A Year Down Yonder

By: Richard Peck
Published by:
Ages: 9-12
Pages: 144
Published by: Puffin

This is a story about a girl named Mary Alice, who goes to live with her grandmother till her parents can get back on their feet during the great depression. Her grandma is crazy! She is always threatening someone, or causing trouble. Mary Alice manages to survive the winter with her grandmother and actually starts to like it there. In the spring, Grandma takes in a New York artist as a boarder and Mary Alice invites Royce (a cute boy in her class) over for a study-date. Mary Alice survives her first tornado, and the school year ends with a hayride that finds Royce and Mary Alice promsing to write letters. Mary Alice returns from Chicago to tie the knot with Royce McNabb on Grandma's front porch awhile later.

Who I would recommends this to? Anyone who wants a good laugh, this is a good novel.

Any problems/conflicts? Possibly the violent grandmother, or the fact Mary Alice's parents sent her away because they didn't have enough money, this could give them the wrong idea.

My reaction: I really enjoyed this book, it was one of my favorite assigned novels. It made me laugh a lot. 4 stars ****