The Mighty Miss Malone
Posted: 01 Nov 2014, 12:58
Curtis, C. P. (2012). The mighty miss malone. NY: Random House Children's Books. 320 pages | Juvenile Fiction
How can a child not be inspired to be mighty with a family motto such as the Malone’s? Their family motto is "We are a family on a journey to a place called wonderful." The family motto is one for the reader of this story as well, to journey to a place called wonderful. The author pulls readers in, rousing them to enter" the character’s world by way of the imagination to "see" the world as the protagonist does. The Mighty Miss Malone takes readers on a journey through time to see how courage and might are stronger than the trials that surround us.
The main character in this story is Deza, the smartest girl in Gary Indiana. Deza Malone and her family’s life radically changes when the Great Depression hits. Deza’s father leaves the family to try and find work but when he doesn’t write to tell his family where he is or if he is safe the family decides to try and follow him. Deza, her mother, and her brother must move many different places and live in a camp for a while, in order to find her father. One day, Deza’s older brother Jimmy leaves to sing for night clubs and gets very wealthy. Deza’s mother and Deza herself continue to struggle to try and find Deza’s dad. Finally, they find Deza’s dad in a homeless shelter and bring him to the new home that Jimmy bought for him and his family. And like Deza ends all her school reports, they lived happily ever after. The story shows that despite poverty, unemployment, lack of schooling, and lots of unfortunate experiences, it is possible to stay positive and devoted to your family.
Christopher Paul Curtis is an award winning, American writer of children's books. He has written several books including Bud, Not Buddy, which won the Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award. Elijah of Buxton, another one of his books, won the Scott O'Dell Historical Fiction Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, and received a Newbery Honor. The Mighty Miss Malone was named Publisher's Weekly Best Children's Book of 2012 and received the Kirkus Reviews Best Teen's Book of 2012 award.
The Mighty Miss Malone tackles issues of race, poverty and literacy in a way that is accessible to young readers. This book would be an excellent choice for a middle-school girl’s book club in the library. In addition, either in the library or the classroom this book could be assigned to the girls while the boys read Bud, Not Buddy and then have a discussion about the struggles faced by both characters.
How can a child not be inspired to be mighty with a family motto such as the Malone’s? Their family motto is "We are a family on a journey to a place called wonderful." The family motto is one for the reader of this story as well, to journey to a place called wonderful. The author pulls readers in, rousing them to enter" the character’s world by way of the imagination to "see" the world as the protagonist does. The Mighty Miss Malone takes readers on a journey through time to see how courage and might are stronger than the trials that surround us.
The main character in this story is Deza, the smartest girl in Gary Indiana. Deza Malone and her family’s life radically changes when the Great Depression hits. Deza’s father leaves the family to try and find work but when he doesn’t write to tell his family where he is or if he is safe the family decides to try and follow him. Deza, her mother, and her brother must move many different places and live in a camp for a while, in order to find her father. One day, Deza’s older brother Jimmy leaves to sing for night clubs and gets very wealthy. Deza’s mother and Deza herself continue to struggle to try and find Deza’s dad. Finally, they find Deza’s dad in a homeless shelter and bring him to the new home that Jimmy bought for him and his family. And like Deza ends all her school reports, they lived happily ever after. The story shows that despite poverty, unemployment, lack of schooling, and lots of unfortunate experiences, it is possible to stay positive and devoted to your family.
Christopher Paul Curtis is an award winning, American writer of children's books. He has written several books including Bud, Not Buddy, which won the Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award. Elijah of Buxton, another one of his books, won the Scott O'Dell Historical Fiction Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, and received a Newbery Honor. The Mighty Miss Malone was named Publisher's Weekly Best Children's Book of 2012 and received the Kirkus Reviews Best Teen's Book of 2012 award.
The Mighty Miss Malone tackles issues of race, poverty and literacy in a way that is accessible to young readers. This book would be an excellent choice for a middle-school girl’s book club in the library. In addition, either in the library or the classroom this book could be assigned to the girls while the boys read Bud, Not Buddy and then have a discussion about the struggles faced by both characters.