The Mighty Miss Malone

An excellent kids' book, and worth a read by adults as well. Curtis touches on some important and underrepresented racial issues - our young heroine loses interest in reading when she doesn't see herself & world reflected in literature; teachers demonstrate a simmering prejudice. This books, as it deals with the Depression, feels especially relevant now. I did feel a strong disconnect between the first part of the book and the last half, after a series of tragedies hits the Malone family. I wish Curtis had done more to tie the novel together, but I fell in love with Deza Malone and her wonderful, strong, and loving family.