go alone and she was sad and didnt want to go with out her brother but her mom made her. She had to ride on a train to get there and when she got there she had to go to school. After a while she had a christmas program and nobody could sing, but the pulled it off. This book was an ok book it was kinda of slow and boring but i got through it.

Rating:
Summary: What a Hoot!!!
Review: I read this book as well as A Long Way From Chicago with my 8 year old daughter. We laughed until we cried. We could not wait to read the next chapter. This is how a book should be written. Grandma Dowdel is an unforgetable character. Every child should read this book.

Rating:
Summary: A Year Down Yonder
Review: I thought this book was excellent, laugh out loud funny. This is story about a young girl who lived with her grandmother for a year because her family was struggling during the depression. The book tackels a lot of issues children go through growing up; everything from problems arising in school to being just a little embarrassed of your own relatives. Instead of making it a really intense/serious story, like many dealing with time period are, Peck added a lot of humor by using an "old" lady who was extremely set in her ways and her ways were nothing that could be considered ordinary. The grandmother acutally reminded me of several people I have met in the nursing home. I would recomend this book to just about anyone, young or old.

Rating:
Summary: A Long Way from Chicago
Review: His Granma Dowdel has rules Joey must follow. When she is ready to leave they must be ready too. Grandma Dowdel is taking a trip in a boat. I don't know what her plan is yet. I am reading this because we read A Year Down Yonder in social studies and I thought it was funny.