Lucky Broken Girl

February 6, 2017
Set in 1966, this strongly sketched novel, adult author Behar’s first for children, focuses on a 10-year-old Cuban immigrant whose injury forces a prolonged convalescence and rehabilitation. The story begins with Ruthie Mizrahi moving up from the “dumb class” (where she learned English) to the “regular fifth grade class” at her school in New York City. However, a car accident leaves Ruthie so severely injured that she spends almost a year sequestered in her room in a body cast (“My bed is my island; my bed is my prison; my bed is my home”). Readers will get a powerful sense of the historical setting through Ruthie’s narration, but the novel is perhaps defined even more by her family’s status as immigrants and by its memorable multicultural cast. Some dialogue can ring false (“I am a bit of a hippie. I believe in peace, love, and flower power,” explains the tutor sent to work with Ruthie), but Behar successfully juggles several engaging plot threads, and Ruthie’s complicated relationship with her mother, given the demands of her care, is especially compelling. Ages 10–up. Agent: Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Trident Media Group.

February 15, 2017
In the 1960s, Ruthie Mizrahi, a young Jewish Cuban immigrant to New York City, spends nearly a year observing her family and friends from her bed. Before the accident, Ruthie's chief goals are to graduate out of the "dumb class" for remedial students, to convince her parents to buy her go-go boots, and to play hopscotch with other kids in her Queens apartment building. But after Papi's Oldsmobile is involved in a fatal multicar collision, Ruthie's leg is severely broken. The doctor opts to immobilize both legs in a body cast that covers Ruthie from chest to toes. Bedridden and lonely, Ruthie knows she's "lucky" to be alive, but she's also "broken." She begins collecting stories from her Jewban grandparents; her fellow young immigrant friends, Belgian Danielle and Indian Ramu; her "flower power" tutor, Joy; and her vibrant Mexican neighbor, Chicho, an artist who teaches her about Frida Kahlo. Ruthie also prays and writes letters to God, Shiva, and Kahlo, asking them for guidance, healing, and forgiveness. A cultural anthropologist and poet, the author based the book on her own childhood experiences, so it's unsurprising that Ruthie's story rings true. The language is lyrical and rich, the intersectionality--ethnicity, religion, class, gender--insightful, and the story remarkably engaging, even though it takes place primarily in the island of Ruthie's bedroom. A poignant and relevant retelling of a child immigrant's struggle to recover from an accident and feel at home in America. (Historical fiction. 10-13)

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January 1, 2017

Gr 4-6-Ruthie's English skills have finally gotten her promoted to the "smart" fifth grade class, and she's the "hopscotch queen of Queens" this week. Her family are still struggling with their recent move from Cuba, but she has a strong family network, some new friends, and a pair of brand-new white go-go boots. When a car accident leaves her in a body cast, Ruthie is scared, lonely, angry, and confused. The year that she spends healing in bed is one of growing up, of hard times and good friends, and of new skills and the determination to be herself in her new country. Behar's first middle grade novel, a fictionalized telling of her own childhood experiences in the 1960s, is a sweet and thoughtful read, slowly but strongly paced, and filled with a wealth of detail that makes the characters live. Both poetic and straightforward, this title will appeal to young readers with its respect for their experiences and its warm portrayal of a diverse community. In addition to Ruthie's realistic and personal voice, the novel's strength is in its complex portrayal of the immigrant experience, with overlapping stories of who goes and who comes and the paths they travel. VERDICT Recommended and relatable. Hand this to fans of Rita Williams-Garcia and those who loved The Secret Garden.-Katya Schapiro, Brooklyn Public Library

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

pipermc11 - Ruthie is just a young girl living in New York City, trying to achieve the American dream until those dreams are put on the line after a car accident that leaves her very injured. The story follows Ruthie's journey to recovery, forgiveness, hope, and love. I loved this book so so much for not only the thought provoking bits and life lessons, but for the melting pots of cultures that were conveyed. Because this is largely based off of the author's own experience, it has a personal touch that couldn't have been added otherwise. First of all, the life lessons and thought provoking bits. I loved Ruthie and I think anyone could sympathize with her hopefulness and kindness. I also loved how her recovery process was used in such a way that Ruthie had to grow up fast and learned so many life lessons like forgiveness, following your dreams, etc. The one complaint I would have is that I felt that sometimes, because Ruthie was bedridden, the story dragged a little. I also loved the other main component I took away from the book, which is that America is a melting pot. One of her friends was Indian, another was fluent in French and English and was from Belgium, their apartment neighbor was from Mexico, and Ruthie's extended family (all Cuban) were featured heavily. I also loved how whenever these cultures were brought up, they were always very warm and celebrated their culture (her parents dancing, their culture of food, her friend's mother making pastries, etc.) and I felt like I learned something about each of the cultures. Ultimately, this book showed one girl's story of recovery while learning about forgiveness and hope, and was able to celebrate cultures from all over the world without making the book all about culture/religion. The book shows that you should always follow your dreams because in America, it's a melting pot- anyone can achieve anything.

February 15, 2017
Grades 5-8 Ruthie is excitedshe's been promoted from the special fifth-grade class, her father bought her a pair of go-go boots, and her family has a brand new Oldsmobile. But on the way back from Staten Island, the Mizrahis are involved in a massive car accident, leaving Ruthie in a full-body cast. As she spends more than a year incapacitated, Ruthie questions life, especially when a neighbor's young son tragically dies, but gradually begins to see the good side of everything. From facing feelings about the boys who caused her accident, to finding herself in painting and writing, to learning that she isn't slow just because English isn't her first language, Ruthie faces everything with an impressive inner strength. Fans of character-driven middle-grade novels, particularly those looking for diverse books, should be easily charmed by Behar's story, which is inspired by her own childhood as a Cuban immigrant in 1960s New York and her first-hand experience of surviving a car crash and spending a year in a full-body cast (an author's note offers some illuminating details).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)