Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Prologue and Chapter 1: Rich Chicago Girl
Comprehension - Answer the questions.
1.
Who narrates the story?
________________________________________________________________________
2.
What time of year is it?
________________________________________________________________________
3.
Why must her parents move to a smaller apartment?
________________________________________________________________________
4.
Who is Mary Alice being sent to live with?
________________________________________________________________________
5.
What two prized possessions does she take with her?
________________________________________________________________________
6.
Where does Grandma take Mary Alice first?
________________________________________________________________________
7.
In addition to being the principal, what else does Mr. Fluke do?
________________________________________________________________________
8.
Why does Mildred go home with Mary Alice?
________________________________________________________________________
9.
How does Mildred’s father make a living?
________________________________________________________________________
10.
What happens to Mildred’s horse and boots?
________________________________________________________________________
11.
Why won’t she be coming to school anymore?
________________________________________________________________________
12.
What does Grandma do to Bootsie?
________________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Prologue and Chapter 1: Rich Chicago Girl
Vocabulary - Use each word in a sentence that shows the meaning. If you
are unsure of the meaning, use a dictionary, and then write the definition
of the word in your own words.
bustled
__________________________________________________________________
cadaver
__________________________________________________________________
celluloid
__________________________________________________________________
cipher
__________________________________________________________________
civilian
__________________________________________________________________
clabber
__________________________________________________________________
clink
__________________________________________________________________
conniption __________________________________________________________________
dropsy
__________________________________________________________________
glinted
__________________________________________________________________
kin
__________________________________________________________________
murmur
__________________________________________________________________
penitentiary __________________________________________________________________
privy
__________________________________________________________________
recession
__________________________________________________________________
scrawled
__________________________________________________________________
spectacled __________________________________________________________________
trudged
__________________________________________________________________
wary
__________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Prologue and Chapter 1: Rich Chicago Girl
Writing
1.
Grandma says that you butter a cat’s paws in a new place, so that by the
time they’ve licked off the butter, they feel at home. She tells Mary Alice
to settle in, or she’ll butter her paws. What do you think of what
Grandma has done to make her feel at home? Use at least one example
in your answer.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2.
Mary Alice wishes that she were two years older and a boy, so that she
could plant trees with her brother Joey. Based on what you know so far
about life with Grandma, would you feel the same way? Explain your
answer.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3.
Describe Grandma Dowdel in your own words.
Based on your
impression of her so far, what would be the pros and cons of living with
her?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4.
Mary Alice brings two things with her for comfort. If you were sent away
for a year to live in the country, which two things would you bring and
why?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Prologue and Chapter 1: Rich Chicago Girl Answers
1.
Mary Alice narrates the story.
2.
The story begins in September.
3.
There is a recession and her father lost his job.
4.
To live with her Grandma.
5.
Her radio and her cat Bootsie.
6.
To school.
7.
He is also the janitor, the coach, and the shop teacher.
8.
Mildred goes to collect her dollar.
9.
He’s a horse trader and a horse thief.
10. Grandma ties her boots to the horse and sets it loose.
11. She doesn’t care enough about school to walk.
12. She butters his paws and puts him in the cobhouse.
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 2: Vittles and Vengeance
Comprehension - Answer the questions.
1.
What do the boys of the town do to celebrate Halloween?
________________________________________________________________________
2.
What does Grandma do with the wire and railroad spike?
________________________________________________________________________
3.
How does Grandma mark the Halloweeners?
________________________________________________________________________
4.
What do the boys leave behind?
________________________________________________________________________
5.
Describe how that Grandma makes use of what they leave.
________________________________________________________________________
6.
What did Old Man Nyquist tell Grandma she could have?
________________________________________________________________________
7.
How does she get more?
________________________________________________________________________
8.
Why doesn’t she think of it as stealing?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
9.
How do the townsfolk react to Grandma’s appearance at the party?
________________________________________________________________________
10.
What do Grandma
appearance?
and
Mary
Alice
learn
from
August
Fluke’s
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
11.
How does Grandma let Mr. Fluke know what his son did?
________________________________________________________________________
12.
