3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
We're gonna rock on to Electric Avenue..., September 18, 2005
This review is from: Ruby Electric (Richard Jackson Books (Atheneum Hardcover)) (Hardcover)
As a reviewer of children's books, I like to check out the competition. In this particular case, "the competition" means other reviewers of children's books. What I tend to do is read the book, read the reviews written about that book, and then make snide little comments to myself about that reviewer's choice of wording. For example, when I finished reading the relatively still unappreciated author Theresa Nelson's best known work, "Ruby Electric" and then read a blurb from Kirkus Reviews that said, "Positively fizzes with emotion", I shook my head. Had I been writing for Kirkus (gales of laughter waft over from the Kirkus editorial board) I would've said "crackles with emotion". Not fizzes. Because you see, this truly is a book where energetic high-energy words are the ones that apply to it best. Nelson has penned a masterful book that could easily have come off as trite or the kind of book that takes cheap shots with the reader's emotions. Instead, this is a story told with humor and compassion about how we come to grips with the truth, even when that truth is doing a tarantella on our heart.
All parents try to shield their children from unpleasant things, but Ruby Miller's pretty sure she's been overly shielded all her life. Her father disappeared when she was seven and no one's ever been able to adequately explain why she hasn't seen him since. I mean, sure he's been calling her house and trying to set up dinner with his former wife, son Pete (he's four or five), and daughter Ruby. But he never shows up. Meanwhile, Ruby has to deal with two notorious and bubble-headed juvenile delinquents, one of whom (known mostly as Big Skinny) has been spray painting bright red love poems across the street from her house in her honor. And then there's the fact that Ruby accidentally allowed Pete's beloved stuffed animal Mammook to be carted away by the Salvation Army. Somehow though, Pete's sudden friendship with Big Skinny and Mouse and a project to paint a mural alongside the Los Angeles River coincides with Ruby's discovery of what truly happened with her father. Throw in a talking parrot named Lord Byron and you've a book that can be called "heartwarming" without conjuring up the saccharine images that usually tag-along with that term.
Normally in books like this, you get two options. Either the main character is living in a world of fantasy (as Ruby occasionally is) and the whole point of the book is that they must come to grips with the real world OR the book is like "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers and everything in the novel is written in a screenplay format. Nelson opts for neither of these, though admittedly Ruby does write multiple film scripts and screenplays, all of which carry interesting father/daughter relationships. And Nelson has a way with language. There's an offhand quality to the writing that'll once in a while zing you with a particularly smart repetition of ideas or a choice of wording that you wish you had been the one to think up. This is difficult enough to do in adult literature. Now imagine simplifying it for kids. One of my favorite sections comes in a flashback of Ruby's mama after she'd been depressed for days. "She opened the curtains and looked out the window. Ruby came and stood beside her. The fog had rolled in. You could hardly see the ocean at all. 'Just wait,' her mother said. 'The sun's starting to work. I bet you we'll have blue skies by ten.' But the fog was thick, and Mama was wrong. It took the sun till noon". To my mind, this is the kind of writing ability that Kate DiCamillo and Joan Bauer should be selling their right femurs to have. Ah well.
Recently the great, now retired, editor Richard Jackson wrote in the September 2005 issue of School Library Journal that Ms. Nelson, "...uses her Texas voice distinctively, and in story after story, leads readers into unforeseen aspects of the heart". Couldn't have put it plainer myself. Nelson knows how to write a book that's funny and sad and meaningful and downright ridiculous all at once and with seemingly little effort. Consider me her newest convert. For kids, "Ruby Electric" isn't going to call to them like "Eragon" or "Judy Moody", but, if you can find a way to get it into their hands, they're bound to really enjoy it. I certainly did, but then I'm 27. Recommended from my age on down.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't Miss This Delightful Book, April 30, 2005
This review is from: Ruby Electric (Richard Jackson Books (Atheneum Hardcover)) (Hardcover)
I am an unabashed fan of Theresa Nelson. I have read and loved each of her many fine books, but I believe Ruby Electric is my favorite. Twelve-year-old Ruby is a wonderful, funny, heart-hurting character. Her first trial and error efforts at screenwriting had me laughing out loud, confirmation to me that once again, Nelson has succceeded. People need to understand that the clever format of this book, which includes big chunks written in the style of a screenplay, would not make it a good choice for a read-aloud. So what? It would be a pure shame if the cranky comments of someone who didn't understand this kept a single soul from reading such a delightful story!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
"put on suspense", November 11, 2004
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Ruby Electric (Richard Jackson Books (Atheneum Hardcover)) (Hardcover)
This book was a book hat put me on suspnse! We had this project and the book just caught my attention so I picked it up and used it for my report. After starting this bok I was a little confused, but don't give up and don't worry it clears uplater in the book. This book kept me wandering what would happened next, would what I thought happen actually or would something totally different hapen? I kept reading to see if I was right or wrong. This book just makes you wander so much like will they get caughtand even what happened. Do you believe me? Go out and see for yourself what type of book this is by either buying it or even checking out Ruby Electric from your public library.
In this bok you wil encounter many sistuation where ther ecould be something good, but while reading on something bad happens to effect that good sistuation. Even things looking bad can turn out to be good. Be careful while reading this book, you be susprised at what happens next at some parts. Here are some things that occur in this book as you read. One event is in a hurry Ruby's mom takes her son Pete with her when she goes out and doesn't tell Ruby. Later a man came to the door, but Ruby didn't answer and it turns out Pete's doll Mammock was in the box take nby the man from the Red Cross. Pete is very upset, so they all go out to find it and get it back.
I recomend people 10-13 should read this book.
To me this book wasn't the worst. I enjoyed reading it and geetting put into suspense. I love books that put me in suspense, so I might have to read this one again.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
