Rayburn, Tricia. 2010. Ruby's Slippers. Aladdin: New York. ISBN 978-1416987017.
2. Summary
Ruby is from a small town in Kansas. She's never heard of Facebook, doesn't have a cell phone, iPod or computer. However she is perfectly happy with her mom, best friend and wealth of friends in their small town. Then one day her mother decides to move to Florida so they can help Ruby's grandmother. However life in Florida is very different than life in small town Kansas. Ruby has a hard time adjusting and fitting in to her new school. She worries that she never will especially when she learns of the mandatory school talent show. Then she ends up in a group with the most popular girl in the school, who has taken a disliking to Ruby. Life at home is not going much better. Her mother and grandmother's tumultuous relationship causes even more problems for young Ruby. Will her life ever return to normal?
3. Impressions
I will admit that the only reason I picked up this book was because of the title. My daughter's name is Ruby and I buy all the books that I find that have her name in the title. However, this story turned out to be cute. I was intrigued by the notion of a young girl not knowing about any recent technology. I also like how the Wizard of Oz was tied into the story. But I was left very unsatisfied by this book. It seemed to me the author had put too many story lines in the book and didn't know how to make them all play out. I was left with a lot of questions at the end. I also wasn't crazy about the mother's character. She wasn't really developed enough. The idea of the story was very good, but the author didn't know how to make it work.
4. Reviews
These reviews taken from:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Rubys-Slippers/Tricia-Rayburn/e/9781416987017#TABS
From Publishers WeeklyLike her idol, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, Ruby believes that there's no place like home; she's very happy living in Curly Creek, Kans., a place where there's no need for technology and the neighbors are family. But Ruby's mother is taking her to Oz--aka Coconut Beach, Fla.--to live with Ruby's Nana Dottie, who her mother had an unexplained falling out with years ago. Ruby sticks out like a pair of ruby slippers (if ruby slippers were red Chuck Taylors) among her sophisticated classmates, and her eccentric mother doesn't help (as when she gives Ruby a vintage ABBA lunch box that sets off the school's metal detector). While navigating emotional landmines at home, Ruby tries to make sense of the culture of cell phones and divas-in-training while holding onto her ideals; she is challenged by popular Ava, who is enraged when Ruby is put in her group for the illustrious school talent show. Secondary characters are less developed than Ruby, but Rayburn's (the Maggie Bean series) story is a fun romp over the rainbow with a plucky and entertaining heroine. Ages 9 13. (July)
