The Mighty Miss Malone

I very rarely buy new books. I've squelched the desire because I simply can't afford to buy them with the way I read, not to mention there is no need when you have a library card. (But what pacifies me is knowing that if I wait long enough, I'll eventually be able to find any book I want for a quarter somewhere. Because my hunger and love for books is so great that I want to own every book that I love, to have it always near--just in case.) Ah, but what does one do when a beloved author comes for a book signing? For me, I scrape up the money (or in this case, husband's old gift card) and buy it.
Christopher Paul Curtis came to town in January. Isaac and I debated which book to buy to have Curtis sign, but eventually chose his new novel, The Mighty Miss Malone.

The Mighty Miss Malone tells the story of Deza Malone, a character that appears in Bud, Not Buddy. Isaac and I began to read it together, but stopped shortly after he was reading it in school. (It was a bit repetitive for him to read it both places.) I enjoy Curtis's writing and Deza is a lovable character, but I didn't feel pulled into the story too strongly. I certainly cared what happened to Deza and her family, which is why I did eventually finish the book, but it didn't have a strong pull on me. I put it down for several weeks before picking it back up. I'm glad I read it as Curtis is a great author. He is also a wonderful speaker and if you ever get a chance to see him, you definitely should. I found a video about this book. His humor and personality doesn't shine through as much here, but it is interesting and well done... just like his books.