Love, Ruby Lavender

by Deborah Wiles

Book Overview

Ruby Lavender and Miss Eula are a pretty good team, for a couple of chicken thieves. What other granddaughter-grandmother duo could successfully drive the getaway car for chickens rescued from a journey to the slaughterhouse, paint a whole house shocking pink, and operate their own personal secret-letter post office?
So, when Miss Eula leaves for Hawaii to visit her new grandbaby, Ruby is sure that she will have a lonely, empty, horrible summer...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0152054782
• ISBN13: 9780152054786
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 212 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.9" x 7.4"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

It's been 3 years!!

It's been three years since I first read this book and I can't say "I love this book!" enough. An amazing novel for young girls that teaches independence. The author has a great sense of humor that shines through the story. Ruby Lavender is a perfect character for the plot and fits in expertly. The setting is described wonderfully and is also a fun environment for the character's to interact in. The author makes the read more whymsical by adding the letters that Ruby writes, instead of just saying "Ruby wrote a letter saying..." It also provides for a more realistic feeling. I don't have any suggestions for improvements that could be made on this masterpeice. I have read this book four times in the past three years and am still discovering new details. Anyone who ventures out into the magical world of "Love, Ruby Lavender" is on the right path and will enjoy the walk thoroughly.

All About Ruby

All About Ruby Love Ruby Lavender was the most outstanding book I ever read. I liked this book because it has excitement drama and a whole lot of other things to. The reason I did not like this book was the part when they put the diary entrees in there I did not like them because I do not want to know why they miss each other. Another part I did not like was when Ruby's grandpa and Melba Jane's dad died and Melba makes it seem like its Ruby's grandpa fault and that makes Ruby sad and like it her fault. This book takes place in a beautiful city, Halleluia Mississippi. It is a small city with a lot of heart. The conflict in this book is Ruby's grandma Miss Eula is going to Hawaii and Ruby is jealous and misses her and does not what to have a new cousin. She fixed that problem by growing up and went on with her life even though she missed her grandma. I did not like how Ruby acted when her grandma left. I think this book had a really good ending. It was about how Ruby grew up and made other friends. I like this ending because she starts to act more mature and acted more like her age. There is this one event that happens at the beginning of this book that I think is really cool when Miss Eula and Ruby steal chickens and drives them away in a get away car to rescue them so they can have little chicks. Here are some of the things that happened in the book are Ruby mom always cooks the same food over and over and Ruby does not like that food. Melba Jane and Ruby be come friends and they help each other all the time. One of the chickens had eggs but then they all died but one of them lived and had a good life by its self. They wrote lot of letters to each other here is one of them. Dear Ruby I am flabbergasted! I am stupefied with joy! Bemmie has laid an EGG?? Oh joy and happy day! How lovely that Bemmie and Herman are sweet on each other-Bemmie is woman after my own heart. (Of course, Herman seems to be sweet on just about anybody. Somebody's going to have to talk to that man. He has no decorum.) Love, Your (so happy I could go surfing-I think I will!) grandmother, Miss Eula So as you can see they really missed each other and keep in touch with each other. Here are all the main characters in this book: Miss Eula Ruby Lavender Melba Jane Ruby's Grandpa Melba Jane's Dad Uncle tater Aunt tot Bemmie Herman Dove Miss Mattie This book was outstanding and I hope there is another one the author of this book has a good use of words. By. Anthony Brown

Chicken Thieves

Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles is about a girl with fire-red hair named Ruby Lavender. The plot mostly revolves around Ruby and her grandmother, whom she calls "Miss Eula." Ruby lives in Halleluia, Mississippi. The book begins when Ruby Lavender and Miss Eula drive over to a chicken farm. They plan to just snag a few chickens for keeping. They just drive away with three chickens just as the owner of the farm sees them driving away with the chickens, whom they later name Ivy, Bemmie, and Bess. The chickens become a big part of the story. Miss Eula and Ruby do not like to use regular mail when writing to each other. They use a knothole in a big, old oak tree that is perfect for climbing. Ruby and Miss Eula write their notes on bright, pink paper and stuff it into the knothole. Every time they walk past the tree, they check their special mailbox for letters. When Ruby's grandfather dies, Miss Eula and Ruby paint Miss Eula's house shell-shock pink. Ruby lives with her mother, but is closer to Miss Eula than anyone else in the family. Her grandfather loved gardening, so now Miss Eula and Ruby tend to the garden. Miss Eula and Ruby are very close, and so when Miss Eula has to go to Hawaii to visit Ruby's aunt and uncle who are expecting a baby soon, she feels as if the world is going to blow up. Ruby is hiding in her other Aunt's store when Miss Eula gets on the bus to go to the airport. She does not want to see her leave. Now with Miss Eula whisked away to Hawaii, only Ruby is there to tend to the chickens and work in the gardens. But when the new teacher's niece, Dove, comes to visit until the beginning of school, Ruby's summer gets just a little bit more interesting. Maybe Ruby will survive Miss Eula's going away. When you are reading this book, you will be amazed about how realistic the book is. You'll think that nine-year-old Ruby is telling the story to you. Deborah Wiles has really out done herself!

the best book i've EVER read

This book I think is the best book ever. Deborah Wiles is a great author. and I can say by only reading one of her books. I now want to read more of her books. also if there was ever a sequal I would read in a millisecond. This book caught my heart in the storyline. It made want to keep reading more. this is also a multigenre book. There are letters, and newspaper articles as well as a normal non-fiction story type of writing. i would suggest this book to anyone. Hands down. So heres some advice to you read the book LOVE RUBY LAVENDER. CHANDLER 13

Not just humor, but some depth!

I loved this book and expected it to be a light read about a tender relationship between a spirited grandmother and her granddaughter, a small town, and chickens. It was all that, but much more. The book explores the strained relationship between two very different girls who have a terrible family tragedy in common. Both deal with their grief in opposite ways, carrying the weight of guilt and blame. There is plenty of comic relief to make the book a pleasure to read mixed with the absolute reality of conflict between two young girls.