Author: Deborah Wiles
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc., 2001Reviewer: Sharon M. Himsl
Ages: 8 to 12, Middle Grade
Pages: 188
This is the second book I have read
by middle grade author Deborah Wiles. My first was Each Little Bird That Sings
(2005). Both are refreshing, funny and heartwarming. Wiles is a master at ‘showing/not
telling’ and weaves a tale with characters that stay with you long after you
finish. Travel to Halleluia, Mississippi and meet nine-year-old Ruby Lavender and
her chickens—Ivy, Bemmie and Bess. Meet Ruby’s grandmother, Miss Eula, who
drives the get-away car when they rescue the chickens from going to the
slaughterhouse. Life is good in Halleluia, or at least manageable with Miss
Eula around, but when Miss Eula takes off for Hawaii to see her new grandbaby,
Ruby is devastated. How will she ever take care of the chickens on her own? One
is about to give birth! And how will she ever deal with mean-spirited, “tip-tapping” Melba Jane? Ruby and Melba
Jane share a past that neither can talk about: the tragic loss of two people
they loved very much, a grandfather and a father—two lives that were lost together
on one rainy night a year ago. The resolution comes in the most unconventional
way. Be prepared to shed a tear and laugh at the same time. Love, Ruby Lavender was written over ten years ago, but that is the beauty of children's books. They can take on a second life and then some. This is one of them. 
She has such a voice ... a lot like Robert Newton Peck.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a sweet book!
ReplyDeleteSo sweet, so sweet.
ReplyDeleteI've only had one child, now 17, but I remember some books stuck out FAR AND ABOVE others.
Great review :)