So far this week we read A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck and the brief but engaging God Went to Beauty School by Cynthia Ryland. In the latter we discussed the difference between "sacred" and "profane" and explored the elements of Christianity and Buddhism contained in this wonderful series of poems.
2001 Newbery Award-winning A Year Down Yonder is humorous and well-written, a story about a girl who has to leave Chicago and stay with her larger than life, some might say crazy, Grandma Dowdel in rural Illinois. The book provides a telling view of country life during the Great Depression from the perspective of a displaced young girl.
