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Ruby Holler
From Sharon Creech, the Newbery Medal winning author of Walk Two Moons, comes a heartwarming adventure about finding family, and a home, when you least expect it.
Ruby Holler is a Carnegie Medal-winning novel, and with its quirky protagonists and exciting journey, captures the imaginations of readers of all ages.
Brother and sister Dallas and Florida are the “trouble twins.” In their short thirteen years, they’ve passed through countless foster homes, only to return to their dreary orphanage, Boxton Creek Home.
Run by the Trepids, a greedy and strict couple, Boxton Creek seems impossible to escape. When Mr. Trepid informs the twins that they’ll be helping old Tiller and Sairy Morey go on separate adventures, Dallas and Florida are suspicious.
As the twins adjust to the natural beauty of the outdoors, help the Tillers prepare for their adventures, and foil a robbery, their ultimate search for freedom leads them home to Ruby Holler.
Ruby Holler is a Carnegie Medal-winning novel, and with its quirky protagonists and exciting journey, captures the imaginations of readers of all ages.
Brother and sister Dallas and Florida are the “trouble twins.” In their short thirteen years, they’ve passed through countless foster homes, only to return to their dreary orphanage, Boxton Creek Home.
Run by the Trepids, a greedy and strict couple, Boxton Creek seems impossible to escape. When Mr. Trepid informs the twins that they’ll be helping old Tiller and Sairy Morey go on separate adventures, Dallas and Florida are suspicious.
As the twins adjust to the natural beauty of the outdoors, help the Tillers prepare for their adventures, and foil a robbery, their ultimate search for freedom leads them home to Ruby Holler.
310 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
392 people are currently reading
4741 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Creech
71 books3,278 followersI was born in South Euclid, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, and grew up there with my noisy and rowdy family: my parents (Ann and Arvel), my sister (Sandy), and my three brothers (Dennis, Doug and Tom).
For a fictional view of what it was like growing up in my family, see Absolutely Normal Chaos. (In that book, the brothers even have the same names as my own brothers.) Our house was not only full of us Creeches, but also full of friends and visiting relatives.
In the summer, we usually took a trip, all of us piled in a car and heading out to Wisconsin or Michigan or, once, to Idaho. We must have been a very noisy bunch, and I'm not sure how our parents put up with being cooped up with us in the car for those trips. The five-day trip out to Idaho when I was twelve had a powerful effect on me: what a huge and amazing country! I had no idea then that thirty-some years later, I would recreate that trip in a book called Walk Two Moons.
One other place we often visited was Quincy, Kentucky, where my cousins lived (and still live) on a beautiful farm, with hills and trees and swimming hole and barn and hayloft. We were outside running in those hills all day long, and at night we'd gather on the porch where more stories would be told. I loved Quincy so much that it has found its way into many of my books—transformed into Bybanks, Kentucky. Bybanks appears in Walk Two Moons, Chasing Redbird, and Bloomability. Bybanks also makes a brief appearance (by reference, but not by name) in The Wanderer.
When I was young, I wanted to be many things when I grew up: a painter, an ice skater, a singer, a teacher, and a reporter. It soon became apparent that I had little drawing talent, very limited tolerance for falling on ice, and absolutely no ability to stay on key while singing. I also soon learned that I would make a terrible reporter because when I didn't like the facts, I changed them. It was in college, when I took literature and writing courses, that I became intrigued by story-telling. Later, I was a teacher (high school English and writing) in England and in Switzerland. While teaching great literature, I learned so much about writing: about what makes a story interesting and about techniques of plot and characterization and point of view. I started out writing novels for adults (published as Sharon Rigg): The Recital and Nickel Malley were both written and published while I was living in England (these books were published in England only and are now out of print.) But the next book was Absolutely Normal Chaos, and ever since that book I have written mainly about young people. Walk Two Moons was the first of my books to be published in America. When it received the Newbery Medal, no one was more surprised than I was. I'm still a little bit in shock.
After Walk Two Moons came Chasing Redbird, Pleasing the Ghost, Bloomability, The Wanderer, and Fishing in the Air. I hope to be writing stories for a long, long time.
I am married to Lyle Rigg, who is the headmaster of The Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey, and have two grown children, Rob and Karin. Being with my family is what I enjoy most. The next-best thing is writing stories.
