Deza Malone is the kind of character who jumps right into your heart and makes camp there.

Yes, this is a wonderful historical fiction book about the devastating effects of the Depression on families in the American Midwest - especially African American families. More than that, though, this is a book about a whip smart little girl who treasures books, her family, and has boundless hope for the future.

Read it for the eloquent writing and the childlike wonder. Read it for the glimpse into the past. Most of all, though, read it to fall in love with Deza Malone.


** This was my book recommendation in my classroom last week, it just didn't make it online! 

Imagine you live in New York City. Not the city of our time, though, the city as it was just before the dawn of the 20th century.

You’re thirteen years old. You’ve quit school because the crowded classroom with 100 kids was too much to bear. You also quit because you need to work to help your family survive. 

Eight cents a day. That is what you bring in by selling newspapers on the street as a “newsie”. At least, that’s what you make on a good day when you can actually sell them all. 

What will you do when the bullies attack and try to take it all away from you? What will you do when your sister, who earns a large chunk of the family’s wages, is accused of stealing at the hotel where she is employed? 

Maks decides to learn how to be a detective to help clear her name. Can he find out the truth? 

Part historical fiction – part mystery – City of Orphans is a wonderful story about a world quite different from our own. 

My students showered me with love before holiday break - love in the form of books to read. This topped my list as one of my favorite reads, and so earned the spot as my "Dragon's Book of the Week" when we returned to school.

It's 1899 in Texas and Calpurnia has no desire to act like a regular little girl. Her mind dances with curiosity about the world. Luckily for her, Calpurnia's grandfather notices her quick mind and inquisitive nature and makes it his job to help her as she explores the world around her, in spite of her mother's every attempt to train her up to be a proper young lady. 

Yes, this is the kind of story that is told a lot recently. But Calpurnia is one of those lovely characters that springs to life on the page. I highly recommend the story to students who love the natural world (boys and girls alike), as there is plenty of science built into the tale. It is also a beautifully told tale, and one that gives students a glimpse into the way the world worked as automobiles and telephones began I'm hoping my students love this book as much as I did!