Ruby In the Sky

Summary:

“Twelve-year-old Ruby Moon Hayes does not want her new classmates to ask about her father. She does not want them to know her mother has been arrested. And she definitely does not want to make any friends. Ruby just wants to stay as silent and invisible as a new moon in the frozen sky. She and her mother won’t be staying long in Vermont anyway, and then things can go back to the way they were before everything went wrong.

But keeping to herself isn’t easy when Ahmad Saleem, a Syrian refugee, decides he’s her new best friend. Or when she meets “the Bird Lady,” a recluse named Abigail who lives in a ramshackle shed near Ruby’s house. Before long Ahmad and Abigail have become Ruby’s friends—and she realizes there is more to their stories than everyone knows.

As ugly rumors begin to swirl around the people Ruby loves, she must make a choice: break her silence, or risk losing everything that’s come to mean so much to her. Ruby in the Sky is a story of the walls we hide behind, and the magic that can happen when we’re brave enough to break free.” (Taken from publisher’s website)

Review:

Ruby is tired of her mom chasing the idea of a forever home. She hasn’t found it since her husband passed away. They finally end up in the small Vermont town where her mother grew up. And Ruby wants this to be the last stop. That is before they finally moving back to Washington DC where she knows life will be better for both of them. But when her plan to stay invisible fails to work, she begins to realize that everyone needs someone to lean on as a friend. And that using your voice is more important than staying invisible when the truth is being covered up.

This would make for a great book discussion title as it touches on so many interesting themes. Your choice – rumors, truth vs. lies, immigration, people who aren’t following social norms, single-parent household, death, family, friendship. You could really take the discussion to a number of places and there would be a lot to really dig in and talk about.

I really enjoyed Ferruolo’s writing style and how she so vividly described Vermont. In my mind, I could picture the small town, I could feel the cold in the air and I could imagine what it might look like when Ruby meets “the Bird Lady”. I also loved Ruby’s voice throughout this novel. She’s a true middle grade character – at times defying her mom’s wishes or just trying to make it through the day. She’s not without her faults and that’s what makes her so realistic.

Final Thoughts:

In Ruby in the Sky,Ruby learns that sometimes you must stand up for yourself and for others when they can’t stand up for themselves. That you must step into the light and be seen in order to make a difference.

Important Info:

Title: Ruby In the Sky
Author: Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication Date: February 5, 2019
Page Number: 304 pgs.