Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Ruby Holler

Books that make me laugh out loud are so much fun.  The classic Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls always comes to mind when I think about laughing books.

There’s a red paint scene in Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech (Joanna Cotler Books, 2002) that made me laugh so hard, I couldn’t read it aloud to my husband without busting up.   However, Ruby Holler is about way more than laughter.   There’s kindness, compassion and love–it’s a very heartwarming story that I know I’ll be returning to.

Here’s a brief intro:   Dallas and Florida are orphans living in a scummy orphanage.   They always get brought back because they are “trouble” twins when they go home with someone.   This time they go home for a temporary stay with two elderly people, Tiller and Sairy, who each want to go on a trip and think having a young person companion would be good.   The kids are amazed when Tiller and Sairy don’t punish them for mistakes.

This books is a very worthwhile read.  And, of course, if you’ve never read anything else by Sharon Creech, you’ll probably want to after reading this one.  Here’s her website:  http://sharoncreech.com/