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Ruby Holler
written by Sharon Creech
Studio : HarperCollins
by HarperCollins
Release Date : 2002-03-26
Publisher : HarperCollins
Released : 2002-04-01
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780060277338
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 102 reviews)
List Price : $17.89
Our Price : $4.25
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Product Description |
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As they pulled onto a narrow dirt road, Sairy said, "You are now entering Ruby Holler, the one and only Ruby Holler! Your lives are never going to be the same -- " Dallas and Florida have been dubbed the "trouble twins." They have been shuffled between foster families and orphanages all their lives, longing only for a loving place to call home, though mistrustful that one exists for the likes of them. Tiller and Sairy are an eccentric, older couple whose children are grown and long gone, and they're each restless for one more big adventure while their bodies are still spry enough to paddle a river or climb a mountain. Ruby Holler is the beautiful, mysterious place that changes all of their lives forever. When Tiller and Sairy invite Dallas and Florida to stay with them and keep them company on their adventures, the magic of the Holler takes over, and the two kids begin to think that maybe, just maybe the old folks aren't so bad.... Filled with humor, poignancy, cookies, and treasure maps, Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech's Ruby Holler is a delightful book about a special place where it's never too late to be loved. |
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Cooltechelectronics.com Review |
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Having suffered through a string of appalling foster homes (the spitting Cranbepps; scary, toothless Mr. Dreep who locked them in his cellar; and the mean Burgerton boys), 13-year-old orphan Dallas and his twin sister, Florida, have pretty much given up on ever finding a happy home. So when an eccentric older couple enters their lives, providing such adventures as a river expedition, a treasure hunt (of sorts), and a whole lot of remarkable meals: "beat-the-blues broccoli," "anti-cranky crumpets," and "getting-used-to-kids- again stew," the twins take a while to warm up. Florida's language teems with outrageous, telling negativity--everything is "putrid"--and even dreamy Dallas is inclined to bouts of doubt. But warm up they do, to the continual delight of readers of all ages. Sharon Creech, author of Newbery Medal winner Walk Two Moons and Newbery Honor book The Wanderer, is in fine form with her hilarious yet poignant novel about downtrodden siblings who refuse to be squished altogether. The perfectly happy ending is somewhat predictable, but readers who have fallen in love with each quirky character won't mind a bit. (Ages 8 to 13) --Emilie Coulter |
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Typical Creech, but not her best |
It would be so easy to dismiss Sharon Creech as a one-trick pony. "Bereft child comes to a state of acceptance via literal and spiritual journey" would be an adequate summary of several of her novels. Yet somehow she never gets boring. Her meditations on the relationship of our life-stories and the stories we live by are still moving and insightful. Her eccentric old couples, bound together by a love of the simplest and yet profoundest sort, never lose the power to touch our hearts.
"Ruby Holler" is standard Creech fare, with a Dickensian twist. Thirteen-year-old twins Dallas and Florida were abandoned as infants and have been raised in the Boxton Creek Home for Children, a miserable cesspool of abuse and neglect, which the twins have managed to escape only through short-term residence in a variety of thoroughly unsuitable foster homes. Dallas and Florida have come to think of themselves as their caretakes do - trouble. When a kind old couple take them in for the summer, the youngsters are sure there must be a catch. Surely they're going to be put to hard labor, or made to sleep in a pigpen, or at least beaten if they do something they shouldn't . . . right?
The ending is fairly predictable, and there was little of the sense of a slowly, deliciously unfolding mystery that I enjoyed in "Walk Two Moons" and "The Wanderer." But this is a pleasant tale nonetheless. Dallas and Florida are endearing, and it's positively wounding how little they expect out of life. As usual, Creech creates a cast of quirky characters that add humor and interest to the story.
Unfortunately, this wasn't quite the novel it could have been. Dallas and Florida were ostensibly taken in by this couple to be their travelling companions on two separate vacations, but Creech never really explains why these vacations mean so much to them in the first place, or why, if they're unwilling to travel together, they feel the need to take along a couple of orphans they've never met. A few chapters that delve into the foibles and motivations of the couple that run the Boxton Creek Home add humor and advance a major subplot, but ultimately fall short and feel somewhat disjointed: they render the villains just a bit too human for stock characters, and not human enough to touch us as fully fleshed literary creations.
This was a pleasant read, but hardly Creech's best. The author's fans will enjoy it, as will those who like their fiction light and fun but not shallow. If you want to see what Creech is really capable of, however, check out "The Wanderer" or "Walk Two Moons" instead. |
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the best book EVER |
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omg! this is totally my favorite book ever. all of sharon creeches books are amazing. if u liked this book u have to read LOVE THAT DOG. it is amazing too. |
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Terrific book! |
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This is a terrific book, and I recomend it to everyone and anyone. Has all the right things of nearly everything we love in books, making this one one of the best. Love all of Sharon Creech's books and I recomend her books to all. |
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Not just for kids ... adults will greatly enjoy this |
Dallas and Florida are 'trouble twins' and in some ways this is a troubling story. They are 13-year-old orphans who have been shuttled from dysfunctional family to sadistic family to heartless family and then back to an orphanage, run by the evil Mr. and Mrs. Trepid.
This might sound grim (sorta Charles Dickenish), but because of Sharon Creech's skillful writing, the story is really about hope and healing. You will fall in love with the four main characters - Dallas and Florida and their temporary foster parents in Ruby Holler, Tiller and Sairey. These oldsters show great compassion and forgiveness, and their love breaks through the walls erected by Dallas and Florida. Likewise, Dallas and Florida help Tiller and Sairey to appreciate their lives in the paradise of Ruby Holler.
The book is a breeze to read, with gentle humor (with a bit of bite) flowing throughout. It is funny. Adults will be touched. There is a 'greater meaning' here - the power of forgiveness, love and parenthood - and so the book has a level for young readers and another level for adults.
Mainly, I came away with great love for Dallas, Florida, Tiller and Sairey. Two youngsters, two oldsters. |
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Excellent book |
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I love sharon creech books. they are the types of books that make me read them over and over again. Ruby Holler is a cute story. One of her best. i recommend this book to any of Creech fans. You won't be dissapointed with this one. |
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