A review by shirleytupperfreeman
The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

I wanted to give this 3.5 stars but couldn't figure out how. It's the story of a smart, young, black family trying to make ends meet in Gary, IN and Flint, MI during the Great Depression. The story is told through the eyes of Deza Malone - a girl at the top of her class and determined to stay that way - at least until life gets extremely complicated. Older elementary/young adults will be introduced to the depression, poor families all pitching in as they can, eating buggy oatmeal, homelessness, perseverance, despair and ultimately, hope. The characters are very human - displaying both good and bad characteristics. The photo of the girl on the cover is particularly striking and should draw young readers to the book.