Welcome to New York!

Amy Elizabeth lives in the suburbs of Houston, Texas, but she's come to New York City to visit her grandmother. Grandma promises Amy Elizabeth they will go to Bloomingdale's -- "we New Yorkers call it Bloomie's" -- the most famous store in the world.

Getting to a department store when you live in the suburbs of Houston is a matter of getting in the car and driving to the mall. But in the city -- especially when that city is New York -- there are many ways to get there, and there seem to be as many ways not to. However, all the things -- from a visit to the top of the Empire State Building to a carriage ride in Central Park -- that get between Amy Elizabeth and Bloomingdale's also bring her closer to Grandma.

With her characteristic humor and insight, two-time Newbery Medalist E. L. Konigsburg celebrates the special relationship between a little girl and her grandmother.