Ruby Parker Hits the Small Time

February 26, 2007
A thin layer of show-biz dazzle lends some sparkle to this comfortably predictable coming-of-age tale. Every year since she was six, Ruby, now 13, has appeared in the wildly popular (and fictional) English soap opera Kensington Heights.
She also attends a performing arts school, where she and her best friend, Nydia, inhabit a middling social stratum, looked down on by Anne-Marie (who "looks just the same as everyone else: tall, thin, and blonde") and the rest of the cool crowd. Several events shake Ruby out of this routine: something's not right between her parents (it turns out they are getting separated) and she believes she's about to be dropped from the show, when in fact the writers are expanding her story line and giving her the chance for her first-ever kiss (on- or off-screen) with her longtime crush. Anxiety about this on-air smooch leads Ruby and Nydia to draft the dreaded Anne-Marie as kissing coach—which leads to positive changes to the girls' social standing. Adhering firmly to the conventions of the genre, true romance comes about for Ruby only when she opens her eyes to the charms of the boy next door. No show-stopping surprises here, but Ruby's perky first-person narration will likely be a hit with her target audience, who may well be pleased to see that Coleman leaves the stage door open for sequels. Ages 12-up.

April 1, 2007
Gr 6-9-When she was six, Ruby Parker landed a part on a popular TV soap opera. Now the 13-year-old spends summers taping the show, and in the fall she returns to a performing-arts school where other students are jealous of her career. Otherwise, she is a typical teen. She has a crush on a boy who ignores her, she giggles and schemes with her best friend, and she worries about the increasing tension between her parents. When Mum and Dad announce that they are splitting up, Ruby is devastated. With the help of friends, familiar and unexpected, she comes to terms with the change and learns more about herself in the process. The book is front-loaded with exposition, but, once established, the story clips along at a good pace. The writing is realistic; the language is suitably naive and particularly poignant when Ruby struggles to explain her feelings about the divorce. Her growth is demonstrated best in responses to fan letters sprinkled throughout the book. Early on, she tells the girls who write to her about their problems that things will be OK, and that they should talk to a trusted adult. The last letter sensitively acknowledges her pain, and she admits that although she doesn't know when or how it will go away, she trusts that it will. The happy ending isn't that everything works out the way she hopes; it's that everything works out in other ways, and she comes to terms with it."Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2007
On the outside, 13-year-old British TV soap actress Ruby Parker seems to love her life. She is famous, and she attends a posh performing-arts school. Inside, however, she doesn't feel like a star. Her parents are separating, her classmates talk about--rather than to--her, and she is facing a first kiss with the actor she likes. While she discovers some things are out of her control, she also learns that people and situations aren't always what they seem and that she has choices, on- and offscreen. Coleman's novel is entertaining and insightful, with an engaging protagonist whose droll narrative bursts through soap-opera superficialities touching on familiar adolescent concerns about self-esteem, school, and personal relationships with compassion and humor. Ruby's fan mail and her replies are scattered throughout the book, echoing the young teen's changing perspective. An adept blend of spoof and heart in a fast-paced, lively read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)