Mary Alice, and her brother, Joey, have spent summers with their Grandma Dowdel in her small town in southern Illinois. This year, Mary Alice, a city slicker from Chicago, faces an entire year alone with Grandma - who strikes fear in the hearts of all the townfolk. The only thing that Mary knows for certain is this: when trying to predict how life with Grandma might turn out - better not! This is the sequel to A Long Way from Chicago. It won the Newbery Medal in 2001.