Description[]
The Barnhart family comes to live in a little town in Illinois, so that they can start a church. They end up living in a house right next to Mrs. Dowdel. With their first encounter with her being seeing her shoot off heads from rats, she does not seem very neighborly. Their church building needed a lot of work, and their family needed even more, but that very same neighbor may be able to solve their problems in her own peculiar way.
Reader's Reviews[]
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Parental Guidance[]
- Reading Age:14+
- Reading Aloud Age: add your suggested read-aloud age
The town they live in contains bullies who failed in school and are worthy of jail time. They drink, causing a wreck later on. They also strip a new boy in town and they tie him up naked in his neighbor's bathroom. There is rude humor and some mild language. One main character (girl) sneaks out with a boy several times and goes through teenage rebellion. Another girl gets married, but it is hinted she might have been carrying a child even before it.
Characters[]
- Barnharts
- Bobby
- Ellen
- Grachel
- Jack
- Phyllis
- Ruth Ann
- Waynetta Blalock
- Aunt Madge Burdick
- Mildred Burdick
- Roscoe Burdick
- Bonnie Burhoops
- Orville Butz
- Ernie Cowgill
- Dowdels
- Mrs. Dowdel
- Brad Dowdel
- Joey Dowdel
- Ida-Belle Eubanks
- Augie Fluke
- Newt Fluke
- Mr. Milton Grider
- Barbara Jean Jeeter
- Elmer Leaper
- Elmer Leaper Jr.
- Carleen Lovejoy
- Vanette Pankey
- Reba Pensinger
- Delmer "Gypsy" Piggot
- Mr. Sensenbaugh
- Cora Shellabarger
- Flora Shellabarger
- C. P. Snokes
- Edna-Earl Stubbs
- Wilhelmina Weidenbach
- Mrs. Effie Wilcox
- Jess Wood
Famous Figures
- Santa Claus
- Gorgeous George
- Elvis Presley
If you like this you might like[]
- Previous books in the series: A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder
External Links[]
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