From wee tadpole to young man in uniform, this cup of Joe is our main man. After all, over the course of this novel, he goes from thinking that jigsaw puzzles are pretty much the best thing since s...

Joey Dowdel may be the narrator of A Long Way from Chicago, but Grandma Dowdel is the star. She's nuttier than a Snickers bar, more independent than a cat, and more full of energy than a Formula 1...

Although Joey Dowdel is the main character and narrator in A Long Way from Chicago, his sister, Mary Alice, is also a pretty big presence. She's not just some annoying younger sibling: she's a stro...

Mr. and Mrs. Weidenbach are definitely not Grandma Dowdel's favorite people in town. The banker and his wife represent what Grandma disdains the most—rich people who turn a blind eye on the suffe...