© Sharon Creech
For a fictional view of what it was like growing up in my family, see Absolutely Normal Chaos. (In that book, the brothers even have the same names as my own brothers.) Our house was not only full of us Creeches, but also full of friends and visiting relatives.
In the summer, we usually took a trip, all of us piled in a car and heading out to Wisconsin or Michigan or, once, to Idaho. We must have been a very noisy bunch, and I'm not sure how our parents put up with being cooped up with us in the car for those trips. The five-day trip out to Idaho when I was twelve had a powerful effect on me: what a huge and amazing country! I had no idea then that thirty-some years later, I would recreate that trip in a book called Walk Two Moons.
One other place we often visited was Quincy, Kentucky, where my cousins lived (and still live) on a beautiful farm, with hills and trees and swimming hole and barn and hayloft. We were outside running in those hills all day long, and at night we'd gather on the porch where more stories would be told. I loved Quincy so much that it has found its way into many of my books—transformed into Bybanks, Kentucky. Bybanks appears in Walk Two Moons, Chasing Redbird, and Bloomability. Bybanks also makes a brief appearance (by reference, but not by name) in The Wanderer.
When I was young, I wanted to be many things when I grew up: a painter, an ice skater, a singer, a teacher, and a reporter. It soon became apparent that I had little drawing talent, very limited tolerance for falling on ice, and absolutely no ability to stay on key while singing. I also soon learned that I would make a terrible reporter because when I didn't like the facts, I changed them. It was in college, when I took literature and writing courses, that I became intrigued by story-telling. Later, I was a teacher (high school English and writing) in England and in Switzerland. While teaching great literature, I learned so much about writing: about what makes a story interesting and about techniques of plot and characterization and point of view. I started out writing novels for adults (published as Sharon Rigg): The Recital and Nickel Malley were both written and published while I was living in England (these books were published in England only and are now out of print.) But the next book was Absolutely Normal Chaos, and ever since that book I have written mainly about young people. Walk Two Moons was the first of my books to be published in America. When it received the Newbery Medal, no one was more surprised than I was. I'm still a little bit in shock.
After Walk Two Moons came Chasing Redbird, Pleasing the Ghost, Bloomability, The Wanderer, and Fishing in the Air. I hope to be writing stories for a long, long time.
I am married to Lyle Rigg, who is the headmaster of The Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey, and have two grown children, Rob and Karin. Being with my family is what I enjoy most. The next-best thing is writing stories.
© Sharon Creech
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,407 reviews
July 17, 2008
I enjoyed the story and felt that the interaction between the four main characters was realistic and well-written. I would recommend it for fans of young adult novels in general as a clean, clever story about the strength of love and family ties.
Unfortunately, it had several technical drawbacks, in my opinion: For instance, sixty-six chapters averaging about three or four pages each made the book feel very choppy, even awkward - it just didn't work for me. I also didn't like spending so much time reading about the miserable, pitiful lives of the orphanage owners - essentially, the "bad guys" - because it was pointless and had so little to do with the real emotional conflicts at the heart of the story. Last of all, the book ended abruptly with a handful of loose ends and questions still dangling. This book required more of an emotional investment than most young adult novels, so having the story cut off with so few answers or explanations left me feeling silly for caring so much.
Unfortunately, it had several technical drawbacks, in my opinion: For instance, sixty-six chapters averaging about three or four pages each made the book feel very choppy, even awkward - it just didn't work for me. I also didn't like spending so much time reading about the miserable, pitiful lives of the orphanage owners - essentially, the "bad guys" - because it was pointless and had so little to do with the real emotional conflicts at the heart of the story. Last of all, the book ended abruptly with a handful of loose ends and questions still dangling. This book required more of an emotional investment than most young adult novels, so having the story cut off with so few answers or explanations left me feeling silly for caring so much.
December 4, 2013
Dallas and Florida, orphans, have had a remarkably tough life. Nobody wants them or ever cared for them. Florida has a very rough and negative pattern of speech. She everything is “putrid” or “nasty” and she believes everyone (except Dallas) is trying to harm her. This negativity is a defense mechanism. She has been hurt and let down so many times before that she doesn’t trust a soul. Dallas deals with this in a different way. He escapes to vivid dreams of nature and calm places to get away from his terrible reality.
A particularly heart-wrenching moment is when Tiller, the one man to ever love the children, finds out Florida has never been rocked in a rocker. Florida has never even seen a real rocker before. Tiller sees Florida privately rocking her wooden birds and speaking to them in a motherly way. This longing for a mother or affection of any kind is so apparent in Florida’s normally rough persona. It is clear that she puts up a front to hide her broken heart.
The vivid descriptions of the holler brings all the camping trips, hikes, drives in the country or any other outdoor activities from the reader’s memory to the front of the mind. Descriptions like “the tall leafy trees” and “stretches of wild grass with blue and red and yellow flowers.” The reader yearns to be there with the twins in the wonderful holler to experience the rural lifestyle.
A particularly heart-wrenching moment is when Tiller, the one man to ever love the children, finds out Florida has never been rocked in a rocker. Florida has never even seen a real rocker before. Tiller sees Florida privately rocking her wooden birds and speaking to them in a motherly way. This longing for a mother or affection of any kind is so apparent in Florida’s normally rough persona. It is clear that she puts up a front to hide her broken heart.
The vivid descriptions of the holler brings all the camping trips, hikes, drives in the country or any other outdoor activities from the reader’s memory to the front of the mind. Descriptions like “the tall leafy trees” and “stretches of wild grass with blue and red and yellow flowers.” The reader yearns to be there with the twins in the wonderful holler to experience the rural lifestyle.
December 27, 2019
Dang, I wish I had parents as nice as Sairy and Tiller.
Tiller, do we have any rules here that you know of?
Oh yes, I believe we have a rule about not letting any Donkeys on the roof.
Great book about two orphans that keep getting rejected by foster parents and finally find a home with two people who are great parents. great book for tweens, but people of all ages can enjoy it.
Tiller, do we have any rules here that you know of?
Oh yes, I believe we have a rule about not letting any Donkeys on the roof.
Great book about two orphans that keep getting rejected by foster parents and finally find a home with two people who are great parents. great book for tweens, but people of all ages can enjoy it.
September 27, 2022
Well, I guess I should mention that there are some very nice (if not even wonderful) nature descriptions to be textually encountered in Sharon Creech's 2002 and Carnegie Medal winning “Abused and Neglected Orphans” novel Ruby Holler. However and the above notwithstanding, both I as an adult reader and indeed also my inner child are in total agreement with not really all that much having enjoyed Creech's featured storyline, finding not only the entire manner in which the foster care system is being shown in Ruby Holler ridiculously unrealistic, but equally that with regard to the featured characters (both primary and secondary) and how Sharon Creech presents them (their back stories, personalities, behaviours), sorry, but Ruby Holler feels rather frustratingly stereotypical, with one dimensional villains and too good to be true positive characters (and that the main protagonists, that twin orphans Dallas and Florida are first and foremost gratingly annoying and not at all kindred spirits), not to mention that for the ending of Ruby Holler, Sharon Creech leaves far too many unanswered questions and threads going nowhere. And since I do not really enjoy and like Dallas and Florida all that much as individuals, as people (and also want for my reading pleasure three dimensional characters), this all also sure and of course does make it not all that easy for me to find Ruby Holler readable, approachable and joyful.
Now that being said, I do find with regard to Ruby Holler that Sairy and Tiller Morey (who take in Dallas and Florida) rather nicely remind me of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert (from Anne of Green Gables and with Tiller like Matthew even having heart issues, but of course the Cuthberts are siblings and the Moreys are an elderly married couple). But well, while in AOGG the Cuthberts are depicted by L.M. Montgomery as having both positive and equally not so stellar character traits (and that they must learn to trust orphan Anne Shirely just as much as she must them), the Moreys are generally just a bit too perfectly rendered by Sharon Creech, too sweet, too unbelievably positive, so that while finding similarities in Ruby Holler to Anne of Green Gables certainly makes me smile, it equally increases my frustration more than a bit, as I kind of feel like I am reading with Ruby Holler a rather diminished AOGG type of orphan story without the nuance, the delight and the magic (and that indeed, my three star rating for Ruby Holler is in fact pretty generous on my part).
Now that being said, I do find with regard to Ruby Holler that Sairy and Tiller Morey (who take in Dallas and Florida) rather nicely remind me of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert (from Anne of Green Gables and with Tiller like Matthew even having heart issues, but of course the Cuthberts are siblings and the Moreys are an elderly married couple). But well, while in AOGG the Cuthberts are depicted by L.M. Montgomery as having both positive and equally not so stellar character traits (and that they must learn to trust orphan Anne Shirely just as much as she must them), the Moreys are generally just a bit too perfectly rendered by Sharon Creech, too sweet, too unbelievably positive, so that while finding similarities in Ruby Holler to Anne of Green Gables certainly makes me smile, it equally increases my frustration more than a bit, as I kind of feel like I am reading with Ruby Holler a rather diminished AOGG type of orphan story without the nuance, the delight and the magic (and that indeed, my three star rating for Ruby Holler is in fact pretty generous on my part).
April 5, 2022
Oh, joy! A story about maltreated orphans who just want someone to love them. You almost never see one of those!
Why this book has won the regard of writers such as Pullman mystifies me. The story is hackneyed. The bad guys are such blueprint made to order cretins and the good guys full of such homespun folksy goodness as to be cringe worthy. One of the motifs of the book are the recipes that the fatherly Tiller concocts with names such as getting-over-being-an-orphan stew, welcome-home bacon. What I could have used is a platter of why-the-Heck -am-I-reading- this corn pone.
Why this book has won the regard of writers such as Pullman mystifies me. The story is hackneyed. The bad guys are such blueprint made to order cretins and the good guys full of such homespun folksy goodness as to be cringe worthy. One of the motifs of the book are the recipes that the fatherly Tiller concocts with names such as getting-over-being-an-orphan stew, welcome-home bacon. What I could have used is a platter of why-the-Heck -am-I-reading- this corn pone.
April 14, 2018
This was super cute and memorable and family-based 💕
I loved me some Florida and Dallas everyday tbh, I’ve read it so many types it’s not funny 😂
but for real, this is a super good read. Despite it being middle grade, I could still read this and enjoy it.
I loved me some Florida and Dallas everyday tbh, I’ve read it so many types it’s not funny 😂
but for real, this is a super good read. Despite it being middle grade, I could still read this and enjoy it.
November 30, 2016
I read this book in 6th grade and it is still my favorite book! This book was full of suspense, adventure, and revealed an amazing message in th end
October 11, 2016
Dallas i Florida, blizanci iz dječjeg doma, koje nitko ne voli jer su zločesti, grozni, nemogući, neodgojeni i još puno toga. Ali kad se dosele u Rubindol, prekrasnu zelenu dolinu, kako bi živjeli sa bračnim parom Morey, naučit će svašta, prvenstveno o ljubavi i uvažavanju.
Sanja A., hvala ti još jednom na preporuci!
Sanja A., hvala ti još jednom na preporuci!
December 21, 2021
I’m a sucker for sweet orphan books. And these were adolescent twins who finally meet decent people.
August 7, 2025
Omgoshhhhh half way through and this book is just sooo sad. but like awww
June 8, 2013
I'm reading the books on my kids Battle of the Books list of books for next year's competition. I want to be able to discuss all the books with them to help them prepare. So, this is one on the intermediate team's list (4th & 5th graders). About a boy and a girl who are orphans and twins. The author tells the sad story of their life at the orphanage and numerous foster home placements that didn't work out. Then they go to stay with Tiller and Sairy in Ruby Holler and we learn about the adventures they have there.
A decent book. Probably would've given it 3 stars if the ending had been better. It ended abruptly with several loose ends. Well, the ends weren't too loose, you could figure out what was probably going to happen, but my 9 year-old agreed that it basically left ya unfulfilled. Also, the writing throughout the book was a bit choppy--it didn't seem to flow very well.
Regardless, I enjoyed discussing the book with my 9-year-old daughter.
A decent book. Probably would've given it 3 stars if the ending had been better. It ended abruptly with several loose ends. Well, the ends weren't too loose, you could figure out what was probably going to happen, but my 9 year-old agreed that it basically left ya unfulfilled. Also, the writing throughout the book was a bit choppy--it didn't seem to flow very well.
Regardless, I enjoyed discussing the book with my 9-year-old daughter.
September 3, 2025
Dallas and Florida are called the "trouble twins" at the orphanage. When an elderly couple takes them in for the summer, they find a loving home where they are allowed to run and yell and play, unlike the abusive foster homes they have had in the past. The twins were planning to run away on the next freight train, but they gradually settle into the rhythm of life at the old cabin in Ruby Holler and discover that they are truly home.
