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Ruby Redfort #0.5

Hang in There Bozo - The Ruby Redfort Emergency Survival Guide

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Ruby Redfort: secret agent, detective, thirteen-year-old kid.

And now... SURVIVAL EXPERT!

It's not always possible to skip around smelling the roses, 'cos sometimes you're too busy gripping onto the cliff edge by your fingernails. But 99 times out of 100 it's worth hanging in there bozo: just as things get worse so too can they get a whole lot better.

In this handy pocket-sized book, Ruby will give you the lowdown on how to survive a bunch if tricky situations. So long as you keep your a cool head, buster, you can make it out there alive...

144 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2013

22 people are currently reading
823 people want to read

About the author

Lauren Child

452 books837 followers
Lauren Child MBE is an English author and illustrator. She was the UK Children's Laureate from 2017-19.

Child grew up in Wiltshire as the middle child of three sisters and the daughter of two teachers. She has always been interested in the many aspects of childhood, from gazing into toy shop windows to watching American children's shows from the 1960s. After attending two Art Schools, she travelled for six months, still unsure about which career to embark upon.

Before writing and illustrating children's books Child started her own company 'Chandeliers for the People' making lampshades. It was only when she came to write and illustrate the book Clarice Bean, That's Me that she decided to devote her time to writing and illustrating books for children, which combines her fascination for childhood and her talent for designing and creating. Child gets her inspiration from other people's conversations or from seeing something funny happen.

Her book I Will Not Ever Never Eat A Tomato won the 2000 Kate Greenaway Medal. For the 50th anniversary of the Medal (1955–2005), a panel named it one of the top ten winning works, which comprised the shortlist for a public vote for the nation's favourite. It finished third in the public vote from that shortlist.

Child lives in North London.

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5 stars
366 (44%)
4 stars
204 (25%)
3 stars
175 (21%)
2 stars
54 (6%)
1 star
17 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
Profile Image for Paul.
2,725 reviews20 followers
November 25, 2015
Hello, I'm Paul and I'm a Ruby Redfort-aholic.

Yes, it's true; I'm a thirty nine-year-old man (forty in a few days... sigh...) and I absolutely love Lauren Child's Ruby Redfort books, despite the fact they're intended for people about thirty years younger than me! Before you start thinking I'm one of those weird guys who fetishise My Little Pony, I'll just say that a good kids' book will also be entertaining for adults. It has to be as, nine times out of ten, it's adults reading them... usually to their kids.

This particular book isn't one of the actual RR novels; it's a companion book that comes in the form of a tongue-in-cheek survival guide. I say tongue-in-cheek because it does contain a disclaimer of the 'don't try this at home, kids' variety. It is actually very funny; I laughed aloud a few times. I also learned a thing or two, which can't be bad.

I wouldn't advise reading this as your introduction to the Ruby Redfort books; the humour contained herein is better appreciated with at least a passing knowledge of the first two RR books. For fans of the series, though, it's a nice piece of additional material. It killed ninety minutes on a Sunday afternoon, anyway.

Anyway, I have to go and get on with my mid-life crisis now...
Profile Image for BabyLunLun.
914 reviews131 followers
dnf
April 3, 2017
Cant finish this because being a camper is never something on my to-do list
Profile Image for Bubbles.
85 reviews50 followers
January 10, 2018
I mean, it's Ruby Redfort, so of course it's AWESOME!!! I love this, it's so funny and amazing. I love Lauren Child's unique style of writing, which really comes through in this book, and of course as ever Ruby's character is phenomenal and quirky, and just so different to your typical spy kid.
Profile Image for Shaun.
73 reviews135 followers
May 18, 2015
Given, this book is for younger persons-- but I read it anyway. It was like brushing up on all the things I learned when I was a scout! It was definitely no mind-blower, but was fun while it lasted.
Profile Image for Shahrun.
1,374 reviews24 followers
July 5, 2019
Delightfully random, funny and surprisingly practical advice. Gonna look out for more by this author.
Profile Image for Eloise.
2 reviews
April 5, 2013
Hang in There Bozo: The Ruby Redfort Emergency Survival Guide for Some Tricky Predicaments is a BRILLIANT book! It tells you how to survive all sorts of things, from being eaten by an anaconda to surving alien invasions. I would DEFINITELY recommend it to any adventurous kid.
Profile Image for Diyanah.
27 reviews2 followers
January 27, 2016
it was fun and light reading, though i had mistakenly expected it to be a some serious but simple survival manual..haha silly me
Profile Image for Sean Harding.
5,752 reviews33 followers
April 29, 2018
Companion book to the Ruby Redfort series - read a way to make extra $$$ is somewhat informative and somewhat humorous but really adds nothing to the series, it just utilises the character name and inserts some sections from the first two books with comments about how to survive situations. OK but nothing to get excited about.
Profile Image for Alex.
72 reviews3 followers
September 8, 2017
Part survival manual, part quotations from other Ruby Redfort novels. It's interesting, but it is a case of someone impersonating how Americans supposedly speak and not really pulling it off. Some great illustrations.
Profile Image for Emmaby Barton Grace.
770 reviews19 followers
September 30, 2024
had to wrap up my ruby series re-read haha - obviously not at all for me now but 10yo would have LOVED this (and tbf i still learned some interesting things! who knew drinking your pee is not good if you're dehydrated haha)
Profile Image for Erika.
31 reviews14 followers
November 13, 2017
This book was a quick, short and fun read. It was very funny at parts and it was easy to get through. I liked it for a short read. It was a short nonfiction book about survival.
Profile Image for Bex.
592 reviews13 followers
April 2, 2018
A world book day introduction to Ruby Retford this tongue in cheek survival/spy guide is a funny easy read with relevant illustrations. It does make me think the real books may be worth reading.
4 reviews
September 26, 2019
My book review

