Ruth S. recommends The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

Deza is young, determined, and the smartest girl in her class. Her life is turned upside down when her father is forced to take a job far away from her hometown due to the fact there were no jobs available for black men during the depression. Her family leaves everything behind to find her father. Their journey and new way of life is challenging -- but through all of it, Deza proves that she really is mighty! A great read for 4th through 8th graders.
Publisher description:
With love and determination befitting the "world's greatest family," twelve-year-old Deza Malone, her older brother Jimmie, and their parents endure tough times in Gary, Indiana, and later Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression.