The Mighty Miss Malone

In the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning Bud, Not Buddy, Bud met a girl named Deza Malone in a Hooverville. This is her story.

"We are a family on a journey to a place called wonderful" is the motto of Deza Malone's family. Deza is the smartest girl in her class in Gary, Indiana, singled out by teachers for a special path in life. But the Great Depression has hit Gary hard, and there are no jobs for black men. When her beloved father leaves to find work, Deza, Mother, and her older brother Jimmie go in search of him, and end up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan. Jimmie's beautiful voice inspires him to leave the camp to be a performer, while Deza and Mother find a new home, and cling to the hope that they will find Father. The twists and turns of their story reveal the devastation of the Depression and prove that Deza truly is the Mighty Miss Malone.

"Witty and moving." --The Wall Street Journal

"The fluidity of the writing, the strong sense of place and time combined with well-drawn characters will captivate and delight. . . . a fitting literary companion to Bud Caldwell." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred

"Curtis threads important bits of African-American history throughout the narrative. . . . Some readers will feel they are due a bit of happiness; others will be struck by how little has changed in 75 years for the nation's have-nots." --Publishers Weekly, Starred

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Published: 01/10/2012
ISBN: 9780385734912
Pages: 320
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.90w x 1.20d
Award: Michigan Notable Books - Winner
Award: NAPPA Gold Awards - Winner
Award: Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens - Recommended
Award: Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award - Nominee
Award: South Carolina Childrens, Junior and Young Adult Book Award - Nominee
Award: Massachusetts Children's Book Award - Nominee
Award: Volunteer State Book Awards - Nominee
Award: Black-Eyed Susan Award - Nominee
Award: Mark Twain Readers Award - Nominee
Award: Alabama Camellia Award - Nominee
Award: Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award - Nominee
Award: Charlotte Award - Nominee
Award: Rhode Island Children's Book Awards - Nominee

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 12/12/2011
Kirkus Reviews 12/15/2011
Booklist 01/01/2012 pg. 118
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 02/01/2012
School Library Journal 02/01/2012 pg. 114
Horn Book Magazine 03/01/2012 pg. 101
Publishers Weekly Best Books 11/05/2012 pg. 38
Kirkus Best Children's Books 11/15/2012 pg. 52
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2012 pg. 64 - Superior,Well Above Average

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 148755 / Mighty Miss Malone
Reading Level: 4.7 / Interest Level: Middle Grade / Point Value: 10