Rose lives on a typical Illinois farm of 1893. She, her older sister Lottie, and her younger brother Buster have heard about the fair happening in Chicago, but they never in their lives thought they'd see it themselves. But then Aunt Euterpe shocks the family by first of all sending a letter (a monumentous event in itself) and then announcing that she was going to take the children and Mama to the fair this summer. The letter includes four train tickets to Chicago. Now Rose knows Mama and she's bettin no one is going to Chicago, but she didn't reckon on two things. One, Mama isn't too keen on this Everett fellow courtin' Lottie (Mama thinks he's a drifter and a grifter), and two, Aunt Euterpe said something about gettin' the children a broader education in her letter. Of course, Mama is too much of a homebody to go herself, so she sends her ticket back to Aunt Euterpe. Granddad, though, has other plans. He has a hankerin' to see the fair himself, so he sneaks the ticket out of the mail and shocks the children by appearing on the train with them. Aunt Euterpe doesn't quite know what has hit her when her spunky father and three children older than she remembered show up in Chicago. One thing's for sure, none of them will ever be the same after their summer together seeing the sights the World's Fair has to offer.When it comes right down to it, there really isn't a whole lot to this story other than some backwoods country kids, an overly-timid woman who has buried herself in grief, and a spunky, old man enjoying the sights of the World's Fair. But at the same time, Peck does do an awful lot in a mere 139 pages. I picked this up because I just finished The Devil in the White City and what better time to read this fictional book than when all the historical facts of the World's Fair of 1893 are fresh in my mind? Peck's information on the Fair lined up with what I had just read, and this book brings some of the finer details of the fair to life as it portrays it from the perspective of a country girl. The little things that Peck threw in to build the characters a little more were nice touches, and he added a nice dose of comedy along the way. Buster and Granddad combined are enough to keep anyone entertained. They are quite the pair. A fun, quick read. If you're looking for a historical fiction set in Chicago, or one for reluctant readers, this could be a good choice.Notes on content: Granddad uses some creative expletives, but nothing that would get modern kids in trouble for repeating. No sexual content. No violence, unless you count the butchering of animals typical of farm life. Even that isn't described much (except a squirrel skinning).
13-year-old Rosie Beckett, isn't quite sure what inspired her mother to allow Rosie and her two siblings to visit rich Aunt Euterpe in a "place with a million or so people, most of them criminals," but she suspects it has something to do with her wanting to separate Rosie's older sister, Lottie, from her suitor, "a drifter and probably a grifter." In any case, Lottie, Rosie and their younger brother, Buster, accompanied by their flamboyant grandfather, nearly burst with excitement as they embark on the biggest adventure of their lives. Peck fluidly works in the children's sense of awe as they observe the skyscrapers and the smooth surface of city roads. Meanwhile, the Becketts' boisterous spirits prove to be a little overwhelming for their widowed aunt (who still dresses in black after being a widow for four years). During the first 48 hours in Chicago, the Beckett clan manages to run off the household help and embarrass their aunt in front of some of Chicago's most prominent ladies. Luckily, things take a turn for the better, and later experiences riding a Ferris wheel, seeing Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and discovering Granddad Fuller is old pals with Buffalo Bill himself are as thrilling for Aunt Euterpe as for her less sophisticated kin. Peck's unforgettable characters, cunning dialogue and fast-paced action will keep readers of all ages in stitches as he captures a colorful chapter in American history. Ages 10-up.
What do You think about Fair Weather (2003)?
Richard Peck's story of Rosie Beckett's adventure to the 1893 World's Columbian Expo is, in a word, enchanting. This was my first time reading anything by Peck, and I'm sure to find more by him.Rosie, her mother, sister and brother are invited by their Aunt Euterpe to travel to Chicago to see the World's Fair. Their mother decides not to go, but thinks it might be a good idea to send the children. Never having traveled farther from home than their horse could travel, Chicago might as well have been an entirely different country for the children. Upon arriving in Chicago, through several accidents of fate, the children and their Aunt's lives are never going to be quite the same. Sprinkled throughout with historical names and places from Chicago's past, Peck deftly recreates that White City and the people that made it happen.I love the city of Chicago. I visit there all the time, and someday would like to live there. When I can't make it to the city, I love to read about it, and one of my favorite subjects is the World's Fair. I would have loved to have been there, to have seen it firsthand and feel that rush of the possibility of tomorrow that it brought to so many people and Peck's book delivers that thrill through the eyes of his characters.Recommended.
—David Edmonds
Caroline Davis's Review:In the thirteen years of her life, Rosie Beckett has never traveled farther from her farm than a horse could take her in one day. This all changes when a letter arrives from her Aunt Euterpe in Chicago, inviting Rosie and her siblings to come visit for a week to see the World's Columbian Exposition - the 1893 Chicago World's Fair! For a country girl impressed by getting to travel on a train, the marvels of the World's Fair are almost too incredible to believe. If only they could get Aunt Euterpe to stop worrying about everything and enjoy herself!This well-researched bit of historical fiction gives the reader a glimpse into the excitement of the turn of the century. Rosie is an character that many readers can identify with - caught between growing up like her sister, Lottie, who has a male caller, and staying young like Buster, her little brother. The activities of an 1890's rural Illinois farm come to life as she experiences them, and even more so the bustle of the crowd at the Exposition.Awards:A YALSA Best Book for Young Adults, 2002Children's Literature Assembly Notable Book of the English Language Arts, 2002
—GenreGroup
A reversal of Peck's "big city kids visit the country" from the delightful Grandma Dowdell stories, this book is "country kids visit the big city" -- the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, no less! Wonderful characters and a tremendous description of the wonders of the Fair itself. You really get a taste of the birth of the 20th century. There are perfect photographs of the actual Fair itself doubling as postcards (which were first introduced at the Fair, by the way) and a quick history of the cow-town of Chicago as it was transforming itself into a real city -- much to the consternation of the eastern cities who thought they had a monopoly on all that mattered. Highly recommended for readers of all ages.
—Mary Beth
