Name: _______________________
A Long Way From Chicago
By: Richard Peck
Great Depression Notes
Great Depression
Chapter 1
Shotgun Cheatham’s Last Night Above Ground
Before you read…
Based on the title of Chapter 1, predict what you think may happen in this chapter?
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Vocabulary:
Choose a word from the list to complete each sentence.
privy
obliged
obituary
philanthropist
prohibit
forage
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
pauper
disperse
stiff
reputation
The _______________ lived on the streets due to losing his job.
I’d be very much _______________ if you would come the first time you’re called.
I read about his death in the _______________ column of the local newspaper.
On my way out to the _______________ late last night, I almost stepped on a garter snake.
I have never seen a crowd _______________ so quickly as they did last evening when it started
to pour rain.
6. A _______________ can be found at the coroner’s office.
7. If the rain doesn’t come soon the people around here are going to have to _______________ for
their food.
8. A _______________ helps the community by volunteering their time and money.
9. Aunt Sally has an unfortunate _______________ around here for sticking her nose into
everyone’s business.
10. The police _______________ anyone from carrying a concealed weapon on their person.
What is a whopper? What are some examples of whoppers?
Describe the setting of the story.
Describe how Shotgun Cheatham got his name (as told by Grandma). How does her story differ from
the one she told the reporter about Shotgun?
Describe what caused such a commotion at Shotgun’s wake?
Draw a picture depicting a scene from Chapter 1.
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
The Mouse in the Milk
Word Bank:
jaunt
coincidence
bedstead
clopping
paralyzed
scuffle
witless
hymn
pilfering
culprit
strope
dairy
Effie
Lindbergh
privy
Illinois
Cowgills
amend
What happened to Grandma Dowdel’s mailbox? What happened to Effie Wilcox’s privy? Who was to
blame?
Describe how Grandma Dowdel set up the Cowgill boys.
Draw a picture depicting a scene from Chapter 2.
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
A One-Woman Crime Wave
Vocabulary:
For each of the following sets of words, circle the word that does not belong.
1.
skittish
nervous
calamitous
edgy
2.
chigger
lure
redbug
parasite
3.
mirage
hallucination
allusion
predisposition
4.
tassel
plume
disguise
feather
5.
languid
pivot
swivel
rotate
6.
bootlegger
moonshiner
paddy hopper
rumrunner
7.
progressivism
prohibition
restriction
negation
Cloze Call:
Complete the following paragraph by filling in the blanks by using the word bank.
cheese
potatoes
week
Chapman
snake
sheriff
hamper
Dickerson
Wabash
Depression
underwear
five
Piatt
work
dad
fishing
onions
married
barbed-wire
traps
drifters
drunk
catfish
In 1931 the Great __________________ had swept over the nation, leaving a lot of people
looking for __________________. The sheriff felt that part of his job was moving the __________________
out of town. Grandma got Joey and Mary Alice up at ______________ o’clock to go __________________.
Grandma brought along a gunnysack full of __________________ to catch __________________.
Grandma snuck into the __________________ County Rod and Gun Club by crawling under a __________________ fence. Joey “passed out” when a _______________ dropped into their boat. Mary
Alice and Joey decided never to tell their ______________ about Grandma running illegal fish__________________. When they passed the Rod and Gun Club they saw the ________________ and a
group of men dancing around in their __________________. Grandma then took them to the house of
Aunt Puss __________________ whom she hadn’t seen for a _______________. Grandma left the old
lady a full __________________ of food. Before Grandma was __________________ she worked for Aunt
Puss. When they arrived home Grandma got them busy frying up the catfish, __________________,
and __________________, which they took up to the __________________ Railroad right-of-way to feed
the drifters. They were interrupted by Sheriff __________________ who was upset about seeing him
and his friends dancing ________________. It was then that the sheriff decided to overlook Grandma’s
many transgressions.
Chapter 4
The Day of Judgment
Vocabulary
Match the vocabulary word to its correct synonym or definition.
1. Reconcile
______
a. statement of good wishes
2. Foreclose
______
b. tendency, leaning
3. Benediction ______
c. dilapidated; in disrepair
4. Frantic
______
d. avoided
5. Inclined
______
e. make peace
6. Transfixed
______
f. regularity
7. Rickety
______
g. invigorated
8. Averted
______
h. to take away the right to get a mortgage
9. Consistency ______
i. spellbound
10. Stimulated
______
j. panicky
11. Burgoo
______
k. two-seater plane
12. Biplane
______
l. to hit with fist
13. Gratis
______
m. shortage of food
14. Aerial
______
n. New England beef stew
15. Pummel
______
o. free of charge
16. Famine
______
p. chew tobacco
17. Celestial
______
q. in the air
18. Chaw
______
r. church or bible music
Indicate whether the following statements are True or False.
1. Joey and Mary Alice were not looking forward to their trip to Grandma’s
during the summer of 1932.
2. Mrs. Weidenbach was the wife of the town’s mayor.
True or False
3. Mrs. Weidenbach urged Grandma to enter the gooseberry pie
competition at the county fair.
4. Making tasty gooseberry pies wasn’t much of a challenge for most
people.
5. The three rides at the fair were the ferris wheel, merry-go-round, and a
caterpillar.
6. Each blue ribbon winner was promised a free ride in Mr. Buchanan’s
plane.
7. Despite Mr. Rupert Pennypacker’s reputation as a fine cook, Grandma
was confident she could beat him.
8. Grandma insisted to Barnie Buchanan that she had finished 1st in the
“Fruit Pies & Cobblers” class, and even showed him a blue ribbon.
