In Depression-era Indiana, Deza Malone’s opportunities are slim despite her potential. She’s got the smarts, the determination, and the attitude, but her family lacks the resources to help her grow to her full potential—and things only become worse when her father needs to leave for Michigan to find work. Narrator Bahni Turpin’s exuberant performance and raspy voice make this an enjoyable and lively audio edition. Deftly rendering Deza, Turpin produces an impressive range of emotions for the young protagonist as she confronts challenges. For male characters, the narrator lowers her voice a few octaves, creating spot-on voices and an audiobook guaranteed to appeal to young listeners. Ages 10–14. A Wendy Lamb hardcover. (Jan.)

Even ardent fans of Curtis’s Newbery winner, Bud, Not Buddy, may not remember Deza Malone, who shares dishwashing duties with Bud Caldwell during his brief stay at a Hooverville in Flint, Mich. Responding to readers’ pleas that he write a book with a female main character, Curtis traces the path that led Deza’s family to homelessness. It’s 1936 in Gary, Ind., and the Great Depression has put 12-year-old Deza’s father out of work. After a near-death experience trying to catch fish for dinner, Roscoe Malone leaves for Flint, hoping he’ll find work. But Deza’s mother loses her job shortly after, putting all the Malones out on the street. As in his previous books, Curtis threads important bits of African-American history throughout the narrative, using the Joe Louis–Max Schmeling fight to expose the racism prevalent even among people like the librarian who tells Deza that Louis is “such a credit to your race.” Though the resolution of the family’s crisis is perhaps far-fetched, some readers will feel they are due a bit of happiness; others will be struck by how little has changed in 75 years for the nation’s have-nots. Ages 10–14. (Jan.)

Publisher's Weekly Best Children's Book of 2012

Kirkus Reviews Best Teen's Book of 2012


Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2011:
“Deza is one great heroine in her own right, a fitting literary companion to Bud Caldwell.”

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, December 12, 2011:
“Though the resolution of the family’s crisis is perhaps far-fetched, some readers will feel they are due a bit of happiness; others will be struck by how little has changed in 75 years for the nation’s have-nots.”

The Malone family is a loving, caring family that vows to stick together and travel to a place called Wonderful. Yet, the Great Depression is making that difficult, especially for a black family in Gary, Indiana, in 1936. Twelveyear-old Deza and her fifteen-year-old brother Jimmie attend school where many teachers are prejudiced. Jimmie has an angelic singing voice but is often bullied because of his small stature. Mr. Malone has been out of work for months and the family barely survives on the poor quality food they manage to find. In spite of the problems, optimism reigns in the Malone household until the day Mr. Malone disappears in a fishing accident on Lake Michigan. Life is never the same. Although he is found weeks later, he is a changed man unable to even look for work. Deza's life spirals out of control as the family is forced to leave Gary and travel to Flint, Michigan where they must live in a shantytown for months. In this novel, Curtis presents a heartbreaking story of the lives of regular black families during the Great Depression. Even with the sadness, Deza's determination to keep her family together presents an inspiring story. Reviewer: Shirley Nelson

Gr 4–7—Deza Malone, first very briefly introduced in Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy (Delacorte, 1999) is back in his latest novel (Random/Wendy Lamb Books, 2012). Deza is strong, independent, and the smartest one in her class. At home in Gary, Indiana, the African American family members discuss their days during Chief Chow Chat. Their motto is "we are a family on a journey to a place called Wonderful." The Great Depression changes things when Deza's father can't find work and he goes to his old hometown of Flint, Michigan, with the promise of sending for them when he finds a job. The letters never come and the rest of the family heads to Flint to find Mr. Malone. Bahni Turpin perfectly voices feisty Deza, who suffers through rotting teeth and little food, but continues to have hope for the future. Turpin also brings to life the other members of the family, especially Jimmie and his beautiful singing voice. Curtis captures the feelings of the times, particularly the disappointment following Joe Louis's loss to Max Schmeling. Heartbreaking, hopeful, and at times hilarious, this is perfect for fans of Curtis and listeners who enjoy historical fiction.—Sarah Flood, Breckinridge County Public Library, Hardinsburg, KY

Deza Malone had a brief appearance in Curtis' multiple–award-winning novel, Bud, Not Buddy (Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Author Award, 2000). Now, she is the dynamic and engaging heroine of her own story. Deza takes great pride in being the best student in school and the champion of her musically gifted but challenged older brother. Although the Malones are barely surviving the Depression in Gary, Ind., Deza has a strong sense of self and hope for a better life. As she writes in her school essay, "We are the only family in the world, in my ken, that has a motto of our own! That motto is ‘We are a family on a journey to a place called Wonderful.' I can't wait until we get there!" Despite severe economic and racial restrictions, the strength of their familial bond remains strong, but even that connection is sorely tested when Mr. Malone returns to his hometown of Flint, Mich., seeking work. Deza, her brother Jimmie and their mother set out to find him as their situation becomes dire. With his distinctive style of storytelling that seamlessly presents the hardships and finds the humor in tough circumstances, Curtis forges the link between characters and readers. The fluidity of the writing, the strong sense of place and time combined with well-drawn characters will captivate and delight. Deza is one great heroine in her own right, a fitting literary companion to Bud Caldwell. (Historical fiction. 9-12)