Who comes back for a second piece of pumpkin pie? Why is her name
significant?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 2: Vittles and Vengeance
Vocabulary - Use each word in a sentence that shows the meaning. If you
are unsure of the meaning, use a dictionary, and then write the definition
of the word in your own words.
absentee
__________________________________________________________________
axle
__________________________________________________________________
berth
__________________________________________________________________
codger
__________________________________________________________________
confederates _________________________________________________________________
coronary
__________________________________________________________________
coroner
__________________________________________________________________
doled
__________________________________________________________________
droves
__________________________________________________________________
foliage
__________________________________________________________________
forage
__________________________________________________________________
piteous
__________________________________________________________________
quivered
__________________________________________________________________
rapscallion __________________________________________________________________
reservoir
__________________________________________________________________
smoldering __________________________________________________________________
vengeance __________________________________________________________________
vittles
__________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 2: Vittles and Vengeance
Writing
1.
Mary Alice says, as she and Grandma head off to Old Man Nyquist’s, “We
might have been any grandma and her grand-daughter, out for an
evening stroll. But we weren’t. We were Grandma Dowdel and me.”
What does she mean? Use at least two examples.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2.
How do you think Grandma justifies the “stealing” she does? Respond as
though you were Grandma, explaining herself.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3.
How might Mary Alice explain Grandma’s “stealing”? Answer from her
point of view.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4.
Many people in town are intimidated by Grandma. Discuss how the
town would be different without her presence, using at least three
examples.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 2: Vittles and Vengeance Answers
1.
They celebrate by tearing down privies.
2.
She sets up a trip wire to catch the boys.
3.
She pours the glue on them so that later she can see who did it.
4.
They leave behind a knife, flour, and a handsaw.
5.
She uses the knife to cut pumpkins off the vine and to slice pie, she uses
the flour for pie crust, and she uses the handsaw to cut open pumpkins.
6.
The pecans that fell on the ground.
7.
She gets more by driving his tractor into the tree and knocking more off.
8.
She says it’s not stealing because he said she could have any pecans that
fell.
9.
They are alarmed and surprised, but don’t hesitate to eat the pies.
10.
They learn that he was one of the Halloweeners because his hair was
shaved off to get the glue off.
11.
She lets him know by slicing his pie with the initialed knife.
12.
Reba Pensinger comes back for more. They stole the pumpkins from her
patch.
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 3: A Minute in the Morning
Comprehension - Answer the questions.
1.
Why doesn’t Mary Alice think Grandma’s house could be haunted?
________________________________________________________________________
2.
What keeps Mary Alice company, alone upstairs?
________________________________________________________________________
3.
How does the town observe Armistice Day?
________________________________________________________________________
4.
What is burgoo?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5.
How does Grandma help out at the turkey shoot?
________________________________________________________________________
6.
What does Grandma do instead of charging each person a dime?
________________________________________________________________________
7.
How do the women of the Legion Auxiliary react?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
8.
What happens to the money made from the burgoo?
________________________________________________________________________
9.
Why does Mrs. Abernathy need the money?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
10.
What happened to Mrs. Abernathy’s son?
________________________________________________________________________
11.
Why does Grandma approve of Kate Smith, “Songbird of the South”?
________________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 3: A Minute in the Morning
Vocabulary - Use each word in a sentence that shows the meaning. If you
are unsure of the meaning, use a dictionary, and then write the definition
of the word in your own words.
auxiliary
__________________________________________________________________
armistice
__________________________________________________________________
beam
__________________________________________________________________
brazen
__________________________________________________________________
chink
__________________________________________________________________
confer
__________________________________________________________________
craters
__________________________________________________________________
dormer
__________________________________________________________________
dungarees __________________________________________________________________
enterprising __________________________________________________________________
hunker
__________________________________________________________________
legion
__________________________________________________________________
muffled
__________________________________________________________________
repertoire
__________________________________________________________________
scuttled
__________________________________________________________________
skulk
__________________________________________________________________
testimonial __________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 3: A Minute in the Morning
Writing
1.
Discuss how the people in the town take care of each other, using at
least two examples.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2.
The townspeople were strongly affected by the Great War. What are
some ways that bad things can bring about good results? Use real life
examples.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3.
Grandma uses unconventional tactics to help people or to get her way.
Why do you think they work? Use at least two examples.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4.
What do you think Mary Alice learning by living with Grandma? Use at
least three examples.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 3: A Minute in the Morning Answers
1.
What ghost would dare?
2.
Her radio.
3.
With a turkey shoot and a minute of silence.
4.
A stew made with whatever to have on hand – different meats, turnips,
potatoes, tomatoes, onion, etc.
