Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.
A Long Way From Chicago by Richard PeckPublisher: Puffin
Publication date: September 1998
ISBN: 9780142401101
Source: Audiobook from the library
When Joey and his sister Mary Alice are sent every summer to visit Grandma Dowdel, they little expect to enjoy it so much. Grandma manages to keep them on their toes and to defy the town with everything she does. From a shotgun funeral to a plane ride in the sky, the kids' summers are anything but dull.
Things I Liked:
The book is told in a series of short stories and each story is just so hilarious! Grandma Dowdel feels like a real character, she's so full of life. She literally carries the stories on her shoulders, like the fiesty woman she is. This one would make a fantastic read-aloud in a class. The narration (we listened to it on a trip) was well done and had just the right amount of clever intonation to make the stories even funnier. This is a personal favorite of mine and one to sell to reluctant readers.
Things I Didn't Like:
The episodic feel might turn some people off, since it doesn't technically have a progressive plot. But, after one story of Grandma Dowdel, I think they will want more.
Read-alikes:
A Year Down Yonder and A Season of Gifts have more Grandma Dowdel and a bit more plot too
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
maybe one or two
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: none
Overall rating: *****
What's your go-to reluctant reader pick?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
