A Year Down Yonder

Author: Richard Peck
Copyright Date: 2000
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Number of Pages: 130
Reading Level: Ages 13 & Up
Genre: Historical/Realistic Fiction

Summary

Mary Alice is a girl who is fifteen years old, and she lived during the time of the Great Depression. One summer, her dad lost his job so she had to go live with her Grandma Dowdel in a rural Illinois town. Compared to her home in Chicago, this was not exciting to her at all. The school is really small, and she doesn't have many friends. Throughout the book there are many adventures that she goes on by herself, but mostly with her grandma. Over her stay there, she comes to truly love her grandma and at the end of the book, Mary Alice marries Royce McNabb at her grandma's home. Royce was a boy who moved into town during the school-year. And they all lived happily ever after.

Reaction

I didn't particularly love this book. It was really well written, but I had a hard time getting into the story. I almost found it a little boring.

Recommendations

I don't know that I'd recommend this book because I didn't really love it, but I think it's good for this age group to read and I think a lot of people can relate to parts of it.

Problems/Conflicts

Grandma Dowdel does a lot of crazy things in this book that are very bold--she even steals. There's a woman who ends up running through the town naked. Those were the main things, but basically it's just some of the stuff that her grandma does that people might not want their kids to read.