5.
She is the cashier for the burgoo sale.
6.
She charges what each person can afford, from nothing to a dollar.
7.
They praise her skill at making money and ask her to join the Auxiliary.
8.
It’s given to Mrs. Abernathy.
9.
Because her son only gets a small check from the government for being a
veteran.
10. He was gassed and injured in the Great War (World War I).
11.
Because she is a big, full-figured woman like Grandma.
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 4: Away in a Manger
Comprehension - Answer the questions.
1.
What part does Mary Alice have in the Christmas program?
________________________________________________________________________
2.
Describe the mysterious figure Mary Alice sees from her bedroom
window.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3.
When does Grandma claim to sleep?
________________________________________________________________________
4.
What does Grandma have in the wicker basket?
________________________________________________________________________
5.
What is the gun for?
________________________________________________________________________
6.
Why does Grandma bring walnut shells and wear rubber?
________________________________________________________________________
7.
Why does Mary Alice keep going trapping with Grandma?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
8.
What does Grandma make Mary Alice, and what does it resemble?
________________________________________________________________________
9.
What is the “high moment” of the Christmas program?
________________________________________________________________________
10.
Who does Grandma bring to the Christmas program?
________________________________________________________________________
11.
What makes Mary Alice more popular with the girls in her class?
________________________________________________________________________
12.
On what does Grandma spend the fox money?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 4: Away in a Manger
Vocabulary - Use each word in a sentence that shows the meaning. If you
are unsure of the meaning, use a dictionary, and then write the definition
of the word in your own words.
bias
__________________________________________________________________
blunderbuss ________________________________________________________________
decreed
__________________________________________________________________
dole
__________________________________________________________________
feisty
__________________________________________________________________
headway
__________________________________________________________________
hoist
__________________________________________________________________
lumbering
__________________________________________________________________
lush
__________________________________________________________________
meander
__________________________________________________________________
palsy
__________________________________________________________________
poring
__________________________________________________________________
preen
__________________________________________________________________
swathed
__________________________________________________________________
trod
__________________________________________________________________
wily
__________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 4: Away in a Manger
Writing
1.
Describe the way Mary Alice’s feelings toward Grandma begin to change.
What causes the changes?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2.
As a city girl, Mary Alice doesn’t feel like she fits in with her classmates.
Discuss, using at least two examples, how she begins to fit in.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3.
If you were in Mary Alice’s position, what might you do differently than
she does? What would you do the same?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4.
What are the similarities and differences between Mary Alice’s school
experience and your own? Use examples.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 4: Away in a Manger Answers
1.
She plays Mary.
2.
Scary, trudging through the snow, bundled up, carrying a basket.
3.
Never.
4.
Walnut shells, wire, wooden stakes, a glass vial, and rabbit fur.
5.
To shoot foxes.
6.
To disguise the smell of humans.
7.
She becomes more aware of Grandma’s age and hard work and wants
to make sure she comes home safely.
8.
A halo, which resembles a crown of thorns.
9.
When a real baby is discovered in the manger.
10.
Mary Alice’s brother Joey.
11.
Her older brother.
12.
Train tickets for Joey and Mary Alice to visit their parents.
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 5: Hearts and Flour
Comprehension - Answer the questions.
1.
Who pays a visit to Grandma?
________________________________________________________________________
2.
What is the DAR?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3.
What do they ask Grandma to provide? Why Grandma?
________________________________________________________________________
4.
Who says there will be a Valentine exchange at the high school?
________________________________________________________________________
5.
Who receives the most Valentines? Who are they from?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
6.
How does Mary Alice trick Carleen?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
7.
Who hosts the DAR tea?
________________________________________________________________________
8.
Who are the surprise visitors?
________________________________________________________________________
9.
What is Mrs. Weidenbach’s true ancestry?
________________________________________________________________________
10.
Who is her long-lost sister?
________________________________________________________________________
11.
What is Grandma’s punch recipe?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
12.
Who writes “Newsy Notes”?
________________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 5: Hearts and Flour
Vocabulary - Use each word in a sentence that shows the meaning. If you
are unsure of the meaning, use a dictionary, and then write the definition
of the word in your own words.
aristocracy __________________________________________________________________
benediction __________________________________________________________________
capitulate
__________________________________________________________________
fumbled
__________________________________________________________________
grapple
__________________________________________________________________
invocation __________________________________________________________________
lolled
__________________________________________________________________
lurched
__________________________________________________________________
plunged
__________________________________________________________________
reeling
__________________________________________________________________
savor
__________________________________________________________________
scholar
__________________________________________________________________
sentiment
__________________________________________________________________
sidle
__________________________________________________________________
surveyor
__________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 5: Hearts and Flour
Writing
1.
