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Ruby Lu #3
[(Ruby Lu, Star of the Show)] [By (author) Lenore Look ] published on
Ruby Lu returns—in paperback! Can this spunky middle-grader solve her family’s money troubles?Ruby is starting third grade, and she can’t wait! She’ll get to join fun clubs, learn cursive, and play in the orchestra. But there’s one big change Ruby Lu isn’t Her father loses his job. Now he’s taking care of her and Oscar while her mother works, and it’s definitely not all fun and games, especially with money so tight. So Ruby, determined and resourceful as ever, sets out to make a million dollars! And though she soon learns that making money isn’t easy, she also discovers that having a loving family is the most valuable thing of all.
Paperback
First published February 8, 2011
11 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Lenore Look
33 books114 followersI first began making picture books in kindergarten because my other career option at the time was stealing. But a life of crime requires practice and patience, neither of which I had, so I settled into industry, making what I coveted but what my parents could not afford to buy: beautiful books like the ones my teacher read to us in school.
Publishing was no problem in those days, not like it is now. By first-grade, I was my own publisher, making multiple copies of my books by hand. As for fame and fortune, I took care of that, too–I taught my brothers and the neighborhood kids how to wait in line for autographed copies, and I charged them 25 cents a book (an enviable paperback royalty today!), but also accepted candy.
By third grade, I had abandoned the literary scene. My parents had bought an old piano and signed me up for lessons and, thus, I began dreaming of becoming a world-famous concert pianist.
Then I came across a book on Maria Tallchief, and became a ballerina, just like that. I weighed only 40 pounds and could leap and pirouette all day without stopping. It was a lot easier than becoming a pianist.
Then I read a book about a surgeon, and one about a veterinarian, and another about a great tennis player . . . and I found myself wanting to become whatever I’d last read.
Eventually I grew up and became a newspaper reporter. It was the perfect job for me. I got paid to do the two things I loved most: writing and being curious. Working as a reporter taught me how to talk to people, how to find the story behind the story, and how to tell a story in a way that keeps a reader reading. I learned to listen to the way people talk. I learned to be precise and concise in my own choice of words. Best of all, the more I wrote, the more I was filled with a sense of wonder. I loved writing not only about what happens to people, but also about what happens inside of them, which is what writing for children is all about, but I didn’t yet know it.
It wasn’t until I became a mother and began reading children’s books again that I felt what the Chinese call yun fuen, a continuing of work begun in past lives. I had long forgotten my early foray into picture books, the thread I’d dropped in kindergarten, a thin rig, like the one a spider would use in rising. I had journeyed nearly 30 years down through space by then, unaware of my silken strand. Then one afternoon, with my two young children clamoring for something to do, I showed them how to fold paper into a book . . . picked up some crayons and a pen, and then . . . felt myself rising . . . returning to that place where I began, that brief age in which I had so many talents, and leapt and pirouetted into the sun, and could not stop.
Publishing was no problem in those days, not like it is now. By first-grade, I was my own publisher, making multiple copies of my books by hand. As for fame and fortune, I took care of that, too–I taught my brothers and the neighborhood kids how to wait in line for autographed copies, and I charged them 25 cents a book (an enviable paperback royalty today!), but also accepted candy.
By third grade, I had abandoned the literary scene. My parents had bought an old piano and signed me up for lessons and, thus, I began dreaming of becoming a world-famous concert pianist.
Then I came across a book on Maria Tallchief, and became a ballerina, just like that. I weighed only 40 pounds and could leap and pirouette all day without stopping. It was a lot easier than becoming a pianist.
Then I read a book about a surgeon, and one about a veterinarian, and another about a great tennis player . . . and I found myself wanting to become whatever I’d last read.
Eventually I grew up and became a newspaper reporter. It was the perfect job for me. I got paid to do the two things I loved most: writing and being curious. Working as a reporter taught me how to talk to people, how to find the story behind the story, and how to tell a story in a way that keeps a reader reading. I learned to listen to the way people talk. I learned to be precise and concise in my own choice of words. Best of all, the more I wrote, the more I was filled with a sense of wonder. I loved writing not only about what happens to people, but also about what happens inside of them, which is what writing for children is all about, but I didn’t yet know it.
It wasn’t until I became a mother and began reading children’s books again that I felt what the Chinese call yun fuen, a continuing of work begun in past lives. I had long forgotten my early foray into picture books, the thread I’d dropped in kindergarten, a thin rig, like the one a spider would use in rising. I had journeyed nearly 30 years down through space by then, unaware of my silken strand. Then one afternoon, with my two young children clamoring for something to do, I showed them how to fold paper into a book . . . picked up some crayons and a pen, and then . . . felt myself rising . . . returning to that place where I began, that brief age in which I had so many talents, and leapt and pirouetted into the sun, and could not stop.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 25, 2018
Ruby Lu is back, with her cousin, Flying Duck, and her little brother, Oscar.
The book isn't all rainbows and sunshine. Ruby's father has lost his job and times are hard. The book talks about how Ruby, with the help of her friends, try to help the family's finances. But things look bleak when they might have to get rid of her dog, Elvis.
The book isn't all rainbows and sunshine. Ruby's father has lost his job and times are hard. The book talks about how Ruby, with the help of her friends, try to help the family's finances. But things look bleak when they might have to get rid of her dog, Elvis.
January 11, 2018
There were a lot of delightful unexpected twists in the narrative which I enjoyed. This story describes what happens when a parent loses their job and how it affects the family, specifically from a child’s perspective which I thought was touching and insightful. I enjoyed the creative ways in which ruby lu seeks to help her family.
May 17, 2015
The third and, as of now, final entry in the Ruby Lu series, finds Ruby starting third grade just as her dad has lost his job and her mom goes to work selling shoes at the mall. Ruby worries along with her parents and contributes to the family finances (or tries to, at least) by counterfeiting money, opening a backyard spa with less than optimal results, and home-training Elvis, the stray dog who wandered into Ruby's home and stayed. This is a less upbeat entry than Ruby Lu Empress of Everything but has some nice lessons about compassion and helping one's neighbor.
May 10, 2019
This is another book that Megan found on her own at the library that she wanted me to read to her. I didn't really know what to expect, but it was a good book. Ruby Lu is very relatable for kids, and she dealt with some real problems in this book (her dad losing his job, her mom not being at home anymore because she gets a job, dealing with having little money). It ended in a nice way that wrapped up everything and showed a lot of character development from Ruby Lu.
I'm sure we'll be reading more Ruby Lu after finishing this book. Megan is a much bigger fan of it than Jared, but he usually still enjoys it when I get started.
I'm sure we'll be reading more Ruby Lu after finishing this book. Megan is a much bigger fan of it than Jared, but he usually still enjoys it when I get started.
September 18, 2021
Ruby Lu, Star of the Show is the third book in the Ruby Lu series, and I didn't like it quite as much as I did the first two. Part of that is the art--Stef Choi's illustrations just don't have the same vivacity and personality as Anne Wilsdorf's. But it's also the story--it's just slower and less funny than the first two. The book as a whole just feels kind of generic, like it could be from any chapter-book series rather than Ruby's specifically.
October 25, 2017
Such happy stories. Dad loses his job, which creates opportunities to teach the kids resilience and honor. I love the thrifty costumes... but of course I believe that it's smart for everyone to reduce, reuse, recycle. I wish we got to know Flying Duck and her parents better; maybe we do in book #2, which I haven't read yet.
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June 17, 2020Highly recommend this series. This is the third and last, I believe, in the series. Still wonderful characters, funny, strong, diverse. Great neighborhood. Great creativity. Deals with job loss and change in positive way.
March 25, 2021
The writing for this one was a little off. Liked the first two but this one was just okay. Still very good story and it does talk about a parent losing a job and what comes with it. Just wasn't my favorite of the series.
March 31, 2011
As posted on Outside of a Dog:
In 2004, Ruby Lu, star of Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look, joined the ranks of Ramona, Judy Moody and Junie B. Jones as the newest precocious youngster in the chapter book set. Since then, Ruby has appeared in two more books, 2006’s Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything and the new Ruby Lu, Star of the Show. With this newest title, she’s also gotten a makeover, care of new illustrator Stef Choi (the previous two titles were illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf).
In Ruby Lu, Star of the Show, the family faces their biggest challenge yet when Ruby’s father loses his job and the family purse-strings are tightened. First on the chopping block are obedience lessons for Ruby's new dog, Elvis, who knows many cool tricks, like yoga, but needs help with the basics, like sit. Ruby’s mother gets a job, and Ruby herself learns to adjust to life with a stay-at-home-dad. (Sound familiar? It should – the plot is similar to Beverly Cleary’s Ramona and Her Father). Ruby tries many things to help the family through this rough patch, including running her own spa where her friends (with money scanned from the computer) all get new haircuts to engaging in a bit of pet therapy when her father seems down in the dumps. But Ruby’s biggest challenge comes at the end of the book, when she discovers the past of her beloved Elvis, and learns the value in giving to others in need.
Even though it harkens back to Cleary’s book from 1977, the Lu family’s struggles are very representative of our current economic climate. Ruby’s is not the only family on the block with a parent out of work, and this takes its toll on the children, too. There’s a very moving moment in Star of the Show in which Ruby’s father divides up money that was found and never claimed between two neighborhood families, keeping none for himself. This allows Panchito, who has had a hard time making friends, mostly because of his own attitude, to try candy from Fred’s candy store for the first time and decide that he does, in fact, like candy. In fact, “[h]e liked it very much.” The issue of money is handled delicately, but realistically. Despite Ruby’s worrying, never does it feel like the Lu family is in danger of losing their home, or going hungry, but the effort of job hunting takes its toll, and it shows in arguments between the parents.
Ruby’s trademark humor is in full force as well. Beyond the at home spa, there’s Ruby’s haikus in class, on everything from her dog to her “mean” teacher, Mr. Yu: “Monsters are creepy/Sneaky, send notes home with grades./Monster should not teach”. After this incident, Ruby decides she doesn’t want to be a third-grade teacher any more (Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, anyone?). Of course, Ruby makes up with her teacher, and even attends tutoring after school to help with her grades. Ruby and her cousin, Flying Duck, even win the school’s Halloween costume contest, in their “cheap” homemade/dad-made costumes: Ruby as a washing machine, Flying Duck as the dryer. Even little brother Oscar gets into the act as a bottle of detergent.
I always look forward to a new Lenore Look title. She’s someone to recommend to nearly every reader. I put her Alvin Ho books into the hands on every Wimpy Kid enthusiast that I can find, and I do the same for Ruby Lu and fans of the aforementioned Judy Moody and Junie B. I think Ruby Lu has earned her place on the reading list next to Beverly Clearly, Barbara Park and Megan McDonald as a solidly entertaining and rewarding early chapter book. I can’t wait to see what she gets into next.
A note on the cover: I’m not really a fan of the new look. The inside illustrations are just fine, but the cover image is a bit too girly to me, a bit too generic. Ruby looks like any other big-eyed, apple-cheeked cartoon little girl. She’s lost her Ruby-ness. Of course, in my universe, all Look’s books would be illustrated by LeUyen Pham. But that’s just me.
In 2004, Ruby Lu, star of Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look, joined the ranks of Ramona, Judy Moody and Junie B. Jones as the newest precocious youngster in the chapter book set. Since then, Ruby has appeared in two more books, 2006’s Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything and the new Ruby Lu, Star of the Show. With this newest title, she’s also gotten a makeover, care of new illustrator Stef Choi (the previous two titles were illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf).
In Ruby Lu, Star of the Show, the family faces their biggest challenge yet when Ruby’s father loses his job and the family purse-strings are tightened. First on the chopping block are obedience lessons for Ruby's new dog, Elvis, who knows many cool tricks, like yoga, but needs help with the basics, like sit. Ruby’s mother gets a job, and Ruby herself learns to adjust to life with a stay-at-home-dad. (Sound familiar? It should – the plot is similar to Beverly Cleary’s Ramona and Her Father). Ruby tries many things to help the family through this rough patch, including running her own spa where her friends (with money scanned from the computer) all get new haircuts to engaging in a bit of pet therapy when her father seems down in the dumps. But Ruby’s biggest challenge comes at the end of the book, when she discovers the past of her beloved Elvis, and learns the value in giving to others in need.
Even though it harkens back to Cleary’s book from 1977, the Lu family’s struggles are very representative of our current economic climate. Ruby’s is not the only family on the block with a parent out of work, and this takes its toll on the children, too. There’s a very moving moment in Star of the Show in which Ruby’s father divides up money that was found and never claimed between two neighborhood families, keeping none for himself. This allows Panchito, who has had a hard time making friends, mostly because of his own attitude, to try candy from Fred’s candy store for the first time and decide that he does, in fact, like candy. In fact, “[h]e liked it very much.” The issue of money is handled delicately, but realistically. Despite Ruby’s worrying, never does it feel like the Lu family is in danger of losing their home, or going hungry, but the effort of job hunting takes its toll, and it shows in arguments between the parents.
Ruby’s trademark humor is in full force as well. Beyond the at home spa, there’s Ruby’s haikus in class, on everything from her dog to her “mean” teacher, Mr. Yu: “Monsters are creepy/Sneaky, send notes home with grades./Monster should not teach”. After this incident, Ruby decides she doesn’t want to be a third-grade teacher any more (Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, anyone?). Of course, Ruby makes up with her teacher, and even attends tutoring after school to help with her grades. Ruby and her cousin, Flying Duck, even win the school’s Halloween costume contest, in their “cheap” homemade/dad-made costumes: Ruby as a washing machine, Flying Duck as the dryer. Even little brother Oscar gets into the act as a bottle of detergent.
I always look forward to a new Lenore Look title. She’s someone to recommend to nearly every reader. I put her Alvin Ho books into the hands on every Wimpy Kid enthusiast that I can find, and I do the same for Ruby Lu and fans of the aforementioned Judy Moody and Junie B. I think Ruby Lu has earned her place on the reading list next to Beverly Clearly, Barbara Park and Megan McDonald as a solidly entertaining and rewarding early chapter book. I can’t wait to see what she gets into next.
A note on the cover: I’m not really a fan of the new look. The inside illustrations are just fine, but the cover image is a bit too girly to me, a bit too generic. Ruby looks like any other big-eyed, apple-cheeked cartoon little girl. She’s lost her Ruby-ness. Of course, in my universe, all Look’s books would be illustrated by LeUyen Pham. But that’s just me.
December 19, 2016
In this third story about Ruby Lu, Ruby is absolutely loving third grade. "The best thing about third grade was absolutely everything," is the opening sentence of the story, and indeed things look pretty great. Ruby's going to learn cursive, write haiku, play the recorder, and take her dog to obedience school. That is, until her family must deal with an issue many families have faced during the economic recession: her father loses his job. Ruby takes the news pretty hard, but is determined to raise some money on her own. She even sends some emails on her dad's behalf in the hope of getting him a new job. To Ruby's great surprise, though, it is soon her mother who goes off to work, leaving Dad at home to take care of the kids. He doesn't do everything exactly like Mom would, and Ruby has a tough time adjusting. Other plot threads involve Ruby's cousin, Flying Duck, who is deaf and communicates using Chinese Sign Language, Ruby's dog, Elvis, who may not be who she thinks he is, and the members of the 20th Avenue Plum Club, who stand by Ruby and subject themselves to her short-lived makeover business.
This book was very slow to start, and I really thought the story could have begun with the second chapter. That's where the action really begins, and where I first felt connected to Ruby as a character. While this subject matter has been covered in other chapter book series - most memorably, in Ramona and her Father - this was a somewhat new twist on the concept, given the extended family living with the Lus, and the creative ways Ruby comes up with to assist her father. The writing style, too, is very strong, and after that first chapter, Ruby's voice propelled me through the story fairly quickly.
What I didn't like as much was the way the title of the book didn't seem connected at all to the main points of the plot. Yes, there is a connection in the final chapter of the story, but it felt almost like two books were smooshed together - one about Mr. Lu's lost job, and the other about Ruby and her dog. I'm puzzled by this, but I think Lenore Look's writing is continually stronger in the Alvin Ho books, and doesn't connect with me in the same way when she writes about Ruby Lu.
Another thing I noticed was the change in illustrator from the first two volumes to this one. Ruby Lu, Brave and True and Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything were originally illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf. I was pretty attached to her style, but somehow Stef Choi's illustrations in this third volume felt like a more honest representation of the characters. The way she draws figures and faces is very animated and almost cartoonish, and many of her illustrations made me feel nostalgic for artists like Crockett Johnson and Syd Hoff, and even reminded me a little bit of the way Fisher Price Little People looked when I was a kid.
Overall, I think the illustrations somewhat outshine the text, but both work together to tell a strong story about a girl who is sure to find fans among readers of the Just Grace and Mallory McDonald series.
This book was very slow to start, and I really thought the story could have begun with the second chapter. That's where the action really begins, and where I first felt connected to Ruby as a character. While this subject matter has been covered in other chapter book series - most memorably, in Ramona and her Father - this was a somewhat new twist on the concept, given the extended family living with the Lus, and the creative ways Ruby comes up with to assist her father. The writing style, too, is very strong, and after that first chapter, Ruby's voice propelled me through the story fairly quickly.
What I didn't like as much was the way the title of the book didn't seem connected at all to the main points of the plot. Yes, there is a connection in the final chapter of the story, but it felt almost like two books were smooshed together - one about Mr. Lu's lost job, and the other about Ruby and her dog. I'm puzzled by this, but I think Lenore Look's writing is continually stronger in the Alvin Ho books, and doesn't connect with me in the same way when she writes about Ruby Lu.
Another thing I noticed was the change in illustrator from the first two volumes to this one. Ruby Lu, Brave and True and Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything were originally illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf. I was pretty attached to her style, but somehow Stef Choi's illustrations in this third volume felt like a more honest representation of the characters. The way she draws figures and faces is very animated and almost cartoonish, and many of her illustrations made me feel nostalgic for artists like Crockett Johnson and Syd Hoff, and even reminded me a little bit of the way Fisher Price Little People looked when I was a kid.
Overall, I think the illustrations somewhat outshine the text, but both work together to tell a strong story about a girl who is sure to find fans among readers of the Just Grace and Mallory McDonald series.
March 8, 2013
I picked up this book for Madeleine's reading practice - she reads some, i read some more, she reads some, etc. We had, previously, read Ruby Lu, Brave and True. Many of my comments here apply to that book, too.
There is a lot to love about this book, as far as I am concerned. The writing is nice - easy to get through without being lazy. The characters are good role models (something I really do appreciate in books for my daughter). In this book there is a mini-theme of Haiku, which was wonderful to give us something to explore in conjunction with the book.
One reason i chose this book, too, is that it portrays some needed diversity in our lives - the main character is Chinese, but she lives in Seattle. She shares much of our culture, and brings her own. Her relationships with her family and neighbors are encouraging. In this book Ruby's dad loses his job, and I appreciate the discussion of a reality that are kids are lucky enough not to know first hand. I think the book does a good job of showing these things realistically, and without being heavy handed about it.
In short, i find this book, and its companion, to be sweet and enjoyable, and just about right for my young reader.
There is a lot to love about this book, as far as I am concerned. The writing is nice - easy to get through without being lazy. The characters are good role models (something I really do appreciate in books for my daughter). In this book there is a mini-theme of Haiku, which was wonderful to give us something to explore in conjunction with the book.
One reason i chose this book, too, is that it portrays some needed diversity in our lives - the main character is Chinese, but she lives in Seattle. She shares much of our culture, and brings her own. Her relationships with her family and neighbors are encouraging. In this book Ruby's dad loses his job, and I appreciate the discussion of a reality that are kids are lucky enough not to know first hand. I think the book does a good job of showing these things realistically, and without being heavy handed about it.
In short, i find this book, and its companion, to be sweet and enjoyable, and just about right for my young reader.
June 8, 2017
This book's illustrator (Stef Choi) is different from the illustrator of the previous two books in the series that I read (Anne Wilsdorf), and I noticed the difference. Maybe I am just partial to what I started with, but I also felt that in this book's illustrations, Ruby and her family did not always look Chinese.
Also, it's been a while since I read the first two books, but I seemed to remember Ruby being more eccentric than she was in this book... I don't know if maybe she's just growing up? But if that's the case, then as a third grader, she really should have known better than to cut her friends' hair! Those kinds of antics seem more like something a kindergartener might do.
In many ways, this book was reminiscent of Ramona and Her Father as it dealt with a similar theme. I liked that this book imparted down-to-earth ideas like, "Cheap was fun. It meant using your imagination instead of your wallet. It could make something out of nothing." (Pg. 95) And, there was also a nice lesson about doing the right thing: "Finders are not keepers. Finders are helpers." (Pg. 111)
Also, it's been a while since I read the first two books, but I seemed to remember Ruby being more eccentric than she was in this book... I don't know if maybe she's just growing up? But if that's the case, then as a third grader, she really should have known better than to cut her friends' hair! Those kinds of antics seem more like something a kindergartener might do.
In many ways, this book was reminiscent of Ramona and Her Father as it dealt with a similar theme. I liked that this book imparted down-to-earth ideas like, "Cheap was fun. It meant using your imagination instead of your wallet. It could make something out of nothing." (Pg. 95) And, there was also a nice lesson about doing the right thing: "Finders are not keepers. Finders are helpers." (Pg. 111)
April 3, 2015
Wrote this for class so I may as well put it here:
Third book, third grade. Big changes are in store for Ruby Lu and her incorrigible dog Elvis when her dad loses his job and her mom heads to work. Friends known as the 20th Avenue Plum Club help Ruby and her cousin Flying Duck scheme to ease their family’s financial woes. With some resourceful, if misguided, creativity and a little good karma, Ruby Lu manages to Survive Hard Times and become the Star of the Show. Look’s subtle humor and often touching prose joined by Choi’s lively and fanciful cartoon illustrations thoroughly capture the misunderstandings, raw emotions, and imagination of childhood. An expert mix of sentence complexity and of new and familiar vocabulary make Ruby Lu a comfortable challenge for newly independent readers. Comparable in quality and style to Beverly Cleary’s Ramona Quimby collection, Ruby and her friends and family bring some much needed diversity of race, class, and ability status to the genre.
Third book, third grade. Big changes are in store for Ruby Lu and her incorrigible dog Elvis when her dad loses his job and her mom heads to work. Friends known as the 20th Avenue Plum Club help Ruby and her cousin Flying Duck scheme to ease their family’s financial woes. With some resourceful, if misguided, creativity and a little good karma, Ruby Lu manages to Survive Hard Times and become the Star of the Show. Look’s subtle humor and often touching prose joined by Choi’s lively and fanciful cartoon illustrations thoroughly capture the misunderstandings, raw emotions, and imagination of childhood. An expert mix of sentence complexity and of new and familiar vocabulary make Ruby Lu a comfortable challenge for newly independent readers. Comparable in quality and style to Beverly Cleary’s Ramona Quimby collection, Ruby and her friends and family bring some much needed diversity of race, class, and ability status to the genre.
August 25, 2012
Oh YES! What a great book. I love Ruby Lu. I totally identified with her. I loved her parents. I loved her teacher. I loved her cousin Flying Duck. I laughed at her friend from LA who thought everything cost $300. I laughed at her yoga-performing dog. (I didn't like that they made her friend Panchito so insistently ornery, or that, having made the decision to have him speak in Spanish, they didn't bother think it mattered that it was incorrect in a way no native Spanish-speaker would screw up. It is a small thing in the book, but something that matters to me in thinking about books I'd want to give my hypothetical Latin@ kid.) I will definitely be trying to get my hands on more in this series.
June 28, 2011
Ruby Lu is fabulous, as ever, and should appeal to quite a range of kids. The illustrations by debut illustrator Stef Choi are adorable and definitely add kid appeal. It is not necessary to have read the first two Ruby Lu books to enjoy this one, but fans of this book may want to go back and read Ruby's previous adventures. This would make a great classroom read-aloud, and some teachers may use it during a poetry unit, as Ruby Lu's 3rd grade class is busy working on haiku. (It would also work with units on pets or talking about finding jobs, or even as a sensitive story about people losing their jobs since 3 of the main characters' fathers are out of work.)
