What do you think?
Rate this book
11 Ruby Road: 1900
Perfect period fiction for middle-grade girls - for fans of the Our Australian Girl series
It is 1900 and Dorothy and her family have just moved to a new house at 11 Ruby Road. Ruby Road is a busy street, bustling with activity - families and children, noisy carts and animals. The house is close enough to see the city and very different from the rural life Dorothy has known. Best of all it has a secret writing room that only she knows about!
Dorothy has big plans for her new neighbourhood - she wants to put on a play and write it herself! But there are other reasons for her family's move to the city and, as Dorothy starts to learn about her new house, she discovers more about the period of time she's growing up in.
It is 1900 and Dorothy and her family have just moved to a new house at 11 Ruby Road. Ruby Road is a busy street, bustling with activity - families and children, noisy carts and animals. The house is close enough to see the city and very different from the rural life Dorothy has known. Best of all it has a secret writing room that only she knows about!
Dorothy has big plans for her new neighbourhood - she wants to put on a play and write it herself! But there are other reasons for her family's move to the city and, as Dorothy starts to learn about her new house, she discovers more about the period of time she's growing up in.
168 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 3, 2024
2 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 11, 2023
Great introduction to the push for women to vote. Dorothy is a lively and interesting character.
August 25, 2024
If you like character-driven, historical fiction then this new series could be for you.
11 Ruby Road in Brisbane is really the main character in this story about the McIntyre family who move in in 1900.
The Prologue (1860) gives a little background as to the history of the house, and I am hoping subsequent novels might give us more.
But when the McIntyres move in to take over the local general store, Queensland is in the midst of the Suffragist movement, as woman try and work together to get the vote.
Dorothy is one of the middle of six McIntyre daughters - a fiery character who won't back down to anyone, not even her new teacher, Miss Armstrong, who does NOT appreciate Dorothy's lack of interest in school!!
When Dorothy befriends a local Chinese boy, she discovers a kindred spirit and they join together to start to write a play. Initially it is all about Dorothy's desire to become a famous actress, but the increasingly vocal suffragist movement sparks their interest and they change their play at the last minute... much to the horror of their cast of actors and actresses, made up of local children, who would much rather be playing in the creek.
This would interest children who are interested in history, and would appeal to someone who has enjoyed Allison Rushby's Miss Penny Dreadful series or even the My Story series.
11 Ruby Road in Brisbane is really the main character in this story about the McIntyre family who move in in 1900.
The Prologue (1860) gives a little background as to the history of the house, and I am hoping subsequent novels might give us more.
But when the McIntyres move in to take over the local general store, Queensland is in the midst of the Suffragist movement, as woman try and work together to get the vote.
Dorothy is one of the middle of six McIntyre daughters - a fiery character who won't back down to anyone, not even her new teacher, Miss Armstrong, who does NOT appreciate Dorothy's lack of interest in school!!
When Dorothy befriends a local Chinese boy, she discovers a kindred spirit and they join together to start to write a play. Initially it is all about Dorothy's desire to become a famous actress, but the increasingly vocal suffragist movement sparks their interest and they change their play at the last minute... much to the horror of their cast of actors and actresses, made up of local children, who would much rather be playing in the creek.
This would interest children who are interested in history, and would appeal to someone who has enjoyed Allison Rushby's Miss Penny Dreadful series or even the My Story series.
July 11, 2024
I really enjoyed this story. It painted the picture of 1900 QLD very well. Dorothy is a spirited character with many sisters who doesn’t want to marry. Even though she is young and there is no marriage on the horizon for her she is full of ideas to get out of having to marry. This story enlightens a little on women’s rights and racism which is suitable for young readers.
October 14, 2024
This is the first book in a series of historical fiction for younger readers. We follow Dorothy and her family as they move to Brisbane from a farm. Life is very different in the city and it is very different in 1900 as compared to today! There are so many great details in this book about life back then that many young readers may not have encountered yet. Everything from no refrigerators to using a slate at school.
Dorothy is an avid writer (she reminds me of Ann of Green Gables) and finds a kindred spirit in her friend George. George’s parents are from China and he encounters discrimination. Meanwhile, Dorothy’s mum is part of the suffragist movement and Dorothy and her sisters experience a distinct pushback against this. People are very wary of change.
There are some big themes tackled in this book along with the everyday difficulties of living. It’s done in a really relatable way though and I think this is a great read
Dorothy is an avid writer (she reminds me of Ann of Green Gables) and finds a kindred spirit in her friend George. George’s parents are from China and he encounters discrimination. Meanwhile, Dorothy’s mum is part of the suffragist movement and Dorothy and her sisters experience a distinct pushback against this. People are very wary of change.
There are some big themes tackled in this book along with the everyday difficulties of living. It’s done in a really relatable way though and I think this is a great read
October 23, 2024
A lovely easy read. Dorothy and her family move from the country to help their Aunt. Dorothy is convinced she will become an actress and ropes in the other children of Ruby Road to perform in the play she has written. Set in the time where women are only just beginning to have the right to vote it’s a lovely easy historical fiction book.
November 9, 2025
Really enjoyed this historical fiction book set in Brisbane in 1900. It gave some interesting details of life back then and also looked at how they were trying to introduce women’s right to vote at that time. A really fun quick read.
February 7, 2025
Love the concept! Nice way to teach children about our past.
February 12, 2025
Delightful!!!
February 18, 2025
A great read and a wonderful insight into the lives of Australian children at the turn of last century.
January 31, 2025
This middle-grade novel by Charlotte Barkla is a delightful read. The first of a historical fiction series, 11 Ruby Road: 1900 features the engaging 10-year-old Dorothy who has just moved from the country with her family into her Great Aunt Mildred's home in South Brisbane.
Dorothy gets in trouble at school for her messy handwriting, being dirty (from climbing a tree just outside class) and for daydreaming.
And she certainly has big dreams. She wants to be an author and actress. She writes a play with her friend George and enrols the local children to participate. At the last minute, she rewrites the script to be about the suffragette movement, inspired by her mum's involvement.
My daughter and I loved Dorothy's feistiness and the historical details that are beautifully woven into the story. Instead of exercise books, Dorothy writes on a slate, instead of cars there are horses and carts and, of course, there are no refrigerators or phones, much less laptops and iPads!
We're looking forward to reading the next book in the series, 11 Ruby Road: 1925.
Dorothy gets in trouble at school for her messy handwriting, being dirty (from climbing a tree just outside class) and for daydreaming.
And she certainly has big dreams. She wants to be an author and actress. She writes a play with her friend George and enrols the local children to participate. At the last minute, she rewrites the script to be about the suffragette movement, inspired by her mum's involvement.
My daughter and I loved Dorothy's feistiness and the historical details that are beautifully woven into the story. Instead of exercise books, Dorothy writes on a slate, instead of cars there are horses and carts and, of course, there are no refrigerators or phones, much less laptops and iPads!
We're looking forward to reading the next book in the series, 11 Ruby Road: 1925.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews