It's Hot and Cold in Miami [Hardcover]

Nicole Rubel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 18, 2006 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Rachel has theories about a lot of things – how she ended up
with humongous beaver teeth, why tourists who visit Miami
wear such ugly clothes, and why her father loves her identical
twin sister, Rebecca, the most. Still, there are many things in
Rachel’s life that even her best theories can’t really explain.
Why, for instance, does her grandmother insist on feeding her
honey cake every Sunday, when everyone knows it tastes
disgusting? Why did Rachel end up with the most ancient fifthgrade
teacher in the school, a woman with amoeba-shaped
stains under her arms? And why is Rachel always in trouble,
unlike Rebecca?

In humor-filled prose and pictures, Nicole Rubel introduces us
to a remarkably off-the-wall family – a father who sells novelty
maracas for a living, a mother who is so gorgeous even
orangutans fall in love with her, a sister who is a perfect genius,
and scattered Rachel – struggling to find her unique talent and
self-confidence.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6 Some identical twins support one another, while others are competitive. Rebecca and Rachel are of the latter variety or so it seems to Rachel, the chubbier, duller, less-loved member of the duo. In episodic chapters, Rubel chronicles a portion of their fifth-grade year in 1964 in Miami a trip to Monkey Land, a visit to a friend's grandfather in the Everglades, Halloween in heat that melts chocolate, and snow donated by an ice company and shipped to the elementary school just before Christmas. These stories have the ring of truth about them, but the vignettes are not fully engaging because the only thread running consistently through them is Rachel's whining about her feelings of inadequacy. Mildly eccentric relatives lend a soupçon of humor to the proceedings, but this is outweighed by the twins' mother's apparent depression. Rubel's pen-and-ink illustrations are the best thing about the book as they successfully capture the discomfiting mixture of the mundane and slightly bizarre characters who populate this novel. Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. Although they are identical twins, fifth-graders Rachel and Rebecca Ringwood are as different as hot and cold. Rebecca has more than her share of the brains, winning the constant praise of her parents. Unfortunately, Rachel's knack for getting into trouble attracts a different kind of attention, but her way of viewing the world, full of hilarious personal theories, allows her to rationalize the unfairness of life. Experiences, commonplace as well as sobering and unusual, are portrayed through Rachel's wildly imaginative yet piercingly honest perspective: visiting a grandmother whose search for the perfect honey cake gives Rachel nightmares; gorging on Halloween candy while walking home to preempt confiscation of her goodies; plotting revenge against an anti-Semitic bully; living with a gorgeous mother, who sometimes can't get out of bed to face the world. Even before Rachel's artistic talents are finally recognized, readers know she is special. Rubel's narrative and her distinctive illustrations capture the details that make Rachel's daily adventures so appealing. Nancy Kim
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (April 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374336113
• ISBN-13: 978-0374336110
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,966,638 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nicole Rubel

Fun website: http://www.nicolerubel.com

Free traveling Rotten Ralph Art Show open to any library in the U.S. More information is on my web site.

A Short Biography

Nicole Rubel is an author/illustrator known for her uniquely colorful illustrations and charming stories. She has over fifty books to her credit and is the co-creator of the popular Rotten Ralph series.

Raised in Coral Gables, Florida, Ms. Rubel received a Bachelor of Science in Art Teaching from the Boston Museum School in association with Tufts University. Ms. Rubel's debut book, Rotten Ralph, earned her the Children's Book Showcase Award for Outstanding Graphic Design. She has since received awards from The American Books Association, The American Institute of Graphic Arts, and American Booksellers. She is a finalist for the Oregon Book award for No More Vegetables 20003. Twice as Nice has won a 2005 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Book Award and will be featured in the 13th edition of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, and on their web site www.toyportfolio.com. Her first novel for ages 10 and up, "It's Hot and Cold in Miami," was received with glowing reviews in 2007.


Ms. Rubel's books It Came From The Swamp, Pirate Jupiter and the Moondogs, and Goldie have been adapted for CD-ROM by Vtech and IBM. Her Rotten Ralph books are the basis of a new television series, which began airing on Fox Family channel in 1999.

Ms. Rubel's art style was inspired by the paintings of Henri Matisse and the art deco architecture of her hometown of Miami. Her imaginative, poignant and sometimes comical storylines are often derived from growing up with her identical twin sister, Bonnie. As a child she let her sister speak for her. Through the encouragement of an insightful teacher, Ms. Rubel learned to speak and write for herself. Therefore, a significant theme in her stories is finding oneself and learning to express one's feelings and thoughts.

She currently resides with her husband on a farm in Aurora, Oregon. Cougar the cat, Fang the dog, their horses Dancer and Hippo and their sheep Lilly and Pansy keep them busy with mischief.

Fun website: http://www.nicolerubel.com

Free traveling Rotten Ralph Art Show open to any library in the U.S. More information is on my web site.