Module
Four - A Year Down Yonder
Book
Summary
Times are still tough in 1937 and in order to save money,
fifteen-year-old Mary Alice must leave her family in Chicago to spend a year
with her fearsome, larger-than-life grandmother in rural Illinois. She initially does not want to go but she gradually
begins to better understand her grandmother's unusual qualities and love her
way of life.
APA
Reference of Book
Peck, R. (2002). A year down yonder. New York, NY : Dial
Books for Young Readers.
My
Impressions
Wrapped in the disguise of historical fiction, A Year Down Yonder is really the story
of a super-hero Grandmother. Peck was asked if the character of Grandma Dowdel
was based on his own grandmother and he said she was not – more on the
grandmother that he wished he had. And
who would not want a super-hero Grandma? Especially one wrapped up in an old
hunting jacket and boots. She seeks to right the wrongs of the world and help
the downtrodden (especially in her own little town); bring the high and mighty
down a peg; and avenge wrongdoings in a way that hurts the pride of the
perpetrators without actually harming them physically. She at first appears a
bit backwards, uncivilized and unloving when in fact she is the exact opposite.
Mary Alice starts out as an almost wimpy fifteen year old but as the story
progresses, you see that she is beginning to emulate her Grandmother in certain
ways – writing "Newsy Notes from Our Communities" for the local newspaper
anonymously; sending secret Valentines to Ina-Rae in order to put Carleen
Lovejoy in her place ; and innocently snaring the affections of the new boy in
town. Needless to say, I loved this book and cannot wait to read Peck’s
companion novels. I have found a new
role-model in Grandma Dowdel.
Penguin teaching guide for A Long Way from Chicago and A
Year Down Yonder. (n.d.). http://www.penguin.com/static/images/yr/pdf/tl-guide-longwayfrchicago.pdf retrieved September 27, 2015.
What
the Professionals Say
From Horn Book
Magazine -
This sequel to Peck's Newbery
Honor-winning A Long Way from Chicago
(rev. 11/98) is narrated by the formidable Grandma Dowdel's granddaughter Mary
Alice, who is now fifteen and has been sent to live (or fend for herself, as
she sees it) with Grandma after her father loses his job in Chicago — a
casualty of the 1937 recession. Grandma is still dispensing her own brand of
justice in her small Illinois town, and, as before, Mary Alice soon finds herself
an accomplice to many of Grandma's brazen schemes — and even boldly hatches a
few of her own. While the escapades are diverting, the seven stories, which
span the school year, don't have
the cumulative power of those in A Long Way from Chicago. Grandma, who was an
indefatigable source of surprise and bewilderment to her grandchildren in the
first book, doesn't come across as such a mythic figure this time around,
perhaps because some of her shock value has worn off. The humor here is subdued
but much in evidence, and a few overly sentimental moments don't detract much
from the narrative. Peck presents memorable characters in a satisfying sequel,
and those looking to be entertained once again by Grandma Dowdel will enjoy
their visit.
Flynn, K. (2000).
[Review of the book A Year Down Yonder by R. Peck]. Horn Book Magazine, 76(6), 761-762.
From
School Library Journal -
Peck charms readers once again with this entertaining
sequel to A Long Way from Chicago (Dial, 1998). This time, 15-year-old Mary
Alice visits Grandma Dowdel alone for a one-year stay, while her parents
struggle through the recession of 1937 looking for jobs and better housing.
With her older brother, Joey, working out west in a government program, Mary
Alice takes a turn at recounting memorable and pivotal moments of her year with
Grandma. Beneath the woman's fierce independence and nonconformity, Mary Alice
discovers compassion, humor, and intuition. She watches her grandmother exact
the perfect revenge on a classmate who bullies her on the first day of school,
and she witnesses her "shameless" tactics to solicit donations from
Veteran's Day "burgoo' eaters whose contributions are given to Mrs.
Abernathy's blind, paralyzed, war-veteran son. From her energetic, eccentric,
but devoted Grandma, she learns not only how to cook but also how to deal
honesty and fairly with people. At story's end, Mary Alice returns several
years later to wed the soldier, Royce McNabb, who was her classmate during the
year spent with Grandma. Again, Peck has created a delightful, insightful tale
that resounds with a storyteller's wit, humor, and vivid description. Mary
Alice's memories capture the atmosphere, attitudes, and lifestyle of the times
while shedding light on human strengths and weaknesses.
Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Auerbach, B., Grabarek, D.,
Leiboff, J., & Larson, G. (2000). [Review of the book A Year
Down Yonder by R. Peck]. School Library Journal, 46(9), 236.
A
Suggestion for Use in a Library Setting
I would use the book as a selection for a book club for “Tweens”
- 4th, 5th, and/or 6th graders. At my current
library, students receive a copy of the book to keep when they sign up for book
club. I would insert a book mark in the book that had some questions for them
to think about while they are reading. Questions would include the reason why
Mary Alice has to leave Chicago, what they think about Grandma Dowdel’s ploy to
stop the Halloween pranksters, if they were surprised by what happened at the
Christmas play, and what part of the book they liked the best, among others. I
would also ask them to write down any words or terms that are not used commonly
today or that they find unusual as they are reading. On the day of the meeting, we would discuss
the book. Then we would make a Vocabulary Burgoo. Burgoo is "a stew with whatever you had
on hand. White meat and red meat and maybe squirrel" that "was served
at every outdoor event, from an auction to a hanging." (p. 44) In the
book, it was served at the Turkey Shoot when the town was having its annual
Armistice Day observation. We would add
new vocabulary words to our burgoo - like “vittles”, “till kingdom come”, “silent
as the tomb”, and any other terms that they have written down. Then we would
make our own burgoo to eat but instead of using vegetables and putting it over
a fire, we would use trail mix type ingredients and mix them all together. It’s
important to have snacks at book club! And it is even better if you can tie
them into the story.
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