Ruby Lee and Me

December 14, 2015
It is the summer of 1969, and things couldn't seem worse to 12-year-old Sarah. Her six-year-old sister, Robin, has been seriously injured in a car accident that Sarah is certain was her fault (she had been reading while babysitting Robin), and Sarah called her best friend, Ruby Lee, the worst thing you can call a black person. Sarah's inner struggles take place against the background of integration in a rural North Carolina community; Hitchcock (The Ballad of Jessie Pearl) depicts her guilt, anger, and grief with credibility and the important people in her life in sympathetic, fully dimensional fashion. The contrast between Ruby Lee and Sarah's friendship and that of the girls' grandmothers effectively reflects the differences in their generations' approach to race relations; the uneasiness created by the arrival of the elementary school's first black teacher, Mrs. Smyre, is also treated realistically. While Mrs. Smyre is a little too good to be true, an endnote explains the roots of the book are in the author's connection to just such a teacher. Ages 8â12. Agent: Deborah Warren, East West Literary Agency.

November 1, 2015
It's 1969, and 12-year-old Sarah's life is in turmoil. Sarah is overcome with guilt after her sister is involved in an accident, and life in Shady Creek is turbulent as racial tensions peak. Everyone's talking about integration, and Sarah fears it will affect her friendship with Ruby Lee, a stereotypically sassy, pushy black girl who lives nearby. Despite the title and setup, the story is more about sibling love and self-forgiveness than it is segregation and friendship. Unfortunately, the book introduces such subjects as the N-word (unarticulated on the page but clear in intent) and Emmett Till but keeps its treatment on the surface, failing to assertively wrestle with them. Sarah acknowledges that she's been sheltered from racism and feels guilty that Ruby experiences it, but her feelings about segregation seem similarly superficial. Though she promises to remain Ruby's friend after the schools integrate, the book ends before she can complete her commitment. The book also contains unlikely scenarios: Mrs. Smyre, the new black teacher, invites white students to touch her skin and hair, and after a racially motivated crime, a crowd of black and white bystanders sing "We Shall Overcome" together. Hitchcock's intent is obvious, but these scenes do not paint a realistic portrait of the time period for young readers. The story is acceptable as a book about familial relationships and self-forgiveness, but it fails as the historical narrative it purports to be. (Historical fiction. 9-12)

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October 1, 2015

Gr 3-6-After a tragic accident leaves her younger sister Robin hospitalized, 12-year-old Sarah must move in with her grandparents. Miss Irene is Granny's neighbor and friend, and her granddaughter Ruby Lee has been Sarah's best friend since she can remember. The trouble is, Sarah is white and Ruby Lee is black-and it's 1969 in North Carolina. The local school will be integrated this year, and the first black teacher has been hired. Tension is high in the tiny town of Shady Creek. Forced to leave her home and start over on her grandparents' farm, Sarah must come to grips with her guilt about her sister, her anger and confusion about Ruby Lee, and the uncertainty of relationships among whites and blacks in the rural South. Balancing the heavier topics are home-style recipes, strong storytelling, and Southern charm, which will engage younger middle grade readers. The characters are well developed and the historical setting realistic. VERDICT Tenderly told, this appealing story explores racial tensions during a key moment of the civil rights movement.-Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 15, 2015
Grades 3-6 *Starred Review* Twelve-year-old Sarah Beth was in charge of watching her little sister Robin when a car hit the six-year-old, and now everything is uncertain. Will Robin walk again? How can Sarah Beth admit her guilt when her family may blame her? Sarah Beth must go stay with her grandparents while her parents guide Robin through the healing process, and with the integration of her new school, life takes on even more challenging questions. This endearing story set in 1969 is reminiscent of the charming friendship seen in Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Faith, Hope, and Ivy June (2009) but with a feel similar to that of the Little House books. As in The Ballad of Jessie Pearl (2013), Hitchcock deftly weaves her narrative through history to gently bring important past events to light. Excellently written, the novel's characters avoid stereotyping and are well developed, and Hitchcock perfectly captures Sarah Beth's voice as she wrestles with big questions. The somber themes of race relations and personal guilt are handled sensitively and with a good dose of flour, courtesy of Sarah Beth's grandmother's baking lessons, and hope for racial healing is offered. A heartening and important offering for younger readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)