The Mighty Miss Malone (2012)

This is a great book to discuss the historical time period of the Great Depression, and how people struggled to support their families. It also a controversial topic through history that every child should learn about. Race is such a touchy subject to address, so I think this book is great way for children to see the differences but also similarities in each of us. This book also attacks the issues of poverty, and the extent of what people will do for money or survival. These issues are all very hard to address in the classroom, but this book will help get the ball rolling.

A beautifully written book with a lovely heroine. Deza Malone is a twelve year old girl growing up in America during the Great Depression. She loves books and she is always reading or writing. She is gifted, spunky and fun and you can't help but love her. Her older brother Jimmie has stopped growing, but he is a gifted singer. Though he gets into trouble sometimes and doesn't do well in school, he has a really good heart. Their parents are kind and wise, but obviously deeply concerned about their children - they give them lots of love, but they can't provide material things like food and clothing. The Depression makes it impossible for a black man, like Deza's father, to find a job. Her mother works for a rich white family for next to nothing, as they are starving. Later in the book, when Mrs. Malone asks for a letter of reference, we see how awful her employers are.

When Deza's father goes missing, the Malone family sets out on a journey to find him, trying not to lose hope. In a new city, Deza finds herself in a school where all the teachers are white and no matter how hard she works or how smart she is, she never gets more than Cs and Ds on her report cards because of her skin colour. This is crushing to a girl who had previously been a straight-A student.

I loved the characters in this story and the striking imagery. I felt transported into Deza's world and there were some images - like Deza finding bugs in their oatmeal - that stayed with me for a long time after reading. Highly recommended. ( )

Grades 4-7: If you have a chance to listen to the audio version of [b:The Mighty Miss Malone|11288619|The Mighty Miss Malone|Christopher Paul Curtis|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320500210s/11288619.jpg|16216016], you're in for a treat: Bahni Turpin does a marvelous job narrating as Deza Malone. Christopher Paul Curtis shows that he is just as adept at bringing a female protagonist to life as he was with Buddy, Kenny, and Elijah, and that he is a master of engaging historical fiction. Added bonus on the audio version: the afterword is read by Curtis, and while I'm sure it's powerful in written form, his passion about the topic really comes through. ( )

I really liked this book. Deza is a good female character. I think my nitpicks with this book have to do with the fact that I am an adult reading a children's book so that affects my perspective somewhat. I would have loved Deza as a child. ( )

I wanted to love it, but it was just okay. It's no Watsons Go To Birmingham 1963. Also, this is probably shallow, but I was really creeped out by the descriptions of her teeth- my molars ached every time I started reading. ( )