The Way to Schenectady

Illustrated by Linda Hendry
Look inside
Twelve-year-old Jane Peeler is about to embark on a summer ritual: the family car trip. Along with her two younger brothers, Bill and Bernie, Jane will endure traffic jams, singalongs, and fights over who gets the window on a two-day car trip to New England. With help from her Walkman, it may not be too bad, even if her chain-smoking, grumpy grandmother is coming along. But during a stop at a gas station, the kids meet Marty – a kind, penniless old man with a problem. How will he get to his brother’s funeral in Schenectady the next day? Jane would like to help him out – but how? Bringing a friend along on holiday is one thing, but a total stranger?

Readers will delight in the hilarious detours the Peelers must make to get their newest passenger, and themselves, to their destination on time.
© Alvaro Goveia
Richard Scrimger is the award-winning author of nine novels for young readers, three picture books, and three books for adults. His works have been translated into eight languages, and have been critically acclaimed around the world. Columns detailing Richard’s adventures in parenthood have been published in The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, and Today’s Parent. His first children’s novel, The Nose from Jupiter, won the 10th Annual Mr. Christie’s Book Award. His most recent young adult novel, From Charlie’s Point of View, was a CLA Honor Book, and was chosen as one of the “Best of the Best” by the Chicago Public Library. His latest adult novel, Mystical Rose, was a Globe & Mail book of the year. He has four teenaged children, a collection of speeding tickets, and, usually, a puzzled expression.Richard Scrimger lives in Cobourg, Ontario. View titles by Richard Scrimger
Tundra’s LINDA HENDRY has illustrated and/or written over fifty children’s books, including the Benny Bensky series. In 1986, she was short-listed for the Governor General’s Literary Award for her illustration of The Queen Who Stole the Sky. In 2001, her book Priscilla and Rosy, written by Sharon Jennings, received the Mr. Christie’s Silver Medal. Linda Hendry lives with her family near Rockwood, Ontario. View titles by Linda Hendry
  • NOMINEE | 2000
    Silver Birch Award for Fiction
“A rollicking great read.”
Children’s Bookwatch

“There are moments…that are snort-out-loud funny.”
City Parent

“A hilarious account of a family’s car trip that captures the tradition, friction, and inevitable detours that accompany this annual summer ritual…At times the dialogue is so snappy that one senses there is a well-choreographed play just beneath the surface of the novel.”
Quill & Quire

About

Twelve-year-old Jane Peeler is about to embark on a summer ritual: the family car trip. Along with her two younger brothers, Bill and Bernie, Jane will endure traffic jams, singalongs, and fights over who gets the window on a two-day car trip to New England. With help from her Walkman, it may not be too bad, even if her chain-smoking, grumpy grandmother is coming along. But during a stop at a gas station, the kids meet Marty – a kind, penniless old man with a problem. How will he get to his brother’s funeral in Schenectady the next day? Jane would like to help him out – but how? Bringing a friend along on holiday is one thing, but a total stranger?

Readers will delight in the hilarious detours the Peelers must make to get their newest passenger, and themselves, to their destination on time.

Author

© Alvaro Goveia
Richard Scrimger is the award-winning author of nine novels for young readers, three picture books, and three books for adults. His works have been translated into eight languages, and have been critically acclaimed around the world. Columns detailing Richard’s adventures in parenthood have been published in The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, and Today’s Parent. His first children’s novel, The Nose from Jupiter, won the 10th Annual Mr. Christie’s Book Award. His most recent young adult novel, From Charlie’s Point of View, was a CLA Honor Book, and was chosen as one of the “Best of the Best” by the Chicago Public Library. His latest adult novel, Mystical Rose, was a Globe & Mail book of the year. He has four teenaged children, a collection of speeding tickets, and, usually, a puzzled expression.Richard Scrimger lives in Cobourg, Ontario. View titles by Richard Scrimger
Tundra’s LINDA HENDRY has illustrated and/or written over fifty children’s books, including the Benny Bensky series. In 1986, she was short-listed for the Governor General’s Literary Award for her illustration of The Queen Who Stole the Sky. In 2001, her book Priscilla and Rosy, written by Sharon Jennings, received the Mr. Christie’s Silver Medal. Linda Hendry lives with her family near Rockwood, Ontario. View titles by Linda Hendry

Awards

  • NOMINEE | 2000
    Silver Birch Award for Fiction

Praise

“A rollicking great read.”
Children’s Bookwatch

“There are moments…that are snort-out-loud funny.”
City Parent

“A hilarious account of a family’s car trip that captures the tradition, friction, and inevitable detours that accompany this annual summer ritual…At times the dialogue is so snappy that one senses there is a well-choreographed play just beneath the surface of the novel.”
Quill & Quire

2024 Elementary School Collection

The Penguin Random House Education Elementary School Collection features outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and picture books from Penguin Young Reader’s, Random House Children’s, DK, and Grupo Editorial, as well as children’s publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Explore online or download this valuable resource to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: Leveled Readers,

Read more

DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request

Thank you for your interest in DK Learning | Phonic Books. To download the DK Learning | Phonic Books sampler with four complete readers, please click here and complete the form. Once your information is successfully submitted, a link to download the sampler will be provided on the confirmation screen.   Click here to learn

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more

PRH Education Classroom Libraries

“Books are a students’ passport to entering and actively participating in a global society with the empathy, compassion, and knowledge it takes to become the problem solvers the world needs.” –Laura Robb   Research shows that reading and literacy directly impacts students’ academic success and personal growth. To help promote the importance of daily independent

Read more