Remarkably Ruby by Terri Libenson

The Emmie and Friends series is very popular in school libraries and Remarkably Ruby will be no exception.  If the reader has read the other books in the series they would be familiar with the format of these books, but if they haven’t it can take some getting used to.  The Emmie series is written from the point of view of two characters, one written as a novel with illustrations and the other in a graphic novel format.  As the text chapters open each book this may put off readers who are looking for a purely graphic novel but I would encourage them to give it a try as this style of book is a great way to move from graphic novels into chapter books. 

Ruby is the main character in this book and the one who has the text chapters. Readers of the series will recognize her as Baked Bean Girl - she suffers from a medical condition that causes her embarrassing side effects.  She also struggles in new social situations which means she has few friends and seems to be on the perimeter of the friendship groups. Then there is Mia, whose story is written in the graphic novel format; she is popular, ambitious - to her detriment at times, and she used to be Ruby’s best friend.  Both girls come to realise their value as they develop confidence in themselves and experience new friendships. 

If someone is struggling in upper primary or high school this book is so relatable, the characters are open and honest about the difficulties they are facing and they both show that school and life is not easy but that the right attitude can help, as well as friends and a supportive teacher or adult. What I like most about this series is that it is real and the author does not shy away from the embarrassing and devasting moments that impact teenagers everywhere. This is a book and series I would highly recommend for teenagers and upper primary students to read alone but I would also encourage parents and teachers to read this book and the whole series to get an honest insight into how their children and students might be feeling and the experiences that they might need support with. 

Definitely one to recommend to students if they are looking for a new series to read and discover.

Themes: Friendship, School, Growing up, Confidence, Family.

Mhairi Alcorn