Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Book Review: Ruby in the Sky


Ruby in the Sky, written by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo, is a wonderful book about bravery, compassion, finding your own voice, and standing up for yourself.

12-year-old Ruby Moon Hayes and her mom are in search for their “forever home.”  When Ruby’s aunt persuades them to move to Vermont, Ruby decides not to get too comfortable.  Mom will probably get tired of the small town of Fortin and within months, they will be somewhere new.  Ruby doesn’t want to make any friends, tell anyone that she’s friends with the “Bird Lady”, and most of all, she doesn’t want anyone to know why her mom was arrested.  Unexpected friendships begin to grow and before she knows it, the “forever home” Ruby has been looking for may be right where she is.

This book reminded me so much of One For The Murphy’s by Linda Mullaly Hunt, who the author credits as inspiration for her own writing.  Ruby feels displaced because of the number of times she and her mom have moved.  Because of that, Ruby has trouble making friends, connecting with teachers, and feels like her mother doesn’t include her in decisions that affect the both of them.  I loved reading about Ruby’s transformation from a quiet, timid girl to a brave girl, not afraid to speak up for herself.  Ruby makes many courageous choices throughout the book and I hope that young readers of this book will take that to heart. 

Ruby in the Sky was a delightful debut novel by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo!  I really look forward to reading more of her novels in the future!  This is a perfect book for grades 3 – 6 or ages 8 – 12, as well as fans of One For The Murphy’s by Linda Mullaly Hunt, Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin, or The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this e-ARC.  All opinions are my own.
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