The Mighty Miss Malone
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| Author | Christopher Paul Curtis |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Wendy Lamb Books |
Publication date | January 10, 2012 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 320 ppg |
| ISBN | 0385734913 |
| Preceded by | Bud, Not Buddy |
The Mighty Miss Malone is a 2012 children's novel by author Christopher Paul Curtis and is a follow-up to his 2000 book Bud, Not Buddy. Wendy Lamb Books released the book on January 10, 2012.[1] The Mighty Miss Malone follows the character of 12-year-old African-American Deza Malone, who narrates the book.
Deza Malone's family has the motto "We are a family on a journey to a place called Wonderful" and Deza is consistently marked in her school as someone who is sure to go far in life. However, Deza's family is too poor to help her take advantage of her talent.[2] For example, Deza's family cannot afford dental care for her.[3] This specific problem leads to a scene in which Deza overhears her father, in a conversation with Deza's mother, say, ‘I can’t breathe out of my nose when I’m near Deza because of the smell of her teeth. How sick is that?’[3] But despite the harsh circumstances that she lives under, Deza still has parents that love her, a great teacher, Mrs. Needham, and the perfect best friend, Clarice Anne Johnson.[4] Deza looks forward to receiving special summer tutoring from Mrs. Needham with her best friend.[4] However, when the Great Depression hits Deza's hometown of Gary, Indiana, her father loses his job and must travel in order to find work. Although Deza's mother was supporting the family by working as a domestic,[5] when she loses her job, the Malones are put out on the street.[6] Before Deza's father can write to have the family join him, Deza's mother uproots the family and goes out in search of Deza's father. Then, Deza and her brother end up in a Hooverville Shack outside Flint, Michigan.[7] As life continues, Deza's brother Jimmie leaves the camp hoping to become a performer while Deza and her mother try to carry on in the hopes of finding Deza's father. Deza goes off to find Jimmie when she learns that he is making it big in Detroit.[5] (Deza's father gets in a boat accident and almost dies.)
Background
Christopher Paul Curtis’ inspiration to write this book came from his fans. Because many of his fans requested that he write a book with a female protagonist, Curtis chose to write a book about a female side character from his book Bud, Not Buddy, Deza Malone.[6] Curtis chose to have the plot of The Mighty Miss Malone serve as an explanation of how Deza's family ended up homeless in Flint, Michigan, right before the events that take place in Bud, Not Buddy.[6]