The twins are hilarious! They are always making crazy mistakes and breaking things and getting into problems. I loved their silly antics and the way they stick together through thick and thin. Dallas is especially imaginative and dreamy, and Florida is sassy and bold. Their character development is really beautiful!
The poor children are terrified in the beginning, because they have been locked in cellars, forced to do hard work, and half-starved at their other foster homes and at the orphanage. They were slapped and pushed around and abused every time they made a mistake. But with the kind older couple in Ruby Holler, the twins find patience and understanding. It was really sweet to see how the children begin to relax and to trust their new foster parents. The story addresses these difficult topics with grace.
I enjoyed this book much more than some other books that I have read from this author recently. I really like the writing style and the characters!
The twins are hilarious! They are always making crazy mistakes and breaking things and getting into problems. I loved their silly antics and the way they stick together through thick and thin. Dallas is especially imaginative and dreamy, and Florida is sassy and bold. Their character development is really beautiful!
The poor children are terrified in the beginning, because they have been locked in cellars, forced to do hard work, and half-starved at their other foster homes and at the orphanage. They were slapped and pushed around and abused every time they made a mistake. But with the kind older couple in Ruby Holler, the twins find patience and understanding. It was really sweet to see how the children begin to relax and to trust their new foster parents. The story addresses these difficult topics with grace.
I enjoyed this book much more than some other books that I have read from this author recently. I really like the writing style and the characters!
December 19, 2018
I read this when I was much younger and didn't really have a recollection of it besides a tree, a rock, and an extremely small town. As it would turn out, there was indeed a tree with meaning, hidden rocks, and an extremely small town, so I'm glad my past self at least remembered some of the symbolism in this book.
Truly though, reading it now was so emotional. Half the time my hand was placed over my heart, because as an adult I now have a much bigger understanding of the troubles Dallas and Florida went through. The amount of abuse, troubles with foster care, troubles with adults they've had are not isolated cases, but Creech writes about these difficult subjects with grace and nuance.
Not only that, but each character has their own distinct personality and reasons for being the way they are--even the Trepids. The Trepids are easily the antagonists of the story, but they're people, too, and Creech does a fantastic job of emphasizing that. Not only that, but one of the biggest intrigues of this book was Z, who works for the Trepids, but who's also Sairy and Tiller's friend...and perhaps the long lost father of Dallas and Florida?
I'm just utterly in love with Sharon Creech's books once more, and can only hope that I continue to rediscover my childhood love for her stories. I'd definitely recommend Ruby Holler from ages 9-13, though as can be seen by this review, it can be loved by those of all ages.
Review cross-listed here!
Truly though, reading it now was so emotional. Half the time my hand was placed over my heart, because as an adult I now have a much bigger understanding of the troubles Dallas and Florida went through. The amount of abuse, troubles with foster care, troubles with adults they've had are not isolated cases, but Creech writes about these difficult subjects with grace and nuance.
Not only that, but each character has their own distinct personality and reasons for being the way they are--even the Trepids. The Trepids are easily the antagonists of the story, but they're people, too, and Creech does a fantastic job of emphasizing that. Not only that, but one of the biggest intrigues of this book was Z, who works for the Trepids, but who's also Sairy and Tiller's friend...and perhaps the long lost father of Dallas and Florida?
I'm just utterly in love with Sharon Creech's books once more, and can only hope that I continue to rediscover my childhood love for her stories. I'd definitely recommend Ruby Holler from ages 9-13, though as can be seen by this review, it can be loved by those of all ages.
Review cross-listed here!
May 9, 2009
OK, I have to read all of Creech's books. After reading 'Bloomability' last year, and now 'Ruby Holler,' and with 'Walk Two Moons,' 'Pleasing the Ghost,''Granny Torelli Makes Soup,' 'Chasing Redbird' and 'Love That Dog' already under my belt, I'm convinced she is one of the greats. And kids like the books, too. In 'Ruby Holler,' she once again captures just the exact way children express insecurity and anxiety and leavens those feelings with needed understanding and caring love. Florida and Dallas, orphaned twins who depend on, and complement each other, are nicely echoed by Tiller and Sairy, the old couple who give the twins a real home.
April 24, 2018
This book is hilarious and adorable and I loved every second of it. I would totally recommend it to anyone who likes a fun and cute story to read! It is also appropriate for all ages, so anyone can enjoy it!
