A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

A Long Way from Chicago, a Newbery Honor Book, has been on my to-read list since Mr. Higg told me how much he loved it. It was a very appropriate read for the summer because it is about a brother and sister's week-long summer visits to their Grandma's. At first the siblings are not thrilled with the idea of being sent away from their big city life in Chicago to Grandma's sleepy small town. Over the summers, though, they learn that neither the town nor their Grandma is what they expected.

Richard Peck organizes the book's eight chapters by Joey and Mary Alice's annual summer visits; therefore, the chapters can be enjoyed together or own their own as individual short stories. Because the visits span the years 1929-1935, readers get a little taste for what life was like during the Great Depression.

A Long Way from Chicago is a funny story that I recommend to 3rd-6th graders who are open to historical fiction.

By Mrs. N.