Ruby in the Sky by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo

The details and warmth of her Muslim character, Ahmad, a Syrian refugee, is seamless and accurate, and while this is not his story, his support of the main character helps normalize Muslims as friends and in daily life.

Allies and advocates are gifts for Muslims and for our fictional representation. As we exchanged emails back and fourth I learned more about her work with Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services in New Haven Connecticut (IRIS), and the impact the people she has met there have on her and her writing (the new paperback version of Galaxy has bonus content that reflects this). Ferruolo includes many examples of these brave, ordinary people.A quiet yet powerful story about courage.The author of this wonderful middle grades novel reached out to me after I reviewed her book A Galaxy of Sea Stars, to let me know that this book too has a Muslim character. The story also skillfully depicts everyday injustices and how those in power control the narrative unless ordinary people stand up against them. The faraway moon serves as a poignant theme throughout the book and connects satisfyingly to Abigail's backstory. 'Ferruolo's debut has a quietly magical feel, aided by passages describing Ruby's fascination with the moon. Writing in Ruby's voice, Ferruolo creates an engaging plot peopled with complex characters that gracefully navigate many issues of our time, including women's rights, immigration, prejudice and diversity, and bullying.' - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

'The stories of the main characters intertwine beautifully, each one demonstrating the self-trust that enables them to do the right thing and to forgive. I couldn't read it fast enough.' - Barbara O'Connor, New York Times -bestselling author of Wish 'Bravery, friendship, heartbreak, and a dog. Ruby in the Sky is a story of the walls we hide behind, and the magic that can happen when we're brave enough to break free. Before long Ahmad and Abigail have become Ruby's friends-and she realizes there is more to their stories than everyone knows.Īs ugly rumors begin to swirl around the people Ruby loves, she must make a choice: break her silence, or risk losing everything that's come to mean so much to her. Or when she meets 'the Bird Lady,' a recluse named Abigail who lives in a ramshackle shed near Ruby's house. She and her mother won't be staying long in Vermont anyway, and then things can go back to the way they were before everything went wrong.īut keeping to herself isn't easy when Ahmad Saleem, a Syrian refugee, decides he's her new best friend. Ruby just wants to stay as silent and invisible as a new moon in the frozen sky. And she definitely does not want to make any friends. She does not want them to know her mother has been arrested. Twelve-year-old Ruby Moon Hayes does not want her new classmates to ask about her father. A Washington Post KidsPost Summer Book Club Read

Ruby in the Sky by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo