Ruby in the Sky, written by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo, is a wonderful book about bravery, compassion, finding your own voice, and standing up for yourself.

This book reminded me so much of One For The Murphy’s by Linda Mullaly Hunt, who the author credits as inspiration for her own writing. Ruby feels displaced because of the number of times she and her mom have moved. Because of that, Ruby has trouble making friends, connecting with teachers, and feels like her mother doesn’t include her in decisions that affect the both of them. I loved reading about Ruby’s transformation from a quiet, timid girl to a brave girl, not afraid to speak up for herself. Ruby makes many courageous choices throughout the book and I hope that young readers of this book will take that to heart.

Ruby in the Sky was a delightful debut novel by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo! I really look forward to reading more of her novels in the future! This is a perfect book for grades 3 – 6 or ages 8 – 12, as well as fans of One For The Murphy’s by Linda Mullaly Hunt, Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin, or The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

Ruby Moon Hayes and her mother Dahlia have arrived in the small Vermont town that Dahlia had been born in. She remains quiet, hoping that people won't ask her what happened to her father, or why Dahlia was arrested after being in town for a week, or why she never has new clothes to wear. She doesn't want to make friends and wants to go back to where everything had been normal for her before. But Ahmad Saleem keeps trying to be her friend, and Ruby is drawn to the strange woman living in a shed and feeding the animals of the forest near her new home. The elitists in town have terrible things to say about Ruby and her new friends, and she has to figure out what she wants out of life in this town.

This is Ferruolo's first novel, and it's splendidly done. I was nearly in tears in several spots within the book, and it hit close to home in many spots. It's not that I have the same background as Ruby, but I can relate to being alone in school, not having friends, or being considered the weird kid. The longing and simultaneous fear of belonging is wonderfully portrayed, and it's something adults can empathize with, not just children or tweens. Ruby faces big emotional issues, and her silence in the beginning of the novel is never treated like a ploy to get out of trouble or doing assignments.

I think this is a great book for adults and their children to both read and maybe discuss afterward. The experiences that all of the characters go through are fairly universal, and it would be wonderful for children that are shy and anxious to see that it's possible to push past that and that it's worth the risk.

What I Liked
Ruby is a very relatable kid! She's going through some tough times and you really feel for her. There is so much going on in this story, too. The anti-homeless law coming in, Ahmad's family history, Abigail and her tragedy... It's all handled so beautifully! And as a Florida native who moved to Utah, I totally related to Ruby's initial shock at the cold weather. It's not a joke!!

What I Would Have Liked to See
Less of the mayor! GRRR!!

My Favorite!
Ruby's presentation at the end. I can't say why (spoilers!) but it brought a tear to my eye and was such a great moment! I had to read it twice. <3

TL;DR
Shy girl faces a new town and a new school. When bullies on all sides threaten every good thing she's managed to hold on to, she has to stand up for the things she cares about.

I almost didn't give Ruby in the Sky a chance, but I am glad I did. Ruby's mom has moved her to Fortin, VT, a much colder and snowier place than their last home in Florida. Home has been hard for Ruby and her mom to find, and Ruby desperately wants to return “home” to Washington, DC. As the new girl in town Ruby doesn’t want to be seen and she definitely doesn’t want her new classmates to ask about her father or her mother’s recent arrest.

Ruby is both independent and shy. She is assertive with her mom and has no problem telling her what she thinks. Ruby has no trouble disobeying her mom’s desire for her to stay away from the “Bird Lady.” Real name Abigail, she is the lady the town has labeled crazy with a dark past. Ruby knows there is more to Abigail than meets the eye and throughout the story they develop a close relationship, which almost seems like mother and daughter. The best part of this book is Ruby’s relationships with the other characters. In the end, Ruby realizes that there is more to a home than the location.

Note: I read an ARC of Ruby in the Sky courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley and the ARC group #bookjaunt in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ruby and her mom find themselves in Fortin, VT, the supposed final "forever home" after two years of moving across the US. Her father died in the line of duty and her and her mother aren't that close anymore, after years of moving with Ruby wanting to return home to DC. More friction grows when Ruby's mom is carted off to jail, the officer claiming her mom assaulted her boss when the mother has bruises from when the boss pushed her. But because her former boss is friends with the officer and mayor, her mom is portrayed as the aggressor. While Ruby's mom prepares for court, Ruby explores the area and discovers an old lady named Abigail who lives in a shed outside her dilapidated house. Rumors surround Abigail, labeling her as crazy to killing her husband and daughter. Ruby befriends Abigail, helping her feed the birds, and they both hike into the woods and discuss small but meaningful things.

The theme in this novel centers on courage and bravery, as every character stands up for themselves and tells their story after enduring several hardships. This is an uplifting and delightful read, with science, prejudice, family, friends, and mystery weaved together. I read in the acknowledgements that the author was diagnosed with breast cancer and went through chemotherapy while writing Ruby's story. I want to thank her for creating and writing this exceptional novel while suffering a hardship herself. From one cancer survivor to another, I know how easy it can be to lose your voice when you're at rock bottom, but I'm proud of Jeanne for writing a story that has already won awards before publication as a way to say she's a warrior.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The cover beautifully captures the spirit of the book. Ruby Moon Hayes has been recently relocated in Vermont and her mother is already in trouble with local law enforcement. Thus Ruby and their dog, Bob Van Doodle, find themselves taking walks in the countryside on their own. They stumble upon a neighbor who can feed chickadees from her hand. Ruby and Bob begin spending more time with "the bird lady" while mom fights for her rights in court. Meanwhile, the sixth grade is putting together a wax museum program. Shy Ruby struggles with participating, but with support from her new friend Ahmad and those around her she helps bring healing not just to her own household and the entire town. An inspiring portrait of standing up and helping others. Includes fascinating facts about Apollo 11 and features a real live moon rock. Highly recommended!

Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this new middle grade novel.

Ruby in the Sky was an excellent book - once I started it I couldn't put it down. Ruby and her mom have just moved to Vermont, her mother's childhood home. This is supposed to be their "forever home" but Ruby is already planning to move back to Washington D.C. to be closer to her father. Ruby is painfully shy and not looking forward to being the new kid in school, again, so she follows her usual plan of hiding behind her hair and not speaking at all. Everything is made worse by her mother's arrest for "battering" the owner of the diner where she just started waitressing. Apparently the owner was a friend of the mayor so people believed him and not Ruby's mom. A great start in a new town. While her mother deals with finding a new job and working with her public defender, Ruby meets Abigail, a homeless woman who lives down the street near the forest. Abigail feeds birds and makes Ruby's energetic dog, Bob, behave on command. Ruby is frightened and warned by her mom to stay away, but soon Abigail and Ruby become friends and Ruby is learning to explore the forest on snowshoes, feed song birds, and uncovering all kinds of secrets. As her mom's trial draws near, Ruby finds herself signed up to participate in the 6th grade Wax Museum. She has to research a historical figure and represent him or her in a school program. This is exactly what she hates to do but a kind teacher and some new friends encourage Ruby a share some valuable advice.

This book has many layers. My heart aches for Ruby and the other characters and what we learn about their pasts. The ending was excellent and very inspirational without being preachy or condescending. Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo did a fabulous job of writing believable, likable characters and crafted a tale that will speak to anyone who picks up the book. I recommend that everyone should!

**I recieved a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

First thoughts: I’m in between on how to rate this book. On one hand, it fit many middle grade book stereotypes perfectly, but on the other, it also broke free and made the stereotypes feel original. I wasn’t blown away by how it was written, but I definitely wasn’t disappointed. The characters felt fresh and new, and the story was fun; while fairly predictable, it was still enjoyable to read.

Analyzation:

This book, like I said, felt very stereotypical a lot of the time. I’ve read this story many times—the only child living with a single parent, starts a new school, faced with a challenge at school, feels inadequate, makes new friends that show them they’re not, learns to have confidence and courage to defeat their fears and talk to their family. I’ve read this story so many times, but Ruby in the Sky made it feel more original than others I’ve read. Abigail Jacobs was such a different character, so much fun, and brought with her mystery and lessons that added depth to the story. I really liked Ruby—she didn’t feel as stereotypical—and think many middle schoolers will relate to her. Her relationship with her mom was gentle and sweet.

I absolutely LOVED the theme of learning to speak up for yourself—not just in Ruby, but in the whole situation with her mom. That whole storyline—keeping details vague so not to spoil it—added so much more depth than you usually see in middle grade books, and I completely loved it. It was such an important theme, yet delivered so gently. Paired with Ruby’s arc, it created a beautiful theme that I think will really speak to readers.

Overall:

Generally, I didn’t have super strong feelings one way or another about the book. It was stocked full of beautiful themes of forgiveness, friendship, and speaking up for yourself. The plot and characters were pretty predictable, but I still enjoyed reading the story; additionally, the connections with the moon added a magical feel. I didn’t absolutely love it, but there wasn’t really anything I disliked, either.

Rating: 3.5 stars

When I started this I had an ugh moment... something traumatic has happened and now mom is unreliable and the family has been moving around a lot. Been there, done that. Fortunately the book moved beyond that. Ruby is tired of moving. She wants to go back to Washington D.C where things were normal... before. Then her mother gets in trouble at work and may even go to jail. Why? Ruby starts visiting an older lady who lives out in a shed instead of her house. Rumors are rampant - she murdered her family, she's crazy - but Ruby soon discovers the truth. Does Ruby have the courage to be seen and let her friend be seen as well?
I really enjoyed this.

Imagine that your mom moves you around from place to place to place and each one is going to be your "forever home". Ruby wants her forever home to be back in the home where she last shared with her dad, but her mom has brought Ruby back to her own home town. She once again promises Ruby that this will be their forever home but within a week of being there her mom gets arrested and things are not looking good. Ruby knows there is no point in making friends because they will not be there for long, however she didn't expect to meet Abigail. Abigail is the old, crazy lady that lives in the shed next to her house and feeds the birds. Rumor around town is that she killed her husband and daughter many years ago. Ruby sees a different side of her but she can't deal with it because she has her own problems. She is trying to avoid a huge biography project since she knows that they will be moving soon and won't be there to present it. Her teacher, Mr. Andrews, and the kid trying to be her friend, Ahmad, think otherwise. Will this home actually be their forever home? Will Ruby expose Abigail for who she truly is or will Abigail's pain be more than she can bear? What happens with Ruby's mom's arrest and will she ever take Ruby back to the only home that she knew? Read this incredible book to find out what happens with Ruby and those around her!

Ruby in the Sky is a phenomenal book about love, loss, friendship, and overcoming when all the odds are against you. Ruby shows us all that even though we may be lonely and in pain ourselves, there can be others that need our help. No matter what kind of walls we put up around ourselves, those walls can be broken down for a new beginning. This book has such an amazing message and does not need to be missed!!!

A well told story of a young girl dealing with loss and sadness. Ruby is a likeable character who will relate to those who are hurting or who have felt loss. Ms. Ferruolo does a good job of developing the characters and ends the story well.

Ruby has moved again from Florida to Vermont in the middle of winter. She isn't prepared for the brutal cold or starting another new school. She dreams to be back in Washington DC, the last time they were a family with her dad. But her dad is gone and it is just her and her mother trying to start a new life in her mom's hometown. Ruby is very shy and hides behind her bangs to avoid talking to other students or adults. Her mom is fired from her new job because she accused her boss of being abusive to her and others she works with, but he is the mayor and they are intimidated by him and won't speak up. Her mom wants to expose the truth of what happens at the cafe but she risks going to jail if she is found guilty. Meanwhile Ruby has to do a report on a famous person and participate in the annual wax museum at school. She is terrified to speak in public and is trying everything in her power to miss this event. Their new home is close a notorious recluse, Abigail, who lives in the woods and takes care of the animals. The community spreads lots of stories about her and why she lives the way she does. The mayor is trying to remove Abigail from the community by passing new ordinances on her home. Ruby befriends her and begins to learn more about her and the family she once had. Ruby struggles through her own issues with school and her mother, while trying to uncover the truth about her fascinating neighbor. 
This middle grade novel was a pleasure. I enjoyed seeing Ruby come through her shyness to make friends and eventually support her mother in her trial. Ruby's teacher is one that everyone wishes they had in school. He was supportive but pushed Ruby and the other students to do their best on their report for the wax museum. Every community has an event with the school that sets them apart from other schools. The wax museum is that for Fortin, Vermont. It is a unique event that students and community members cherish each year. I enjoy the build up because it helped define the type of community Ruby was living in. Every community unfortunately has their own politics that Ruby's mothers becomes the target of. It shows that sometimes there are powerful people that others need to stand up to even though the risks are very high for themselves. Standing up for what is right is what we teach our students but even as adults it is a very difficult thing to do. Ruby's dog was a very important character in the book too. We are a culture who loves our pets but this hyper dog is what keeps Ruby going each day. It was a gift from her father, who is no longer around, and she had to promise to take care of him. She walks him daily and that is how she met her reclusive neighbor. A turning point in the story was when the dog was injured and Ruby had to depend on Abigail for help. It was gut wrenching to read about the nature of the dogs injury and its eventual recovery.

Overall I liked this book. Sometimes I struggle with middle grade books because of the uninteresting plots, but this one was enjoyable. In my experiences as a 7th-8th school librarian I know that books like this one are well read by our students. It is a book I will definitely add to our collection. I don't know what committees look at when considering books for awards or state lists but I believe this book should be strongly considers. It has many aspects and appeals that make it a great nominee for book awards.

I was immediately engrossed in this book. Complex characters, a plot that moves, and a story that offers its main character full agency in a situation where she could easily be seen as a victim. Great messages of courage, compassion and curiosity.

Ruby is tired of her mom chasing the idea of a forever home. She hasn't found it since her husband passed away. They finally end up in the small Vermont town where her mother grew up. And Ruby wants this to be the last stop. That is before they finally moving back to Washington DC where she knows life will be better for both of them. But when her plan to stay invisible fails to work, she begins to realize that everyone needs someone to lean on as a friend. And that using your voice is more important than staying invisible when the truth is being covered up.

This would make for a great book discussion title as it touches on so many interesting themes. Your choice - rumors, truth vs. lies, immigration, people who aren't following social norms, single-parent household, death, family, friendship. You could really take the discussion to a number of places and there would be a lot to really dig in and talk about.

I really enjoyed Ferruolo's writing style and how she so vividly described Vermont. In my mind, I could picture the small town, I could feel the cold in the air and I could imagine what it might look like when Ruby meets "the Bird Lady". I also loved Ruby's voice throughout this novel. She's a true middle grade character - at times defying her mom's wishes or just trying to make it through the day. She's not without her faults and that's what makes her so realistic.

The last thing Ruby wanted to do was move into yet another forever home, particularly in Vermont. But Ruby knows the drill— don’t settle in, don’t make friends, and soon enough her mother, Dahlia, will pack them up and leave for their next forever home. However, everything changes when her mother is wrongly arrested after an altercation with an abusive boss. With the court date looming, Ruby attempts to push aside the noise and invisibly navigate sixth grade. But then she meets Abigail, her reclusive neighbor, and learns of her remarkable past.

Author Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo has delivered a knockout debut novel. Ruby is an amazing character who has been bogged down considerably by life before she’s even hit her teenage years. While she pines for the life and family she had in Washington, D.C., she’s captive to her mother’s whims, moving from city to city. Although what actually happened is not explicitly explained at the beginning of the book, it’s noted that this started sometime after Ruby’s father is no longer around. The strain this has put on the relationship between mother and daughter is believable. The two struggle to communicate with each other, and these scenes are particularly effective. Both have so much to say and no idea how to process these thoughts into words.

However, this is an issue that Ruby has outside of her home as well. She initially pushes everyone in her new town away, most especially the ever-friendly Ahmad, a Syrian refugee in her class. Her shyness stands in the way of her brilliant insight, and these moments are painfully poignant. Although Ahmad (and a small cast of secondary characters) provide her willing support, Ruby must find her own path through her barriers. Zulick Ferruolo writes with such honesty and clarity that it’s painful when she fails, but so rewarding when she finds her own success.

This book does use the fairly popular trope of the reclusive neighbor, but it’s mined with such depth that it feels entirely fresh. With a lesser writer, it might be flat, but Zulick Ferruolo has completely realized Abigail as a real person. By no means is she utilized as a prop. Not only does Abigail provide Ruby help on her journey, but she experiences growth herself by maneuvering through her secrets. The scenes with her are some of the largest highlights of this book.

For a book where many of the characters have issues with communication, it’s amazing that Zulick Ferruolo tapped into such a brilliant voice. Ruby reads like a friend— someone the reader really gets to know on a personal level over a few hundred pages. She’s the heart of this truly remarkable novel.

A lovely book that tackles a number of complex issues in a real and heartfelt way. Ruby Moon Hayes is a character that's easy to root for, and her frustration, sadness, and eventual compassion feel very true to life. The author does a wonderful job of showing just how hard standing up (for yourself and for others) can be - and how necessary it is for all of us. Great friendships form the heart of this story that's all about finding and using your voice.

I absolutely, 100% love this book!
Ruby is a 6th grader, whose only wish throughout the story is to go back to DC, to a time when they lived with her father and everything was right with the world. Since they left, she and her mother have moved from place to place, and with each new home something always seems to eventually go wrong and they have to move once more. Finally, at the urging of Ruby's Aunt Cecy, they move back to the town of her mother's birth, Fortin, Vermont.

Within a week, things go wrong again, and all Ruby wants is to leave things behind once more and go back to DC and the life they led there. What's more, until they can leave the only thing Ruby wants is to remain invisible in school and for everyone to leave her alone, like they always have in all her other schools, but between a teacher who is determined to have her perform with everyone else in the 6th grade wax museum and Ahmad, who is determined to be her friend, things aren't exactly working out in that area either.

What's more, there's a bird lady who lives down in the woods near Ruby's house, and everyone says that she's crazy and to stay away! But Ruby starts to wonder if there's more to that story.

This story felt entirely real to me, and was by turns heartbreaking and heartwarming as I followed the ups and downs of Ruby's life and watched her struggle with the desire to stay invisible versus the desire to let people know the truth in the face of many injustices in that small town. I highly encourage everyone to read this excellent middle-grade novel, whether you're a middle-grade reader or an adult.

I loved Ruby and the characters that helped her grow into who she becomes at the end of this engaging book for middle grade readers. I can't wait to share this with readers in my classroom and hear what they think about all the characters that are introduced in this book, including Ahmad and Abigail. What an amazing book that gets readers thinking about what it means to find "home."

Two lost souls, one old and one young, find themselves while helping each other overcome the obstacles created by an ignorant and pompous mayor and his rumor-ridden town . Beautiful imagery, lovely description, multidimensional characters and a powerful plot make this story one wonderful read for middle grades and up.

I really enjoyed the book. It had nice, ongoing touches and an interesting baseline as well as suspenseful moments.