September 21, 2020
Orphan twins, Dallas and Florida’s lives at their orphanage with uncaring caregivers change when they find a childless couple and their whimsical home, Ruby Holler. A journey to find “home” that is sad, uplifting and magical. B+ (83%/Very Good)
May 6, 2021
I remember listening to this several years ago and really enjoying it. After listening to it again, I was just as delighted with it as I was the first time. This still holds up as my favorite book by Sharon Creech!
January 6, 2024
Daisy told me to read this book and It was really good! It's not my favorite book but it was still good! some parts I didn't understand, but most parts I did understand.
August 6, 2024
4.5⭐️ I was completely enamored with this story from start to finish. I’m a sucker for the third person omniscient narrative when used as well as Creech does here. I considered it a true 5 star read until the very end, where I felt a little disappointed with the unanswered questions raised by Z. I was expecting the loose ends to be tied up just a bit more, but it’s also left me thinking quite a bit, which I suppose was the author’s intent. Overall an extremely worthwhile read.
June 17, 2017
I think I would have loved this as a pre-teen. Easy read, and wonderful characters. I loved the humor in it. I loved what great examples Sairy and Tiller were. A simple fun read with many great life lessons interweaved. Definitely recommend it.
October 26, 2022
One of my favorites from when I was a kid so I reread this for the Expand Your Horizons Reading Challenge
June 7, 2025
This was definitely written for maybe middle schoolers but honestly it was still a good story about a pair of twins, orphans, who have been in foster care all their lives, and not very nice ones. It was another fast read.
June 3, 2018
The fourth and final book of my Creech Craze, Ruby Holler gets the highest marks as it was my favorite of the four.
I think part of the reason is the lovable characters. Aside from being an orphan and all, Florida reminded me a lot of myself, in both good ways and bad (mostly bad). I love the way each of them reacts to a certain situation, and I smiled at all their adorable traits and mishaps. And the way you could tell they had the southern accents through just the words was so wonderful.
It wasn't all smiles and sunshine, either. I mean, fluff stories are great and all, but stories where people nearly drown and get locked in cellars and are scared of 'flying rat things' are better, in my opinion.
I liked the representation of twins in this story; they weren't the same by any means, and argued plenty, but they had an unbreakable bond that only got stronger as the book rolled on. They only have each other; no mother or father or aunt or uncle or grandmother or grandfather. So they have to stick together--and are all the better for it.
And finally, the ending was a satisfying one. Like any realistic situation, not everything is absolutely perfect and wonderful, and not everything will be. Not everything is resolved, and not everyone's stories are finished. Not all secrets are told and not all feelings are shared, but in time people will learn trust and love--maybe not all people (aHEM), but hey, that's life.
It was a short book, but one I'm glad to have read. I can't stand it when people have innacurate twin characters (wE CAN'T ALL READ EACH OTHER'S MINDS OKAY), which is another reason to adore this particular book. Among many other reasons, of course.
I think part of the reason is the lovable characters. Aside from being an orphan and all, Florida reminded me a lot of myself, in both good ways and bad (mostly bad). I love the way each of them reacts to a certain situation, and I smiled at all their adorable traits and mishaps. And the way you could tell they had the southern accents through just the words was so wonderful.
It wasn't all smiles and sunshine, either. I mean, fluff stories are great and all, but stories where people nearly drown and get locked in cellars and are scared of 'flying rat things' are better, in my opinion.
I liked the representation of twins in this story; they weren't the same by any means, and argued plenty, but they had an unbreakable bond that only got stronger as the book rolled on. They only have each other; no mother or father or aunt or uncle or grandmother or grandfather. So they have to stick together--and are all the better for it.
And finally, the ending was a satisfying one. Like any realistic situation, not everything is absolutely perfect and wonderful, and not everything will be. Not everything is resolved, and not everyone's stories are finished. Not all secrets are told and not all feelings are shared, but in time people will learn trust and love--maybe not all people (aHEM), but hey, that's life.
It was a short book, but one I'm glad to have read. I can't stand it when people have innacurate twin characters (wE CAN'T ALL READ EACH OTHER'S MINDS OKAY), which is another reason to adore this particular book. Among many other reasons, of course.
