I must use this book if I teach in the older grades. It's a 5.0 reading level. It is a historical fiction work with great insight into the time of the Great Depression and the Jazz Age. We could do it along with a study of that time period.  It is sad, but the sad parts are often tinted with humor. It is a great work that is classic and worth doing in the classroom. For an activity, we could have 30's day party and dress like someone from that era. We could play Jazz music and have a special snack. Possibly there could be some kind of project to go along with it, where the students pick something to research about that time period and we could present during on 30's day.  Great possibilities.