A "novel comprised of short stories" Richard Peck's A Long Way From Chicago is a Depression-era coming of age story about a boy and his little sister's summers spent away from their home in Chicago with their grandmother out in the country.
This was an entertaining read to any age, the reading level is low enough for elementary children, yet the entertainment value is enough for all ages. The stories involved are humorous, with a trickster grandmother with something always up her sleeve. Children can relate to odd families, people who act strange and familial strife, yet also connect with ways in which families show their love for one another--often without saying those words explicitly.
The Coming-of-age-in-the-Great-Depression could be a genre in it's own right, likened to the classic To Kill a Mockingbird, or another favorite of mine Man and Boy. Much like Robert Ruark's Man and Boy, it's comprised of short anecdotes of a young boy growing up around a grandparent and learning things that most would consider unorthodox.
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