Customer Reviews

Ruby's Wish

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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Serendipity brought this book into our home and I'm so grateful. It is a beautiful book in every way, from its vibrant illustrations to its messages of respect -- for oneself, for one's elders, for one's culture and for the never-ending gift of learning. The story of Ruby, a Chinese girl whose intelligence, integrity and confidence inspired her family patriarch to break with tradition, speaks to all. We are African-American parents of a son. We read this book to him often and we know that, through hearing Ruby's story, our son's perspective on life and the world in which he lives has been enormously enriched.

Ruby, a little girl living in turn-of-the-century China, is so named because she loves red, not just on holidays, but every day of the year. She also loves to study with her cousins in the school provided by her wealthy grandfather. Her calligraphy is especially fine, and she comes to her grandfathers attention when she writes the couplet Alas, bad luck to be born a girl, worse luck to be born into this house where only boys are cared for. Her grandfather questions her kindly and finds out that she would rather attend university than enter marriagewhich is, of course, expected of all girls at the time...

On the last page we learn that this is a true story, based on the authors grandmother. We also get to see a photograph of this grandmother, one of the first women university students in China. And we learn that every day, she still wears a little red.

This is a gem of a book, with simple yet evocative writing and beautiful illustrations which capture emotions wonderfully and provide a wealth of detail on Chinese dress and décor of the time.

This book is a very inspiring book and I can't believe it hasn't been reviewed before. I don't want to reveal the surprise at the end but it is very sweet. A Chinese girl wants to go to school. What does her grandfather say?

Set in turn-of-the-century China, young Ruby wants to go to school, but tradition holds that only boys get an education - hence the title, _Ruby's Wish_. The artwork is beautiful, with abundant details, but the book's strength is the story itself and the morals of the value of an education and working for what one desires. The ending is also very sweet. Particularly recommended for young girls.

My story is Ruby's Wish.It is by Shirn Yim Bridges,it was a great story.It's about a girl who loves red.Ruby is good in school.The boys had cler all she had was only the letters.She wrote a pome that said;also bad luck to be a girl,worse to born in this house were only boys are cared for. My favorite part was at the end. The book had very good illustrations. I hope you read this book.

In olden China, a family with over a hundred members lives in one large house. The grandfather patriarch sets up a school just for his grandchildren. This story focuses on one girl, nicknamed Ruby because she always wore red. Ruby loved to learn and felt badly that boys were given more opportunities than the girls were. Boys were able to go to university; girls got married. After writing a simple poem expressing her thoughts, the grandfather asked Ruby to tell him why she felt that way. The next New Year's Day, Ruby was given more than her usual "lucky money" in her traditional red envelope. She had a letter of acceptance to a university -- making her one of the first women to attend. This story is written by Ruby's grandchild.

This story is simple and sweet. The kids are so cute, and you get a bit of Chinese culture by understanding gender roles and holiday customs.

I loved this book! Ruby is a Chinese child living in China with her very large family. As a child, she knew that she was destined to marry, like all the females in her family, but she really wanted to
go to the university. It is a childrens' book with beautiful illustrations. There is a special little twist at the end that makes the story even more endearing to the reader. We have given it as a birthday present to a few of my 5 year old daughter's classmates, as well as to her teachers for a year-end present. We highly recommend this book!

Ruby is a little granddaughter of an old man who "struck it rich" in California (and lived to tell the tale). His wealth is such that he takes on many wives (a sign of wealth and privilege in Old China), has many sons (a sign of good fortune) who in turn take many wives, and ends up with over one hundred grandchildren. He arranges for a tutor to teach any who want to come (even the girls, going against the traditional customs) and is surprised to see that little Ruby (so named because she defiantly wears celebratory red even when there is no holiday) is the grandchild with the most promise. Long after all the other girls drop off and are married away, she persists with her lessons, even though it means that she must work late into the night on her "wifely" arts like embroidery. As hard as she works, she is keenly aware that tradition will soon force her to give up her studies and marry. When her grandfather is made aware of her unhappiness and asks her to explain, he listens but says nothing. What will happen next may not be much of a surprise, but the twist at the end is sure to bring a smile to the face of the reader.

This story "works" on many levels. The bright palette of the book makes Ruby pop off the page. The illustrator does a good job of showing Ruby progress from quietly curious to defiant yet resigned. The restraint of the illustrator is as evident as the skill. The point of the story is of course powerful and poignant: most girls in Old China as well as many places in the modern world are trained to be only wives and mothers at the expense of opening the world to them through reading and writing. While her grandfather's benevolence shields her from that fate, the author still shows the subtle ways in which a young child would understand what her expected role was. However, she manages to do it without beating the point with an age-inappropriate hammer.

This is a great story that ages five and older will be touched by.

Mrs. Steinhauser's Fifth Grade Class

Ruby wants to go to college, not get married. Long ago, girls in China didn't get to go to school. Ruby wants to learn and she thinks it isn't fair that only boys get to go. Ruby gets homeschooled because her grandfather is rich.

This is a great story about the author, Shirin Yim Bridges' grandmother!

This is a really lovely story with beautiful,beautiful illustrations. The story carries a very nice message for girls.I recommend it for children aged 5-9.