Deza Malone is a gifted, wordy girl growing up in Gary, Indiana, during the Great Depression. She is the best student in her class and dreams of a bright future, while her older brother Jimmie has a singing voice that people stop to hear. When her father leaves to find work and the family loses its footing, Deza, her mother and Jimmie end up in a Hooverville in Flint, Michigan, living among others who have lost everything. Deza stays stubborn, funny and determined to hold on to her education and to her family.
Middle-grade readers who enjoyed Bud, Not Buddy, where Deza first appears as a minor figure, will find her story here. It also works well for classrooms studying the Depression, giving a child's-eye view of hunger, hope and the fierce loyalty that keeps a household together.
Clear-cut; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Story Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2012
- Language
- EN