9. Joey knew that the goggles Barnie let him use weren’t worn by a pilot in
the Great War because they had a “new smell” to them.
10. Grandma never expected the plane to be able to lift her off the ground.
True or False
True or False
True or False
True or False
True or False
True or False
True or False
True or False
True or False
Who wins first prize in the gooseberry pie contest?
How did Grandma Dowdel get Joey a ride on the biplane?
Do you think Grandma switched the names on the pies? Cite the book in your answer.
Draw a picture depicting a scene from Chapter 4.
Chapter 3
Chapter 5
The Phantom Brakeman
Vocabulary
Choose a word from the list that has a similar definition as the underlined word(s).
vat
poise
apt
confounded
superstitious
hunkered
prompt
interference
abdicated
proprietor
1. Mrs. Inez was the owner of the local confectionery store.
2. It was difficult to believe that the container held almost as much
water as our bathtub.
3. If not for Grandma’s meddling, the situation would have resulted in
someone being injured.
4. Geraldine certainly possesses a lot of dignity for someone so young.
5. My dad and mom settled down in their respective blueberry patches
and picked until their legs were numb.
6. Most people would find themselves to be quite fearful if left alone
inside a haunted house.
7. John is likely to lose his temper if teased too much.
8. When answering the phone at my family’s business, I am able to give
an immediate response to important questions.
9. I don’t blame him for being so confused in such a stressful situation.
10. Who would have thought that the prince would have abandoned the
throne in such a big way.
BONUS: At one point in this chapter Miz Eubanks accuses Grandma of “abdicating my girl”. As it
turns out, Miz Eubanks uses the entirely wrong word for this situation. What word would be more
suitable for this sentence?
What are three appropriate adjectives that fittingly describe Miz Eubanks?
Summarize the story Grandma told regarding the phantom brakeman. Who was the brakeman?
How did Mary Alice help Vandalia Eubanks?
Chapter 6
Things With Wings
Vocabulary
Mary Alice asks her grandma what a church rummage sale was like. Grandma responds, “Ever
been in a henhouse?” What do you think she meant by this?
Why did Mrs. Wilcox have to move out of town?
What does Grandma mean by: “Vampires? No. The only bloodsuckers is the banks.”?
What were two things that Joe and Mary Alice rescued from the attic?
From where did Grandma say the stovepipe hat originated? Why did Grandma let the women at the
rummage sale believe her whopper?
Draw a picture depicting a scene from Chapter 6.
Chapter 7
Centennial Summer
Vocabulary
Write a complete sentence using the following vocabulary words. Make sure the meaning of the
word is clear in your sentence.
Assume- _________________________________________________________________________________________
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Hospitality-______________________________________________________________________________________
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Artificial- ________________________________________________________________________________________
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Gesture- _________________________________________________________________________________________
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Gallivanting- ____________________________________________________________________________________
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Conspire- ________________________________________________________________________________________
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Shrivel- _________________________________________________________________________________________
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Elegant- _________________________________________________________________________________________
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Restrain- ________________________________________________________________________________________
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Procession- ______________________________________________________________________________________
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Curtsey- _________________________________________________________________________________________
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What event was Grandma's town celebrating during the summer of 1935?
Why did Grandma want Uncle Grady to appear in the parade?
What did Joey notice about Mary Alice as she saw her dressed in Grandma's wedding dress and
watched her dance with Ray Veech at the festival?
What did Joey find in the cob house, in Grandma's gum boots? What happened to it?
Chapter 8
The Troop Train Review
Vocabulary
The words from the following list have been selected from throughout the book. Choose a word from
the list to complete each sentence.
prohibit
reputation
ransack
skittish
proprietor
transfixed
stimulated
depot
confounded
elegant
1. My uncle is the __________________ of this establishment.
2. I'm afraid my sister's __________________ would be ruined if she dated Eric.
3. His attention was __________________ by the sight of the huge Ferris wheel.
4. The old man was in such a fury we thought he would __________________ the place.
5. The town council plans to __________________ anyone from trespassing on the site of the
fairgrounds.
6. A large crowd met my brother at the bus __________________.
7. The princess is probably the most __________________ woman I have ever seen.
8. The tracks found near the campsite in the morning __________________ the soldiers for at least an
hour.
9. I have never met a horse that was more __________________ than Old Tumbleweed.
10. My little sister was __________________ to practice her dance steps after watching the famous
ballerina perform.
Indicate whether the following statements are True or False.
1. Joe hoped that World War II would give him the chance to fly.
True or False
2. Joe sent Grandma a telegram telling her that his troop train would be
stopping in her town.
3. Joe was quite disappointed when he realized Grandma had not stayed
up to see him.
4. Grandma made Shotgun Cheatham out to be a Civil War hero in spite of
Effie Wilcox.
5. The Cowgills knocked over Effie's privy and blew up Grandma's mailbox.
True or False
6. Grandma fed the drifters a mess of catfish in exchange for them raking
her yard and cleaning out her garage.
7. Miss Puss Chapman still thought that Grandma was a young girl who
lived with her.
True or False
True or False
True or False
True or False
True or False
8. If Grandma hadn't switched the name tags on the gooseberry pies, then
she would not have won.
9. Grandma tricked the community into thinking that Effie Wilcox's house
once belonged to George Washington.
10. Mary Alice decided to stay and live with Grandma at the end of the
summer.
True or False
True or False
True or False
Who was your favorite character in this novel? Why?
Figurative Language
Explain what each of the following sayings means.
1. "Don't hide your light under a bushel."
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2.
"Cat got your tongue?"
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3. "Old as the hills!"
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