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Summary
Summary
t is now 1958, and a new family has moved in next door to Mrs. Dowdel--a family in desperate need of her help (whether they realize it or not). There's twelve-year-old Bob, shy on courage in a town full of bullies; his Elvis-obsessed older sister, Phyllis, who just might be on the verge of spinning out of control; Bob's little sister, Ruth Ann, ready and waiting for a larger-than-life role model; and even Bob's two parents, the young minister and his wife, who are amazed to discover that the last house in town might also be the most vital.As Christmas rolls around, the whole family will realize that they've found a true home, and a neighbor with remarkable gifts to share.
Author Notes
Richard Peck was born in Decatur, Illinois on April 5, 1934. He received a bachelor's degree in English literature from DePauw University in 1956. After graduation, he served two years in the U.S. Army in Germany, where he worked as a chaplain's assistant writing sermons and completing paperwork. He received a master's degree in English from Southern Illinois University in 1959. He taught high school English in Illinois and New York City.
He stopped teaching in 1971 to write a novel. His first book, Don't Look and It Won't Hurt, was published in 1972 and was adapted as the 1992 film Gas Food Lodging. He wrote more than 40 books for both adults and young adults including Amanda/Miranda, Those Summer Girls I Never Met, The River Between Us, A Long Way from Chicago, A Season of Gifts, The Teacher's Funeral, Fair Weather, Here Lies the Librarian, On the Wings of Heroes, and The Best Man. A Year down Yonder won the Newbery Medal in 2001 and Are You in the House Alone? won an Edgar Award. The Ghost Belonged to Me was adapted into the film Child of Glass. He received the MAE Award in 1990 and the National Humanities Medal in 2002. He died following a long battle with cancer on May 23, 2018 at the age of 84.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-It's been a long while since readers last enjoyed a season with Grandma Dowdel, and what a startling, hilarious, and touching season it is. It is now 1958, a time when Elvis is king and the glow of television sets has replaced sitting on the porch for an evening. Yet as much as things have changed, Mrs. Dowdel has remained pretty much the same, living alone in the last house in town, pushing 90 and still toting her rifle, cooking up a storm and taking down the neighborhood hoodlums. What's new are the PKs (preacher's kids) who've moved in next door, including the 12-year-old narrator, Bob Barnhardt, an unassertive boy who has the misfortune of being welcomed to town in a most unneighborly fashion. Mrs. Dowdel intervenes and helps out the Barnhardts in her own inimitable way, proving herself as clever, capable, and downright amazing as ever and allowing Bob and his family to see just what a gift of a neighbor she is. With a storyteller's sure tone, Peck has once again created a whole world in one small Illinois town, a place where the folksy wisdom and generosity of one gruff old woman can change lives.-Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The type of down-home humor and vibrant characterizations Peck fans have come to adore re-emerge in full as Peck resurrects Mrs. Dowdel, the irrepressible, self-sufficient grandmother featured in A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way from Chicago. Set in 1958, his new novel is told from the point of view of 12-year-old Bob Barnhart, Mrs. Dowdel's new neighbor, who is distraught about having to move from Terre Haute to a "podunk" town, where his Methodist minister father has been called to shepherd a meager sprinkling of parishioners. Mrs. Dowdel is a source of entertainment, and some fear, for Bob and his sisters ("she could be amazingly light on her big pins. We'd already seen her take a broom and swat a Fuller Brush man off her porch"). But more important, she proves useful in outsmarting bullies and attracting new members to Mr. Barnhart's fold. Not all of Grandma Dowdel's gifts to the Barnharts (and in some cases the entire community) are as tangible as the windows she donates to the church, but her actions exude as much warmth and wisdom as they do hilarity. Ages 10-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(Intermediate, Middle School) As irascible, independent, and unorthodox as ever, Grandma Dowdel makes a welcome return in this third novel. Of course, she's Mrs. Dowdel to young Bob Barnhart (the twelve-year-old narrator) and his family, who move next door in August of 1958. Being not only the new kids in town but also preacher's kids isn't easy for Bob and his two sisters, but Mrs. Dowdel's interventions make the transition smoother. Her seemingly endless array of tricks and pranks, coupled with her thorough knowledge of the town's citizens (some supporting characters from previous novels reprise their roles, while the next generation capably fills in for others), provide as much amusement as ever, and if there's nothing Mrs. Dowdel can do now that would surprise us, it hardly matters. We cherish each mischievous antic because she's entered that rare pantheon of unforgettably great characters. Indeed, Bob and his family will only spend one year in the small Illinois town, but it's long enough for Mrs. Dowdel to make an indelible impression, and by December Bob has her figured out. "She was no church woman, and she didn't neighbor, and Christmas was just another day to her. But she didn't wait for Christmas to give out her gifts." From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
According to 12-year-old Bob, "We Barnharts had moved in next door to a haunted house, if a house can be haunted by a living being." Bob's first encounter with its owner, Mrs. Dowdel, is inauspicious, as she discovers Bob strung up naked in a spider's web of fishing line inside her privy. But Mrs. Dowdel offers the gift of friendship to Bob's six-year-old sister Ruth Ann, and by the end of this 1958 Christmas season, each of the Barnharts will have been touched by gifts she has given. Peck's challenge in his third Grandma Dowdel novelMrs. Dowdel nowis how to make the redoubtable lady the central character when she's the next-door neighbor. He succeeds admirably, bringing to life each of the five Barnharts and subtly infusing their lives with the presence of their remarkable neighbor. Pitch-perfect prose, laced with humor and poignancy, strong characterization and a clear development of the theme of gifts one person can offer make this one of Peck's best novels yetand that's saying something. (Historical fiction. 10 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Set in 1958, more than 20 years after the events in Newbery winner A Year Down Yonder (2000) and Newbery Honor Book A Long Way from Chicago (1998), this episodic novel shows that time has not mellowed Grandma Dowdel. The narrator is her new neighbor, 11-year-old Bobby. The son of the new preacher in town, he meets Mrs. Dowdel after enduring the worst that the local bullies have to offer and coming out humiliated, but alive. Her pragmatic response is if you can't get justice . . . get even. Throughout this amusing book, she doles out both justice and kindness in such an underhanded manner that many recipients don't know who to blame or thank. Growing up quickly during that summer and fall, Peck's every-boy narrator has his own story to tell but, equally, he serves as witness to Mrs. Dowdel's unpredictable schemes. There's plenty to admire here: Peck's vivid character portrayals, dry wit, economical writing style, and convincing depiction of a small southern Illinois community. Three full-page illustrations and small vignettes at chapter headings add visual appeal. Although no one will savor the novel more than devoted Grandma Dowdel fans, knowledge of the previous books is not a prerequisite for fully enjoying this one. Highly recommended for reading aloud.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist