Ruthie's Gift

by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Set in a small Indiana farming community at the start of World War I, this heart-warming and gently humorous story follows Ruthie, an 8-year-old tomboy who develops a stronger sense of self and selflessness during a particularly dramatic year in her life. Rich in setting and brimming with lovable characters, "Ruthie's Gift" is a satisfying story of family and identity. 160 pp.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, World War I, Historical, Juvenile

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's next book, The Night War, will be published April 9, 2024. She is the author of nineteen previous books, including the Newbery Honor winners Fighting Words and The War that Saved My Life. The sequel to the latter, The War I Finally Won, appeared on many state-award and best-books lists and was described as “stunning” by The Washington Post and “honest” and “daring” by The New York Times. She is also the acclaimed author of She Persisted: Rosalind Franklin. Kimberly and her husband have two grown children and live with their dogs, two highly opinionated mares, and a surplus of cats on a fifty-two-acre farm in Bristol, Tennessee. Visit her at kimberlybrubakerbradley.com.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Ruthie has five brothers, when her mother is about to give birth again she longs for a sister. This story is set in the US just before the beginning of WWII. Everyday life for a large family in a rural location, working hard to make ends meet. We enjoyed looking into this families life, the end note by the author was really enjoyable and made the story much more meaningful knowing what she told us, it felt like a Patricia Polacco end note! We could see that the book was reflecting the views of the time but we did get tired of hearing the phrase 'that's not ladylike' or 'learn to be a lady' or 'was that ladylike?' it really was brought up non stop when poor Ruthie was just being a normal eight year old, but we appreciate that was the sort of thing a mother might go on about to her daughter in those days. When war comes it affects the community as they prepare to lose their sons and Ruthie realises that although there are things she can't do being a girl in that era it's not better in some ways to be a boy.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Ames was more patient than annoyed. "When some nations are oppressing others--are doing bad things deliberately, and for their own gain--then the rest of the world must act to prevent it. When we see wrong being done, whether here in our village or elsewhere in the world, we must try to make it right." (PG 122)

No truer words have ever been said, for people and countries, and in this sensitive time in politics I will not say why but killing people for power/pleasure or real estate is just evil....

So cute and so wholesome. This writer writes for the sake of telling a story in the era it was meant for. I would let my little girl read this author anytime. No need to worry about marketing crap.

Ruthie is just a normal girl, a little misunderstood, living a normal life with the threat of her brother going to Europe for the second World War. This story has aged well. I remember being a tomboy myself wanting to play with boys, not having any gal pals, and lashing out, But Ruthie's mom is preparing her for the real world and I love that Ruthie is surrounded by a huge family with morals. Lovely read.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the characters in this book. I love the way the author wrote it out and how she actually brings out the characters in this book and talk about there feelings. This book is a wonderful children's book.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book for FREE! Don't you just love it when that happens? I know some people win those giveaway things but I never do so I get real excited the few times I get a free book.

It's a nice cute book that has a great tomboy girl, named Ruthie, set in WWI. There are rumors of war but that doesn't play such a major role because this is a book about a girl who is trying to find a way to be a lady in a house full of boys. I like books with siblings in them and you get a good amount of it here.

My brother always gets sympathy when people know he is the only boy in the family and this is proof that it can be hard to live with a bunch of boys. Poor Ruthie but also lucky Ruthie too-it can go either way depending on how you look at it. Ruthie thinks of it mostly as a negative.

Ruthie wants to be a lady, to have friends, and just not to feel so alone. Through a series of events Ruthie finds her place in her family (even with all the boys), gains friends (even if she is not always a lady), and grows (because that is what kids do). It's an all around sweet book that would be a great first chapter book for any little girl.

[Myrtle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wished this book was thicker because something dramatic would happen but it would only be a couple of pages and it didn't feel alive. Especially with the emotions

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t actually read this myself, my granddaughter read it to me over the space of several weeks. We both thoroughly enjoyed this story of Ruthie, an 8 year old girl growing up in 1917 in Indiana. There was drama, and a very satisfying ending!

[Tara Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A favorite book of mine from when I was a kid, still remembered a lot of it!

[Sonu · Rating 4 out of 5]

What she will remember my daughter from this book is author's note😊, that's what she said.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Historical Fiction
Grade: 3rd-5th

This book is about an eight year old girl named Ruthie who lives in the time of World War I. Ruthie wants a sister badly and has trouble acting like a lady. She already has five brothers but her mother is expecting and Ruthie prays that it will be a little sister. Much to Ruthie's dismay she gets another brother. She is stuck right in the middle of her six brothers. As if it is not bad enough that she has so many brothers, Ruthie is the only person in her third grade class and all the other girls in the school are mean to her. One day as Ruthie is out playing she notices that a new family has moved close by. When she goes over to meet them she finds out that there are twin girls in the family who are her age. Ruthie and the girls become fast friends. When Christmas comes Ruthie is very excited because she got a part in the Christmas play. However she turns very ill right before Christmas and does not wake up until January 7. In the spring it is decided that the oldest boy in the family will leave for Pennsylvania to work in a factory to support the war effort. The family is very sad but they know he needs to go. Ruthie had been saving coins in a jar to buy a beautiful doll that she believes will help her act more like a lady. To help her brother she gives the money to her mother to buy him a good hat to wear in the city. This makes Ruthie sad however because she was really hoping to be able to buy the doll. In the end Ruthie's parents send her into town to the post office to pick up a package that is addressed to her. Inside she finds the doll that she longed for. Her brother sent it to her from Pennsylvania as a thank you for helping him.

Activities:
1. That was then, this is now: Students should work in small groups of two or three for this project. Each group will have a large piece of construction paper that they will draw a line down the direct middle. Then on one side of the paper the students will list aspects in the book that are relevant to that time period. On the other side the students should list aspects that are relevant to the period that they live in. The class will then discuss the differences.

2. Write Into: In the story there is a period of time where Ruthie is sleeping for several weeks while she is sick. Have students write about the events that they believe may have taken place during the time that the main character was sleeping. Have students volunteer to share what they have come up with. Encourage them to be as creative as possible.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving story of a young girl growing up in rural Indiana just before the Second World War. Ruthie Hawk is eight years old and desperately wants a sister (she has five brothers), but the new baby is also a boy. In addition she is the only child in her grade at the local one-room school house. Her mother wants her to "be a lady", but Ruthie likes to play with the boys (when they let her), and is always somehow getting into trouble. Things improve when a family moves next door, since they have twin girls Ruthie's age. She becomes friends with Hallie and Mallie, until an unfortunate incident disrupts the friendship. Ruthie works hard to re-establish the relationship, and eventually succeeds. How Ruthie interacts with her parents, her brothers, her classmates, and friends seem very true-to-life. Loosely based on the author's grandmother's childhood. Very enjoyable; recommended.

[Merit · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was about a girl in WWI with six brothers and she is the only girl in the family. Throughout the story Ruth is trying to be ladylike insead of wild and impulsive something that does not come easily to her because she's eight. Ruthie's Gift was written through her eyes and was really made more for children her age so I found it hard to keep the interest up for very long seeing that I'm older then ten. However,I would suggest it for girls younger then that who could relate to it more then I did.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book twice before in childhood, and on this third read years later, the story got me a little bit teary. I guess this means I'm grown up now...

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book as a little girl. So cute and sweet. Great book for children.

[LeAnne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story of a tomboy trying to grow up to be a lady.

[lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If I am to have only one daughter, I am grateful it is you."

Allow me to take you back to my second-grade classroom, which is where I first encountered this book. Unfortunately, the timing was all wrong — I found it on the bookshelves during dismissal and never got to finish it. I don't know if I ever tried to look for it, but I didn't come across it again until relatively recently, when I stumbled across a copy at my local used bookstore. It's been lingering in the back of my mind for 16 years, so of course I had to get it.

And I can see why my second-grade self was obsessed with it. It has everything I loved at that age: farm life, mean girls, hair ribbons, lunch pails, a beautiful doll, and the Sears Roebuck catalogue. A Little House on the Prairie girl's dream.

It's funny how much bigger the font and how much smaller the book itself both are — to eight-year-old me, this was quite the chapter book. Though I am pretty impressed with her reading speed; I read this in one hour and a half sitting, and from what I can recall, at eight years old, I must have made it at least a quarter of the way through in the twenty minutes it took for my name to be called over the intercom.

As for the book itself, this was such a sweet story, made even more so by the fact that Ruthie was based on the author's grandmother. I don't think a lot of the talk of "being a lady", which pretty much forms the core conflict of the entire book, would really resonate or even go over very well today, 25 years after publication, but it was still a lovely little book about being a good sister and especially a good friend.

Had I managed to finish this 16 years ago, I probably would have been obsessed, but it felt good to finally finish this story and lay that moment to rest.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember this cover from when I was in middle school, but the story was unfamiliar. I remember similar stories, but not this particular one. I wanted to revisit it after reading the author's fantastic novel "The War that Saved my Life."

This was her first novel, inspired by her own grandmother's upbringing. Her grandmother was named Ruth Hawk, same as the main character, and she really had seven brothers. Honestly, I had a hard time remembering which brother was which.

The book lacked unity; Ruthie starts with one problem, being the only girl in her family and the only child in third grade, and encounters a few more. The resolution of the various problems happens in a disorganized way, and some problems are unresolved. I'm still not sure what her mother's idea of being lady entails.

The concerns about the outbreak of World War I are factual, but are the main cause of the lack of unity in the book. Much of the book resembles in setting Little House on th Prairie, which took place in the 1870s. It's hard to reconcile that with the actual setting of late 1916/early 1917. I'm not questioning the historical details, it's just confusing.

[JoAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debut novel written in 1998 and based loosely on the author's grandmother's family story. It had laughter and tears as we learn about Ruthie, her family, their farm and their schooling. A quick read that kept me engaged from the first page to the last.

Ruthie's parents and their neighbors are worried about the war in Europe - World War I, and the affect it will have on them as well as the United States. As we learn the initial impact on them as well as how Ruthie realizes having six brothers might not be all bad it was heartwarming.

I loved the friendship that Ruthie had with Hallie and Mallie, the twins on the neighboring farm. I loved how she "tried" to be a lady like her mother wanted but how it was just so hard with no sisters and only her brothers. Sweet ending.

Ms. Bradley is a new to me author. I look forward to reading more of her books especially since they tend to be historical fiction, one of my favorite genres, even if they are children's books.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not quite sure where I came upon this book and how it got added to my collection but who can turn down a girl dressing a cat? Anyway Ruthie's Gift offered to be a quick read and so I dived right into it.

For me this particular book carried the same reading tone as Laura Ingalls Wilder's famous series although it does occur at much later time and doesn't carry the same historical significance as those books have. As such the reader who is curious about life and growing up female around the times of World War I may be interested in this particular book.

As much as I enjoyed some of the adventures of Ruthie as well as her friends and usually also enjoy YA coming-of-age stories I just couldn't really get into this one. But I do believe a much younger audience than what normally reads other classic coming-of-age stories may actually find some enjoyment in this tale.

[Vicki Bahls · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this a 5 star rating as it takes place in the area I live in and written by an author who is from my home town. Fort Wayne Indiana. Ruthie is only girl in middle of 6 boys and she meets twin girls next door. She longs to become a lady even though she is very much a tomboy. She wants a doll, Clarinda, from the general store but too expensive for these poor farmers. In the end, one brother goes to war and you will have to read book to see if she ever gets the doll or becomes a lady! This author wrote The War that Saved my Life and this present book was one of her first, written about her grandma's life in early 1900's

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a bad book. I toggled between 2 and 3 stars but because of the abruptness of the different arcs that define the plot, I settled on 2. I didn’t realize this was the same author that wrote The War The Saved My Life until I read another review. I was astonished to see that, as The War That Saved My Life was a more fleshed-out, confidently written novel. Of course the age range the books is geared towards is different and that makes a difference, but comparing them… Ruthie’s Gift is very much a first novel. In spite of any short-comings, I’m interested to check out more of the authors books, now that I know what else she has written.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story of the struggles a single girl living in a household of boys faces. As an adult I would be interested in the viewpoint of the mother! But I realize this is a children's book..

I loved Jefferson's Sons and The War That Saved My Life so much I was interested to read the earlier writings of this author..to see where that wonderful empathy and skillful writing originated.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 12 year old snuck ahead and read this because she couldn't wait for us to finish it together. It has a simple loveliness to it that my girls loved. For days they've been playing what they call, "Old Fashioned" - just imagining they are in Ruthie's time. A sweet story that had everyone captivated.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s something about Brubaker-Bradley’s writing that makes me want to keep on reading, even if it is a book written for young ages and is about topics that I’ve read many time before. I always get invested in the character growth that is portrayed with increasingly higher stakes throughout the progression of all of her novels.

[Alexa Hansen-Beeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a feel good, heart warming, nostalgic read. If you ever grew up on a farm or spent time at your grandparents farm (like me) as a child, then this book will give you all the warm, beautiful memories and feelings from those times. This is a book I will definitely be adding to my collection (I read this as a library book).

[Phylisha Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story from told from the viewpoint of 8 yr old Ruth (Rithie) Hawk. Ruthie is the only girl, she has five brothers with a nother sibling on the way (a boy). The setting is 1916 on an Indiana farm. New friends and WWII
are factors in the very heartfelt story. Highly recommend.

[Xydel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This quick read about a third-grade girl living on a farm at the beginning of World War one is entertaining and educational. I loved learning about how young girls were really pressured to have good manners and do the right thing back then. 8+

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not a true story, it is based on a real family. A beautiful glimpse into farm life at the outbreak of WW1. A few illustrations that are black and white and lovely. A feel similar to the Little House series in some ways. We read for a US Geography Reading challenge, but would read again.

[Heather Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

On my mission to read every KBB that’s accessible to me, I think this is the last of them. It’s a cute and sweet story, but very much written for the 7-9 year old set. This would make a great read aloud for that age range though.

[A Busscher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not really sure what the gift was... besides her getting a doll after helping her brother look like a city boy so he doesn't have to fight in WWI. quick easy read about Ruthie and her life with 6 brothers.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some not-very-nice attitudes, but good lessons make this a worthwhile story.