Author: Richard Peck
Publishing information: (Puffin Books, October 1, 2000, Ages 9-12)
Number of Pages: 130 pages
Genre: Fiction
Summary of Plot:
This book is about a girl named Mary Alice. This is the time during the Great Depression. Times are tough. Her parents have had to downsize their house, not leaving room for her to live with them. She is sent to her Grandma Dowdel’s house until her parents have saved enough to provide better for her.
Grandma Dowdel is quite the woman, with a big reputation of shaking up people. She is not thrilled to have to love in this small town, not Chicago. For example, while Mary was there she rigged a trap to pour glue on Augie Fluke, trying to do a Halloween prank.
She arrives in town with her pet cat, Bootsie and her radio. On her first day in her new town, she gets dropped off at school-with no settle down period. Her teacher is Miss Butler. Her classmates, especially the girls, see her as a rich Chicago girl, even when she was not richly dressed.-
She becomes desk partners with Mildred, a Burdick. They were bad news. At the start of their acquaintance Mildred followed Mary Alice home and demanded a buck. Instead Grandma sent her packing by untying the horse Mildred had stolen. It took off and so did Mildred, all five miles it would take her to get home.
At Christmas time, the school put on a nativity. Mary Alice was chosen to be Mary. Practices went well, but at the show Mildred put a live baby into the manger; that turned out into a mess. What started out hoping to be a great festive show, turned into a disaster. They didn’t finish the show.
Grandma hosts a tea for the local Daughters of American Revolution chapter. This was a compromise between the officials and her. She would make the tarts that they wouldn’t get otherwise; they members would have to go to her home.
Right before Valentine’s Day a new boy came to school. His name was Royce McNabb. Mary Alice penned a fake valentine to Ina-Rea, her friend, from Royce to make another girl jealous.
An artist moves into town, Arnold Green. Grandma introduced Miss Butler and him; and shortly after, they fell in love. Meanwhile Mary Alice and Royce fell in love too. They had a study date. Royce graduated and went off to college, promising to write Mary Alice. After world war two, they got married in the end of the book, in Grandma’s Dowel’s house.
My Reaction to the book:
Some parts of this story were very funny. I found it enjoyable to read. I really liked the historical elements of this story. I like learning about history and its influence on people in the world. It is crazy what the characters in the book did. The plot was pretty easy to follow. It flowed well from segment to segment. I liked how the ending was; it came about quickly, and kind of surprisingly.
Potential Problems:
At one point in this story a grown lady gets scared of a snake in the attic, and due to the timing of it all, runs around town naked.
Grandma Dowdel is quite blunt. She also is the type of person who does things justifiably. One time she rammed a tree with a tractor to get pecans on the ground, just so she could claim they “were on the ground’ when she picked them.
Recomendations:
Recomendations:
This is an interesting book. It is funny, in an odd sort of way. It has won numerous awards; including a Newbery Award. It is creative book.
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