The Night She Won Miss America

Gr 9 Up—In 1950, Betty Jane Welch reluctantly joins the Miss Delaware contest to appease her mother. When she wins, she is sent to Atlantic City for the Miss America competition. Once she arrives, she is paired with a dreamy pageant-approved escort, Griffin McAllister, and makes a new friend in the competition, Miss Rhode Island, Ciji. For the first time in her life, Betty starts breaking the rules, going out, drinking, gambling, and having fun. As a girl who lives to please everyone else, she begins, finally, to please herself. To her surprise, Betty wins the title of Miss America, and while she is initially caught up in the glitz and glamour of the competition, it all suddenly becomes too much, and she vanishes with Griffin the night of the final ceremony. At first, being on the run is romantic, but there is something off about Griff. This plot-driven story blends aspects of romance, mystery, and thriller. Readers will find authentic language for the time period, and although the book is historical fiction, teens will easily relate to the universal themes and issues. An appended author's note introduces the true 1937 Miss America story about Bette Cooper, on which the novel is based.