A Long Way from Chicago | Topics for Discussion & Projects

A Long Way from Chicago Suggested Essay Topics

Grandma breaks the law and tells "whoppers," or lies, sometimes big ones. Most of the time she does these things in the service of others, though once in a while, she does it for her own amusement. Is it wrong to lie and break the law the way Grandma does? Support your view with examples from the stories.

Sometimes people have a tendency to romanticize the "good old days," such as the 1930s and 1940s. Discuss elements in A Long Way from Chicago that support or refute this point of view.

A Long Way from Chicago honors the narrator's grandmother by telling stories from his experiences with her. Select a person in your life who could be similarly honored and retell stories from his/her life.

The author writes simultaneously from an adult point of view and a child's point of view as the story unfolds. Find examples of where the...
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