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.

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] 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.

[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.

[9][4] Orlando Marie, a journalist writing for the School Library Journal, explained that, “Period details are skillfully woven into the story with the Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling fight playing an important role in underscoring the sense of defeat for African Americans as they struggle with the Depression.”[5] Dean Schneider, a critic  from the Horn Book Magazine, wrote, “[The Mighty Miss Malone] is an angry novel, unflinching in its portrayal of poverty.”[3] Although Schneider noted that there was “a measure of hope” by the end of the story, Schneider still emphasized that this book still epitomizes the line from poet Robert Burns, ‘the best-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft a-gley.’[3] Critical reception for The Mighty Miss Malone was mostly positive,[8] with reviewers praising the book's style and voice.

[11] A reviewer for the School Library Journal stated that some expectations for the book might have been a little high, but that they were "completely enthralled by the voice, this wonderful realistic lens through which the reader experiences an African-American family’s plight in The Great Depression".

[12] A critic from Kirkus Reviews praised Christopher Paul Curtis for his “distinctive style of storytelling that seamlessly presents the hardships and finds the humor in tough circumstances.” Literary scholar Rachelle Kuehl uplifts Curtis's collection of work as quality examples of child-appropriate texts that promote awareness of historical atrocities in a way that students may explore them without being overwhelmed by the powerful themes.