A Long Way From Chicago

Rating:
Summary: Excellent YA fiction
Review: I was just introduced to this title by a friend, even though I am long since past my YA years. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book for 5th-7th grade (and those that still like to read YA books). The narrator's grandmother is funny and feisty, and each chapter tells a self-contained story about the boy's growing relationship and knowledge of this remarkable woman, and his sister's and his reluctant visits with her. The humor is sly at points and, after the first chapter or two, you know there is going to be some sort of twist, but Peck does a good job of trying to surprise the reader (not always successfully for the adult reader but probably very well done for the younger reader). I really loved this book.

Rating:
Summary: Not long enough, by far
Review: I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of nothing so much as Ray Bradbury's, "Dandelion Wine". The evocative sights and smells of summer in a small town are rendered here in exquisite detail. The character of the Grandmother is not only original but entirely believable. Peck is such a talented writer that you can see the seeds of the Grandmother's personality appearing in the character of the younger sister as the years go by. Most interestingly, the small town folk rendered here aren't made ridiculous. While they may do things that seem silly, they're also given a dignity of their own. The first chapter, originally published by itself as a short story, is honestly hilarious. Too often you hear books described as "laugh-out-loud funny", but this is actually one of them. This book also reminded me of the "Soup" book series, of which I am so fond. This is a perfect book for group reading. The chapters, while packed with information, are short enough to read in a single setting each. A great book all around.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing! Out-of-this-world funny!
Review: Joey and Mary Alice are your typical kids. They live with their Mom and Dad in Chicago, and lead a normal life. But when their parents think that they should start spending their summers with their Grandma Dowdel in central Illinois, their lives are far from normal.
A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck is an award-winning novel, with remarkably clever writing and brilliant characterization. In this book, Joey and Mary Alice, two "city slickers", have to become more country, or more like their Grandma, and some of the things that they do during the summers spent with her, are priceless. For example... putting a mouse in a milk jar just to make a neighbor mad isn't very nice, and when your grandma is known as the "One Woman Crime Wave" you might not want to be very chummy. Those are just a couple of the summers that Joey and Mary Alice have to deal with. This book is amazing! It gives colorful details that draw pictures in your mind, and it will grab and hold your attention throughout the whole book. I recommend this book to anyone! Especially if you want a book that will make you laugh. And if you like this book, try Peck's sequel to the novel, A Year Down Yonder.

Rating:
Summary: A Long Way from Chicago
Review: A Long Way from Chicago is a very good sequel to Richard Pecks A Year Down Yonder. This book tells a magnificent story about a young boy and his sister. They ride a train down from Chicago to Monticello. (I live in Monticello.) The grandma is kind of like a big kid; she doesn't follow rules, or directions. I enjoyed this book because it is based in my hometown of Monticello. You can relate to everything like the train, or walking by the hardware store. I recommend this book to everyone (especially Monticello)!

Rating:
Summary: A Long Way from Chicago
Review: This book is about is about a twelve year old boy named Joey and his sister, Mary Alice.
Each year, ever since the Great Depression started, Joey and Mary Alice go to their
grandmother's house in rural Chicago. They find adventure and get to know their
grandmother better and better each year. This book was remarkable and kept me wanting
to turn the page. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good laugh and an
easy read.

Rating:
Summary: My Introduction To Richard Peck
Review: This is the first Peck book I ever read; upon finishing it, I looked for every thing by him I could get my hands on! Yes, it is *that* good! Grandma is a miracle--miraculous, that is, in that she leaps from the page, more real than life! If that sounds hard to believe, get the book. You will laugh, you will reflect, and you will be so glad you read it. I only hope that Mr. Peck keeps on telling us about Grandma!

Rating:
Summary: Great on tape
Review: My seven year old listened to A Long Way from Chicago as a book on tape and adored it....as did 2 other 7 year olds in the car. It made a long car trip go fast.

Rating:
Summary: A funny book, but not Peck's best
Review: It is a funny book about Mary Alice and her brother Joey as they spend summers down with their crazy grandmother. i enjoyed other of Peck's books better like another book about Mary Alice called A Year Down Yonder. I suggest both books.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK
Review: Recommendation
I recommend this book for two reasons. The first one is that it shows a lot about doing things that you don't want to but must do. 'Why do we have to go to grandma's house it's not fair,' Joe and Mary-Alice questioned. The second reason that I like the book is that it is about having friends but leaving them when you have to leave for vacation at your grandma's house. 'I miss all of my friends back home,' is what Mary-Alice said. This book also has a lot of action such as this 'Somebody on horseback had blown up grandma's mailbox sky high.' In conclusion, I think this book is a great book to read when you have time, I liked it and I think you will too.

Rating:
Summary: A Long Way From Chicago
Review: When Joey and Mary Alice Dowdel were sent to their grandma's house every summer for six years, they would experience summers that they would never forget.
A Long Way From Chicago is the story of two kids visiting from Chicago to see their wild and crazy grandma in the Illinois countryside. It takes place in the 1930s at the time of the depression. Every summer when they visit their grandma something strange or exciting happens, making it yet another unforgettable visit. What's so great about this book is that it shows you what it might have been like in a small country town during the time of the depression. What's also great is that every summer their grandma does something adventurous and exciting. Things that bring them nightmares, things that make them smile. A Long Way From Chicago has been awarded the Newberry Medal for being an excellent book for kids. I highly recommend reading this book. Hope you like it!
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