A Long Way from Chicago Resources

Want to learn more about Richard Peck's work (which includes books for both adults and children)? Check it out!

If you were craving Mary Alice's perspective throughout A Long Way from Chicago, you should read the sequel, A Year Down Yonder. It's all about Mary Alice going to stay with Grandma Dowdel for a year…without Joey there!

In an interview, Richard Peck explains that he first wrote "Shotgun Cheatham's Last Night Above Ground" without an inkling that the story would grow into A Long Way from Chicago.

Richard Peck has written books for both children and adults, but he claims that YA novels are much harder to write than adult fiction.

Richard Peck takes a moment to talk about just why writing and reading are so important, so listen up.

If you've got four hours to spare, you can listen to the audio version of A Long Way from Chicago. Since it's told in short stories, each chunk will be manageable for a single sitting.

The cover for A Long Way from Chicago shows one of Joey's most prized memories, the moment that he gets to go up in an airplane for the first time. Of course, he's waving to his beloved Grandma Dowdel and Mary Alice, who watch from below.

Wondering what author Richard Peck looks like? Check out this rather distinguished photograph.

Let's take a look back at author Richard Peck when he was a young man. He was quite the looker in his high school graduation photo.