"A Year Down Yonder" by Richard Peck

Here is a review of another Newberry Medal winner.

A Year Down Yonder
Author: Richard Peck
Age Level: 10+ years
Newberry Award: 2001

This novel is the sequel to Mr. Peck's A Long Way From Chicago. Although it can be read and understood on its own I would highly recommend the first book as well. In this story, Mary Alice is 15 and has been sent to live with her grandmother yet again. This time she will stay for an entire year due to her family's continuing struggles to get their feet under them at the end of the depression. The chapters are filled with amusing anecdotes of rural life in general and Grandma Dowdel in particular.

I thoroughly enjoyed both of these books. Mr. Peck has a great sense of humor that is very refreshing in modern youth fiction. His characters are well-developed, believable, and captivating. This is another wonderful sample of historical fiction, my favorite genre. I would highly recommend this book.