Ruby on the Outside

Gr 4–6—The touching, emotionally complex story of Ruby Danes, an 11-year-old with a big secret. For the past six years, Ruby has lived with her aunt because her mother has been in prison. Thus far, Ruby has kept her secret close, thereby developing an overwhelming self-consciousness to avoid sharing her true self. But now she finds herself forming a new friendship with her neighbor Margalit, and Ruby struggles to negotiate the powerful feelings of friendship with the bewildering guilt of having an incarcerated parent. Baskin elegantly guides readers through Ruby's painful but cleansing reconstruction of the mysteries of her past while she comes to terms with her current situation. Ruby's story will speak to any young person struggling with the consequences of their parents' choices and the psychological ache of safeguarding their true selves. The author takes great pains to assure readers of Ruby's mother's moral—and likely legal—innocence, which may alienate some readers familiar with the criminal justice system. Still, readers will benefit from Ruby's emotional evolution as she learns the cathartic power of creativity, honesty, and friendship.