May 17, 2015
Being not only an Alvin Ho but also a Ruby Lu fan, I wasn't surprised to discover another story I love. What took me by surprise was that I teared up several times. This story really went under my skin. There was nothing, least of all the cover of the book (I preferred the cover art of the first two books), that would have prepared me for the sad undertone that suddenly found its way into the story as Ruby and her family go through difficult times. I think the author has done an amazing job in making a difficult issue accessible to young readers - while leaving lots for the adult reader to ponder about. Maybe my favourite title among the three Ruby Lu books.
January 8, 2012
The best thing about starting third grade was everything... until things quickly start to fall off the track for Ruby Lu. When her dad is laid off, Ruby wants to help, but none of her money-making ideas seem to pan out. Can't Ruby do anything to help her family?
Ruby's a sprightly and well-meaning third grader and this is a story that many kids will identify with. It reminded me of an updated Ramona and her Father. The Ruby Lu series is a great choice for kids starting to read chapter books.
Ruby's a sprightly and well-meaning third grader and this is a story that many kids will identify with. It reminded me of an updated Ramona and her Father. The Ruby Lu series is a great choice for kids starting to read chapter books.
July 19, 2011
Ruby Lu faces many challenges as a new third grader. The themes of change, struggling in a difficult economy, and helping one’s neighbors are timely and are explained at a level young people can understand. Ruby is a likeable and capable character with a lot of depth, but we don’t get to know any of the other characters in the book. Multicultural themes abound in this short novel. The action felt a little flat at times, though. The illustrations are fun and follow the narrative well.
August 19, 2014
This chapter book hits all the right spots. It handles the loss of a parent's job (Ruby's father) with humor, ingenuity, and a delightful spattering of surprises. Ruby attempts several schemes to help her family, often assisted by a cadre of neighborhood kids (the plum tree club). The chapter length, word choice and illustrations were well received by my six year old daughter. We read it together and it sparked some insightful discussion.
January 19, 2013
Ruby reminds me a little of Ramona Quimby. She finds herself in certain situations or predicaments that seem very challenging at the time. She grapples with them, addresses them, learns from them and in the process becomes a stronger and wiser girl. The book has a good balance of humor/funny moments and seriousness.
And as my 8 year old daughter describes Ruby, "She's funny. She's cool".
And as my 8 year old daughter describes Ruby, "She's funny. She's cool".
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June 23, 2016In her latest appearance, Ruby is ready to take on third grade. That’s when classrooms are in the big kids’ hall, students get to join clubs, and everything is written in cursive…Ruby isn’t quite comfortable with all of the changes; show-and-tell has disappeared, and she finds herself worried about her dog at home without her.
July 14, 2012
Ruby Lu is a very good charecter. She is funny. I really like person who rote this book. I liked Ruby Lu's dog. I like how she tells the truth. She is very smart. And i love that. And I like the book.
January 3, 2013
Ruby Lu is excited about beginning third grade, but she is facing some difficult times. Her father has just lost his job and third grade is not off to a good start. But Ruby Lu is spunky and has wonderful parents and a great teacher. I thought that this was a fun book with great characters.
April 23, 2015
Life at home for Ruby isn't going so great. He father is out of work and her parents switched roles. But, she couldn't just sit around and not do anything about it. There came a point were Ruby had to sacrifice something for the sake of her family. Lovely story.
March 7, 2016
Truth be told, I was a little disappointed. This third book seems to be lacking some of the poetry of the first two. Nonetheless, the storyline, which involves Ruby's dad's losing his job, is thoroughly topical and the story ends with a bang, and a not-too-small dollop of bittersweet.
March 23, 2011
If I could go 4 1/2 stars, I would. I liked this one even better than the first 2 RUBY LU books- quite funny. I think Look does a terrific job here of getting the kid's viewpoint just right.
June 23, 2023
I have always enjoyed the Ruby Lu series for young readers and was delighted to come across another new book.
November 3, 2015
Cute story. Read with my 7 year old in which she learned to create her own haiku's!
February 24, 2012
Cute book, recommended for 3rd grade and up.
August 22, 2012
At the beginning I really liked it. But in the middle I was not sure. But at the end I wanted more.
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