Do you find Grandma funny? Why or why not? Use examples.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2.
In your opinion, does Mary Alice become more like her Grandma as time
passes? Use examples to support your opinion.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3.
What is the importance of family in the story? Use at least two examples.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4.
What do you think of the “Newsy Notes”? What do they tell us about the
writer and about the town? What is their purpose?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 5: Hearts and Flour Answers
1.
Mrs. Weidenbach, the banker’s wife.
2.
Daughters of the American Revolution – women who traced their
family back to the Revolutionary War.
3.
Cherry tarts, because the town is still talking about Grandma’s pies.
4.
The author of “Newsy Notes.”
5.
Ina-Rae receives the most, from the teacher, Elmo Leaper, the
Johnson brothers, and Royce McNabb.
6.
By making the Valentines herself and making Carleen think Royce
likes Ina-Rae instead of her.
7.
Grandma.
8.
Effie Wilcox and Aunt Mae Griswold.
9.
She’s a Burdick.
10.
Effie Wilcox.
11.
One part strawberry juice and two parts bourbon.
12.
Mary Alice.
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 6: A Dangerous Man
Comprehension - Answer the questions.
1.
What does Bootsie bring to show Mary Alice?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2.
How does Grandma do her laundry?
________________________________________________________________________
3.
Where does Arnold Green come from, and what is he in town to do?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4.
Why does Mary Alice have to put up with Grandma snoring?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5.
What subject does Mary Alice need help with?
________________________________________________________________________
6.
What other reason does she have for inviting Royce over?
________________________________________________________________________
7.
What is Grandma’s reaction?
________________________________________________________________________
8.
What is Grandma doing when Royce comes over?
________________________________________________________________________
9.
What are Mary Alice and Royce talking about when they are interrupted?
________________________________________________________________________
10.
What is Maxine Patch wearing as she comes down the stairs?
________________________________________________________________________
11.
How does the whole town manage to see Maxine?
________________________________________________________________________
12.
Why did the snake live in the attic?
________________________________________________________________________
13.
Who does Grandma set up with Arnold Green?
________________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 6: A Dangerous Man
Vocabulary - Use each word in a sentence that shows the meaning. If you
are unsure of the meaning, use a dictionary, and then write the definition
of the word in your own words.
alfalfa
__________________________________________________________________
annals
__________________________________________________________________
ashen
__________________________________________________________________
audible
__________________________________________________________________
composition __________________________________________________________________
dubious
__________________________________________________________________
eerie
__________________________________________________________________
ghastly
__________________________________________________________________
loomed
__________________________________________________________________
midst
__________________________________________________________________
mirth
__________________________________________________________________
presided
__________________________________________________________________
simpering
__________________________________________________________________
sphinx
__________________________________________________________________
temperament ________________________________________________________________
trigonometry ________________________________________________________________
wary
__________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 6: A Dangerous Man
Writing
1.
Mary Alice and Grandma both try their hands at match-making in this
chapter. Compare and contrast their styles.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2.
If you were Grandma, would you take in a stranger like Arnold Green?
Why or why not?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3.
If you were Mary Alice, would you “set your cap” for Royce? Why or why
not?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4.
If you were Royce, what would you think after the snake incident? What
would you think of Mary Alice and her family?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
©2005abcteach.com
Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Chapter 6: A Dangerous Man Answers
1.
A robin’s egg, a grasshopper, a mouse, a frog, and her kitten.
2.
Boiling over an open fire in the yard and wringing it out by hand.
3.
He comes from New York and is in town to paint a mural.
4.
Because she has to sleep in Grandma’s room now that Arnold Green
sleeps upstairs.
5.
Math.
6.
To make her move before Carleen makes hers.
7.
She says she’ll make lemonade.
8.
Napping.
9.
Things they have in common, not math.
10.
Only a snake.
11.
Grandma wakes them up from their naps with a gunshot.
12.
It ate birds that got into the house.
13.
Miss Butler, Mary Alice’s teacher.
©2005abcteach.com