Love, Ruby Lavender

by Deborah Wiles

Overview

Ruby Lavender used to have a good life. She and her grandmother, Miss Eula, were inseparable--they even drove the getaway car together for chickens rescued from the slaughterhouse! But this summer, Miss Eula will be in Hawaii, and Ruby's sure it'll be a lonely, empty, horrible season without her. What happens instead? Ruby makes a new friend, saves the school play, writes plenty of letters to her favorite (and only) grandmother . . . and finally stops blaming herself for her grandfather's death.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780547351926
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/01/2002
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
Lexile:	630L (what's this?)
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

DEBORAH WILES is the award-winning author of Each Little Bird That Sings, a National Book Award finalist; Love, Ruby Lavender, an ALA Notable Children's Book, a Children's Book Sense 76 Pick, an NCTE Notable Book for the Language Arts, and a New York Public Library Book for Reading and Sharing; Freedom Summer, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book; The Aurora County All-Stars, a New York Public Library Book for Reading and Sharing; and One Wide Sky. She lives in Georgia.www.deborahwiles.com

Editorial Reviews

Charming nine-year-old Ruby invites readers to view life with her grandmother in small-town Halleluia, Mississippi, with a winsome third-person narrative that incorporates letters, newspaper articles and an abundance of comical details. Ages 8-12. (Mar.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 3-6 Talented Tony award-winner Judith Ivey is the narrator of this inventive title. An exceptional story in its own right, author Deborah Wiles (Harcourt, 2001) has created an irresistible character in Ruby Lavender, the most precocious resident of Hallelulia, Mississippi. Ruby is the only grandchild of Miss Eula Dapplevine, and the two are definitely "kindred spirits." Partners in crime - they steal ready-to-be-slaughtered chickens - the two share their thoughts and feelings by leaving daily missives in the knothole of a silver maple. Ruby, adventurous and opinionated, is devastated when her grandmother announces her plans to visit a new grandchild ("I hope they name her Hortense," Ruby offers) in Hawaii. Miss Eula and Ruby continue their correspondence throughout the summer, as Ruby offers "free advice," like "Always jiggle babies after they eat." Miss Eula consoles Ruby as she faces challenges and tries her best to combat the jealousy she feels toward her new cousin. Ruby's arch rival, Melba Jane, irritates Ruby, tells secrets. and generally upstages her until the day she really needs help, and Ruby comes to her rescue. Proving her theory that "life does go on," Miss Eula returns to Hallelulia to find that Ruby has, to her own surprise, made new friends and matured a bit in her absence. A rewarding read that perfectly blends the culture and the humor of the south, this not-to-be-missed title will be welcome in all collections that circulate audiobooks for children. -Kirsten Martindale, Buford Academy, GA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

"This small comic novel makes good use of a lot of chickens."—The New York Times Book Review
[star]"A lively, humorous story. . . . Colorful and spirited."—School Library Journal (starred review)
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From the Publisher

Good garden of peas! It’s hard to imagine a better book for audio narration than this charming, funny, and deeply touching novel of life in the small town of Halleluia, Mississippi. Think kidnapped chickens! Think Yoo-Hoo and pink muumuus! Think handmade quilts, letters tucked into the root tangle of a silver maple tree, and the deep love between a granddaughter--9-year-old Ruby L--and her widowed grandmother--Miss Eula. Judith Ivey’s long, leisurely vowels are filled with the sultriness of summer, the longing for connection, the generations-old belief that life does go on, even after a tragic loss. Ivey, Bemmie, and Bess will squawk at you. Miss Mattie will scold you sternly. Aunt Tot will bless your heart. Miss Eula will cajole you with the hoarse voice of reason. And Ruby herself will charm you with her brash enthusiasm and down-home sincerity. There’s more fun and feeling here than you can shake a stick at! T.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2003 ALA Notable Recording © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

OCT/NOV 02 - AudioFile

Good garden of peas! It’s hard to imagine a better book for audio narration than this charming, funny, and deeply touching novel of life in the small town of Halleluia, Mississippi. Think kidnapped chickens! Think Yoo-Hoo and pink muumuus! Think handmade quilts, letters tucked into the root tangle of a silver maple tree, and the deep love between a granddaughter--9-year-old Ruby L--and her widowed grandmother--Miss Eula. Judith Ivey’s long, leisurely vowels are filled with the sultriness of summer, the longing for connection, the generations-old belief that life does go on, even after a tragic loss. Ivey, Bemmie, and Bess will squawk at you. Miss Mattie will scold you sternly. Aunt Tot will bless your heart. Miss Eula will cajole you with the hoarse voice of reason. And Ruby herself will charm you with her brash enthusiasm and down-home sincerity. There’s more fun and feeling here than you can shake a stick at! T.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2003 ALA Notable Recording © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

OCT/ NOV 02 - AudioFile