A Long Way from Chicago BOOK TEST STUDY GUIDE
The Day of Judgement--1932
Mrs. Weidenbach wants Grandma to bake a gooseberry pie for the county fair because she wanted someone from her town to take home a ribbon, since her usual prize-winning pickles weren’t going to be entered.
Making a perfect gooseberry pie was a challenge because the berries are sour and Grandma had to use the exact amount of sugar, otherwise, the pie would have been too sugary or bitter.
Joey was sure Grandma Dowdel had switched her pie with Mr. Pennypacker’s pie when everyone was distracted by Barnie Buchanan’s plane.
The result of the pie contest was a joke on Grandma because she cheated by switching her pie with that of Mr. Pennypacker and she came in second place. She would have come in 1st if she hadn’t cheated.
Joey got to ride in the biplane because of another bit of Grandma’s dishonesty. After Grandma used an old blue ribbon to con her way onto the biplane, a had a limited flight because of her weight, she exchanged the pilot’s apologies for a ride for her grandson.
The Phantom Brakeman-1933
Grandma had Joey to help her with the making of soap, this is when Joey realized that not all soap came in a ready-made package.
Vandalia Eubanks, a waitress at the Coffee Pot Café, was forced to hand over her wages of 15 cents to her cruel mother, Idella Eubanks.
Grandma tells Joey the story of the Phantom Brakeman. After hearing the scary story, Joey has a hard time going to sleep that night.
Joey then hears sounds coming from Mary Alice’s room. When he asks her what it is, Mary Alice lets him believe it is a puppy.
Mary Alice hid Vandalia from Joey and Grandma because she was afraid her abusive mother, Idella Eubanks, would find her and would be forced to go with her.
Grandma Dowdel prevented Idella Eubanks from climbing into her house to retrieve Vandalia. Grandma jerked the ladder out from underneath her as she tried to break into Grandma’s house. This caused Idella Eubanks to fall to the ground.
Junior Stubbs’ parents came to visit Grandma and were very upset at the thought of their son marrying a Eubanks. They believed their family is better than Vandalia’s socially and financially. They believed Junior could do so much better than Vandalia Eubanks.
Everyone in town was waiting for Junior and Vandalia to make a run for it at the train station. Everyone was disappointed when they never showed. Joey dressed as the Phantom Brakeman in his grandfather’s overcoat and stood on the tracks. This sight caused the trainman to stop the train and diverted the crowd, allowing the young couple to sneak aboard the train without their family’s knowledge as well as the entire town.
Thing with Wings-1934
When Joey and Mary Alice arrived for their visit, Grandma was already at the train station. She was seeing Effie Wilcox off. She just lost her home.
Joey experienced “love at first sight” when he saw the new Terraplane 8 motor car waiting to be purchased at Veech’s garage.
Grandma tricked Mrs. Weidenbach by sewing the initials of Mary Todd Lincoln in the quilt she brought to the church rummage sale. She did this so Mrs. Weidenbach would pay a great deal of money for the hat and the quilt that she assumed belonged to Abraham Lincoln’s wife.
Grandma forced Mr. Weidenbach to restore Effie Wilcox’s house to her by agreeing to clear up rumors that the quilt and hat were possessions of the Lincolns; if the Wilcox house had been historical property, it could not have been used for business purposes. With the rumor cleared up, the bank was free to complete its deal with the John Deere Company to build an implement shed on part of the property.
Centennial Summer-1935/Troop Train-1942
Mary Alice and Joey felt they were too old to visit Grandma Dowdel.
Grandma Dowdel sent the kids back up to the attic to find the butter churn as well as clothes to wear to the Centennial Celebration.
Grandma was nearly brought to tears when she saw her grandkids in her and her husband’s wedding clothes.
When Mrs. Weidenbach came to Grandma’s and unknowingly insulted Grandma, Grandma began to plot her revenge on Mrs. Weidenbach. She and Mary Alice soon formed a plan that Joey was not a part of.
Grandma went to see Uncle Grady Griswold in hopes that he would join her at the Centennial Celebration to beat out Mrs. Weidenbach’s father as the oldest setter in their town.
The only reason Mrs. Weidenbach’s nephew received so much praise was because they owed money to the bank. They felt like they had to.
Mary Alice and Ray Veech stole the show when they came out on stage an performed a waltz and winning the talent contest. They beat out Mrs. Weidenbach’s nephew.
Mary Alice proved she had learned a lot from Grandma when she knew how to keep a secret, took charge of a situation, and challenged people who questioned her.
Years later, Joey and Grandma proved they were very important to each other by waving to each other as Joey’s troop train passed by Grandma’s late in the night. Grandma also kept every light on so that Joey would know she was looking for him.
Characters to Know
· Grandma Dowdel Joey Mary Alice
· Sheriff O.B. Dickerson Mr. Pennypacker Effie Wilcox
· Mrs. Weidenbach reporter Idella Eubanks
· Vandalia Eubanks Junior Stubbs Mr. & Mrs. Stubbs
· Ernie Cowgill & brothers Aunt Puss Chapman
VOCABULARY
1. ancient--aged; having historical value
2. cauldron--A large kettle for boiling.
3. glowered --To look at someone in anger.
4. urgent--of pressing importance; needing immediate attention
5. savoring --to taste or smell with pleasure
6. annual--happening every year; yearly
7. peculiar--odd; strange; unique; eccentric
8. dispersed--to scatter in different directions
9. benediction—blessing
10. burden—that which is carried with difficulty; trouble
11. consoled—comforted; lessened someone’s grief
12. disc—a flat, round object
13. lumbered---walked heavily and awkwardly
14. reeked—smelled strongly and unpleasantly
15. miniature—reduced in size; on a small scale.
Group Roles—LEADER, RECORDER, REPORTER, INFORMATION GATHERER, TIMEKEEPER!
NOTES FOR THESE ARE ON THE LAST STUDY GUIDE
Questions will consist of multiple choice, fill in the blank, and matching! STUDYJ