I really loved and enjoyed this book. I have read the whole series of ruby redfort .This book has some very good tips. I would recommend this book to anyone
153 reviews
April 7, 2020
really cool tips for survival and very funny with references to series
Profile Image for ♡ .
11 reviews
July 3, 2021
this book is like school you’re never gna use anything in it after youre done w it but unlike school it is actually interesting
Profile Image for Talie.
658 reviews14 followers
November 15, 2021
Advice given that was typically used by the main character in Lauren Child's series. Aimed to use jargon from when the series takes place, hence the bozo. A bit derogatory, but accurate information and learnable trivia. Such trivia likely more appreciated by a younger crowd, who will also appreciate the playful presentation.
Profile Image for Big Book Little Book.
333 reviews122 followers
April 3, 2013
Izzy (8) for www.bigbooklittlebook.com

This book is great for any girl that’s always wanted to be a spy, superhero or even just live in the wild. Lauren Child has packed this book full of survival tips and tricks. Ruby talks (in American English) about times when she’s used Spectrum (her spy agency) gadgets and normal things to help her survive; for example ‘the buckle’. If you’re stranded in the middle of the ocean, just put the breathing buckle in between your teeth and you can breathe under water. Helpful, huh? Or …how to survive in the desert and how to get out of a dull conversation with a boring person.

Find out how Ruby has faced these dangers and got out of them alive and how you can stay out of them. My mum got this on kindle for 79p on World Book Day. It was great value for money. Out of ten I would rate it ten because I’m an adventurous girl, but I still think even girly girls might like it and maybe even some boys may like it! I think it’s probably for 7 to 15 year olds.

Verdict: I love this book and I think every one should have a copy!
Profile Image for Lavinia.
262 reviews
November 30, 2016
This small survival guide was both funny, handy, and pretty interesting. I didn’t know that a bite from a shark wouldn’t hurt much as long as you were under water. Apparantly many divers in the past who have encountered shark attacks said they couldn’t feel almost anything at all from their chomped up leg until they dragged themselves out the water, and that is because there is a special acid running through the blood of the human body which makes it less painful in water. Indeed, it was kind of hard to understand, but the main point is not to worry too much if you get involved in a nasty shark attack. And just remember, that doesn’t mean not to worry at all.
This book, based on the novel series Ruby Redfort, was really good; only it was not really the type of book I read all the time, what with the ‘bozo’s and the ‘buster’s all the way through on every other sentence. But it was quite funny and made me want to read the full-sized Look Into My Eyes, and Take Your Last Breath, the Ruby Redfort novels by the same author.
Profile Image for Ella.
421 reviews5 followers
December 9, 2015
My 2015 Book Challenge: A Book By an Author You Love That You Haven't Read Yet

For this challenge, I was supposed to read Enna Burning by Shannon Hale, but I forgot, and it's December, not enough time to finish Enna Burning, so I counted this instead. Pretty good book. I cracked my brother one while reading the quicksand part out loud, because when it said that you'd be fine unless you struggled, I told him "So everyone but Clancy would be fine."
Profile Image for Nekokit.
17 reviews
March 29, 2013
I've read Laurens Child's Ruby Redfort Series, and this book is a must-read! It is not a novel with a story line like the other books in the series, it's a fun survival guide. Even though it is a quick read, it is still enjoyable and fun. I do recommend for people who haven't read the two Ruby Redfort books to read those first. I enjoy Lauren Child's work, and this is one of them.
Profile Image for Sophie.
6 reviews
May 16, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. It is filled with useful tips if you are in trouble. Such as how to get out of quicksand, what to do when stuck in a rip and how to build a safe shelter. One day, if I am in a tough situation I feel as I will remember this book and know what to do
25 reviews2 followers
August 12, 2016
This book is in a pocket size book it is very convenient to bring it everywhere to read and it not too thick but inside it had a lot of survival life hacks when you got of in the dark mountains or getting lost or having camp in the woods and the survival life hacks it easy to understand.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews

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