Ruby decides that the only way to be a normal kid is to move to the other side of the country and go to boarding school. When she arrives at her new school in Maine, she reinvents herself creating a new story about her past and her family. For a while, the lies seem to pay off - Ruby’s friends like her for who she is and when they find out she makes her own dresses, they think she’s a talented fashion designer! Ruby can’t ever remember anyone saying that she was talented before!
Encouraged by her best friend, Summer, Ruby enters the dresses she’s made into a school-wide contest but as she prepares for them to be displayed in a fashion show on Parents’ Weekend, one of her lies start to unravel. Can she keep her friends by hiding the truth? Or… would they like her anyway?
I love this book! Ruby is a delightful character - she is genuine and honest… oh wait! Did you read about that part where she invents a new past for herself? Okay. Except for that gigantic lie about who she is, Ruby is genuine, warm and funny. And who can blame her for wanting to be her own person and not always stuck in the shadow of her parents’ stardom? At her new school, Ruby meets Summer, who becomes her first true friend. Summer delights in mismatched clothes, jumping on beds, and encourages Ruby to keep designing dresses. She even teaches Ruby what it is to be a best friend and what family really means.
I highly recommend RUBY REINVENTED! This middle-grade book is fast-paced, beautifully written, and sprinkled with humor - all while exploring serious topics such as loyalty and the nature of both families and friendships.
My only word of caution: Don’t be surprised if after reading this book, your child begs to be sent off to boarding school in Maine!
