''Macaroni Boy'' is a children's

historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...

by the American writer

Katherine Ayres Katherine Ayres is an American writer of children's literature.Katherine Ayres
(profile). New York ...

. It is set in 1933 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

and tells the story of sixth-grader Mike Costa. His large Italian-American family owns a food warehouse in the Strip District, but the school bully taunts him, calling him Macaroni Boy. Mike is the store's rat killer, and when he checks his traps he is catching fewer. Mike eventually discovers a connection between the dying rats and his grandfather's illness. Mike's best friend, Joseph, helps Mike solve this great mystery

References

2004 American novels 2004 children's books American children's novels Children's historical novels Fiction set in 1933 Great Depression novels Italian-American novels Novels set in Pittsburgh Children's books set in Pittsburgh Children's books set in the 1930s {{2000s-child-hist-novel-stub