October 3, 2007
Recently I have been reading Newbery Medal and Honor book winners. Some are good, some are bad. Most are forgetful. But I have realised that there are certain theme's that prevail in child lit. Now I don't know if this is lack of theme's that both children enjoy and an adult would enjoy writing or if kids really do enjoy reading about runaways, but this is what this book is. Just another runaway book. The two protagonists are orphans who plan on running away bcause of previous hurtful experiences in homes, and their two care takers are sometimes codgy, but fun loving old folks who just don't know how to handle children anymore, especially troubled ones. They brother and sister enjoy their time in Ruby Holler but assume that they're going to be shipped off, so they might as well leave before their welcome turns into a goodbye. Skirting around the issues of previous abuse, Sharon Creech shows how children have often muddled, and very naive way of thinking, yeat are wise beyond their years. Sharp, honest, and full of hope the children and adults alike find that they have found a home for all.
April 1, 2022
Another precious Newbery Award winner that's been on my list forever. Perfect grandparent types that melt your heart and kids who make you laugh and love. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes these kinds of books, and I'm definitely one of them: A Long Way from Chicago, Walk Two Moons, Misty of Chincoteague. Where the Red Fern Grows Crash
Heartwarming, wholesome.
Heartwarming, wholesome.
February 12, 2020
Mmh. I find this one hard to rate, on the one hand it was a really nice, old-fashioned story about two orphans who find a home in the "Ruby Holler" with an older couple. On the other hand I found the narration to be strangely distant, as in a fairy tale, for example. There were hardly any descriptions and the author seemed to make it a point to not give any indication about the time in which the story takes place.
In the beginning it could've been a tale from the 19th century, but later hints like hospitals and Porsches pointed more towards the 1960ies at least. Weird.
On the plus side, this was a story about kindness and family. On my list of negatives: I found it hard to get a real feel for the characters and the story seemed disjointed at times. Thanks to the distant storytelling it was like I was reading it through an emotional fog. Weirder.
In the beginning it could've been a tale from the 19th century, but later hints like hospitals and Porsches pointed more towards the 1960ies at least. Weird.
On the plus side, this was a story about kindness and family. On my list of negatives: I found it hard to get a real feel for the characters and the story seemed disjointed at times. Thanks to the distant storytelling it was like I was reading it through an emotional fog. Weirder.
September 11, 2018
This was a beautiful, whimsical book which could speak to any kid that is finding it hard to trust others after past experiences. I enjoyed witnessing the character development of Dallas and Florida, the two orphan twins, and their reliance upon each other throughout each of their hardships. Sharon Creech has an amazing knack for demonstrating the complexity of her characters through small yet revealing nuances described through masterful imagery. Many of these nuances can be seen in the people around us. This is definitely a book that will stay in my thoughts for a while!
February 19, 2025
staying at my parents this week in my old bedroom and this was my favorite book when I was around 10. I decided to read it again on the precipice of my 30th birthday. In a lot of ways my reading taste hasn't changed much - I have always loved chosen family, grumpy old men with huge hearts, and going on a big adventure.
February 13, 2022
A cute book for young audiences!
July 13, 2013
Orphans Florida and Dallas have an awfully interesting past, which unfolds throughout the story through flashbacks, sharing of memories, and mysteries that come back to haunt them in both good and bad ways. Raised primarily at the Boxton Creek Home by the "putrid" couple that runs the orphanage, they grow up thinking of themselves as the "trouble twins," spending plenty of time in the cellar as punishment for running, yelling, and being themselves. When Sairy and Tiller, an elderly couple, borrow them from the orphanage to accompany them on two different trips, the twins have little hope that this time will be any different from the many other times a foster family took them in, treated them horribly, and quickly sent them back. The love, patience, and wisdom of Sairy and crotchety-old-Tiller work their magic slowly and realistically on these two children. Several times they attempt to run away, steal from Sairy and Tiller, punish themselves for being "bad," and fight the temptation to get comfortable. Unlike some other classics about orphans finding a family, these two are compelling and likable from the beginning, in spite of Florida's crankiness and their penchant for breaking things and distrusting everyone. Love runs throughout this story, as well as questions of identity, family, and right and wrong. It's beautifully written and a pleasure to read. Recommended for middle grade readers who enjoy realistic fiction with compelling characters (and maybe a hint of magic) such as books by Wendy Mass, Jerry Spinelli, and others by Sharon Creech.
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