Ruby and the Booker Boys #1: Brand New School, Brave New Ruby [Paperback]

Derrick Barnes (Author), Vanessa Brantley Newton (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: Ruby And The Booker Boys

Meet 8-year-old ultra-fabulous Ruby Marigold Booker!

Eight-year-old Ruby Booker is the baby sis of Marcellus (11), Roosevelt (10), and Tyner (9), the most popular boys on Chill Brook Ave. When Ruby isn't hanging with her friend, Theresa Petticoat, she's finding out what kind of mischief her brothers are getting into. She's sweet and sassy and every bit as tough as her older siblings. She sings like nobody's business; she has a pet iguana named Lady Love; her favorite color is grape-jelly purple; and when she grows up, she's going to be the most famous woman animal doctor on the planet. She's the fabulous, oh-so-spectacular Ruby Marigold Booker!

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Ruby Booker wakens to the strains of her favorite song and loudly sings along to celebrate her first day as a student at Hope Road Academy. Her three older brothers have already established themselves at the school through leadership, academics, personality, and pranks, but Rudy wants to find her own way to shine, in her third-grade classroom and beyond. After going out on a limb to be noticed, though, she realizes that she may have landed in trouble. There’s plenty to like in this, the first volume in the Ruby and the Booker Boys series, from the warm portrayal of the African American Booker family at home and at school to the buoyant character of Ruby herself. With large print, wide-spaced lines, and effective black-and-white drawings at intervals, the book will appeal to readers moving into chapter books. The second volume in this paperback series, Trivia Queen: 3rd Grade Supreme is also available. Grades 2-4. --Carolyn Phelan

About the Author

DERRICK BARNES lives in Kansas City, Missouri, with his wife and their “Booker Boys”—Ezra, Solomon, and Silas.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 130 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (July 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0545017602
• ISBN-13: 978-0545017602
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 7.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Reference & Nonfiction > School & Education
  • #37 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Biographies > People of Color
  • #57 in Books > Children's Books > Education & Reference > School & Education

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Ruby!!, October 8, 2008

By 

Juanita Flannagan "JMFlannagan" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ruby and the Booker Boys #1: Brand New School, Brave New Ruby (Paperback)

I happened upon Ruby M. Booker in the weekly Scholastics order catalog and thought it amazing to find a book about a little African American girl. Little did I know, I had stumbled upon a Masterpiece! My 8 year old daughter fell in love right away and so did I. We laughed and danced the entire time. The best part, hearing my baby say "She's just like me!" As an avid reader, I found it difficult to find books with characters with whom my daughter could identify. Ruby in all her 'fabulousness' put all that to rest. She's funny, spunky and full of life. This is a must read for all little girls. Many thanks to Mr. Barnes.....you really came through with this one.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finding Your Own Shadow, July 11, 2008

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ruby and the Booker Boys #1: Brand New School, Brave New Ruby (Paperback)

Ruby Marigold Booker is about to start a new school and not just any new school, she will be attending Hope Road Academy and entering the third grade. Her three older brothers already attend school there as well. Marcellus is in the 7th grade, and Roosevelt and Tyner are in the 6th grade. All three already have reputations that are well-known throughout the school and the community. Ruby finds out just how much of a reputation the first day she steps on school grounds. She is intimidated at first, but with the encouragement of her best friend, Ruby comes up with a plan to make her own Booker tradition and move from under her older brothers' shadows. When she is done, everybody will know who Ruby Booker is.

RUBY AND THE BOOKER BOYS: Brand New School, Brave New Ruby by Derrick Barnes is a delightfully, enchanting read about a little girl establishing her own identity in a new school. The pace is very good and the story flows well. The colorful characters are well-developed and exhibit slices of humor throughout. The illustrations by Vanessa Brantley Newton were wonderful visuals that added to this creative delivery. Youths will be pleased with this tale about the first day of school jitters. It is told in such a way, that I'm sure many will be able to identify with Ruby and learn something from her; especially, if they feel they are living in the limelight of older siblings. Derrick Barnes has a winner in this first book of the Ruby and the Booker Boys series.

Reviewed by Brenda Lisbon
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invest in this book series for your new readers, December 23, 2010

By 

Melinda Emerson "Smallbizlady" (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ruby and the Booker Boys #1: Brand New School, Brave New Ruby (Paperback)

Anyone looking for a great book series for young readers. Ruby and the Book Boys is it! I found this 4-book series about a little African-American girl who's going to third grade with three big brothers who are already big time at her school. My five year old son loves these books because they really talk about the sibling interaction and family dynamic. Derrick Barnes the author did a really great job the illustrations are very powerful as well. Invest in these books for your new readers, I enjoyed reading these books as much as my son.

Melinda Emerson
Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business that Works