Hoo-boy.

The days are slipping quickly off the July calendar. The long days are too short for me. Reading these three books in about three days time made short work of a tale long in character. I've loved Grandma Dowdel larger-than-life since the year 2001... I found the first two gems at the library, and gobbled them up. Then when I changed my name to Thelma and took a road trip with Louise to Tampa, we listened to these books on tape the whole way down and back. Funny! And touching. In A Long Way From Chicago, A Newbery Honor Book, Joey recounts his annual summer trips to small town Illinois with his sister during the Great Depression to visit their Grandmother. The second book, A Year Down Yonder, a Newbery Medal WINNER, takes place during the recession of 1937. Fifteen year old Mary Alice is sent to live witih her feisty grandmother and comes to a better understanding of this fearsome woman.

Thanks to THIS incredible book-loving blogger, I received the entire collection of Grandma Dowdel books (including the not-yet-released companion to the first two books) gratis! The third book, due out in September, is called A Season of Gifts. It was a gift. Louise: you can have it next.