A Long Way from Chicago by Richard PeckMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Told more in the style of vignettes rather than a continuous story, A Long Way from Chicago is the story of Joey, his younger sister Mary Alice, and their adventures when they travel each summer to visit their Grandma Dowdel. Grandma Dowdel is not your typical grandma, and the kids find themselves learning from her unconventional relationships with her small town compatriots.
I loved the stories because they were sweet and the characters are endearing, most especially their grandmother. I also like the vignettes. Each summer gives the reader a glimpse into the workings of this small town. Grandma Dowdel is a somewhat surly sort, but she has a big heart and a way of quietly helping those around her. I love the way she puts people in their places through subtle manipulation. And the ending was especially brilliant. I won't spoil it, but it did bring a tear to my eye.
However, I couldn't quite bring myself to give this five stars. As is often my beef with juvenile literature*, I wanted more development of the characters. Peck is a great writer, but I found myself comparing this to Gary Schmidt's Okay For Now, and because Schmidt's story is so well developed, I could not help but feel that this fell a little short for me. Perhaps if they had had a few more adventures with Grandma Dowdel, I would have absolutely loved it. I certainly would have enjoyed a few more stories.
As it is, though, I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it. It's a quick, sweet little read full of charming anecdotes about life in a small town.
*I suppose this borders on YA literature, but I think my eight and nine year old nieces and nephews would get a kick out of it.
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