A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
During the years 1929-1942, Joey and Mary Alice make their annual summer visit from Chicago to rural Illinois to visit their eccentric grandmother, Grandma Dowdel. Each year brings exciting adventure with historical mentions thrown in. Seeing their first corpse, trespassing, poaching and catching the sheriff in his underwear are just some examples that befall this brother and sister during their many summer visits.