Macaroni Boy

· Sold by Yearling
4.0
3 reviews
Ebook
192
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

During the Great Depression, a boy who faces bullying stumbles upon a mystery and comes of age in this novel that integrates fact and opinion and has a rich 1930’s vocabulary. Extra material: An Author’s Note is included in the back of the book.

Mike Costa has lived his whole life in The Strip, Pittsburgh’s warehouse and factory district. His father’s large Italian family runs a food wholesale business, and Mike is used to the sounds and smells of men working all night to unload the trains that feed the city. But it’s 1933, and the Depression is bringing tough times to everyone. Money problems only add to Mike’s worries about his beloved grandfather, who is getting forgetful and confused.
     Mike is being tormented at school by a loud-mouth named Andy Simms, who calls Mike “Macaroni Boy.” But when dead rats start appearing in the streets, that name changes to “Rat Boy.” Around the same time Mike notices that his grandfather is also physically sick. Can whatever is killing the rats be hurting Mike’s grandfather? It’s a mystery Mike urgently needs to solve in this atmospheric, fast-paced story filled with vibrant period detail.

Ratings and reviews

4.0
3 reviews
A Google user
August 29, 2011
Macaroni Boy was a very fascinating book that took me on an exiting and vast ride! I felt like I was the main character in the book. It included a lot of adventures and puzzles to explore and solve. Also, I made many connections to the main character. Would you have the courage to stand up to Andy Simms in this story? Kulsoom-The Page Turners
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About the author

Katherine Ayres is the author of Family Tree, which has been named to several state award lists, and North by Night: A Story of the Underground Railroad. She also teaches writing at Chatham University.

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