Review of Ruth Adventures, Best Friends Forever
30 posts
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Ruth Adventures, Best Friends Forever" by Nancy Youngdahl.]
When I removed this book from the shipping box, I was immediately impressed with the way it felt in my hands. Having read countless children's books in my three careers as an educator, a mother, and a grandmother, I knew immediately that this was going to be a good read.
[I]Best Friends Forever is the perfect title for a story about two second-grade girls. The delightful girl on the cover is Ruth. Her new best friend, Sue, is depicted on the back cover. Both girls are shown mid-cartwheel. It is obvious that illustrator Diana Delosh has put much consideration into every small detail of her drawings. From hairstyles to shoe choices, the personalities of these young friends are portrayed perfectly.
Author Nancy Youngdahl incorporates several themes in this short book including starting new adventures, friendship, and acceptance. Ruth has been homeschooled and is apprehensive about attending a public school for the first time. While this scenario is becoming more frequent in today's society, the book could also be relevant for students returning to an in-person classroom after attending virtual school for so long during the pandemic. The story describes how Sue reaches out to Ruth to ease her transition into public school.
My favorite part of the book is the way that diversity is subtly presented. At least three different races are demonstrated by the various characters. Rural living versus urban living is also presented in the same non-biased way. Acceptance of differences is treated as a normal occurrence.
Negatives, although minor, did occur. In one of the scenes, the author mixes up the names of Ruth and Sue. The narrator mentions "Sue's daddy" when it should refer to Ruth's daddy. This caused some confusion to the child that I observed reading the book. Also, the question of Ruth's brother raised some questions. In the illustrations, he does not look to be more than a few years older than Ruth, but the status of his schooling is never mentioned. It simply states that he works on the farm with his father. This book is a sequel, and it is possible that the information is given in the first book of the series,[I]The Ruth Adventures.
I gladly award this book four out of four stars. Other than the two issues I mentioned, there were no errors. It is otherwise well-edited. The correctness of the font size, amount of text per page, and appropriateness of the illustrations contribute to the enjoyment level of this congenial book.
I recommend this book to elementary school teachers, to parents, and to counselors. Both the story and the illustrations could be used to begin conversations about emotions and feelings of uncertainty. The reading level is appropriate for new readers as well as some advanced readers. I look forward to Ruth's next adventure.
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Ruth Adventures, Best Friends Forever
View: on Bookshelves
When I removed this book from the shipping box, I was immediately impressed with the way it felt in my hands. Having read countless children's books in my three careers as an educator, a mother, and a grandmother, I knew immediately that this was going to be a good read.
Author Nancy Youngdahl incorporates several themes in this short book including starting new adventures, friendship, and acceptance. Ruth has been homeschooled and is apprehensive about attending a public school for the first time. While this scenario is becoming more frequent in today's society, the book could also be relevant for students returning to an in-person classroom after attending virtual school for so long during the pandemic. The story describes how Sue reaches out to Ruth to ease her transition into public school.
My favorite part of the book is the way that diversity is subtly presented. At least three different races are demonstrated by the various characters. Rural living versus urban living is also presented in the same non-biased way. Acceptance of differences is treated as a normal occurrence.
Negatives, although minor, did occur. In one of the scenes, the author mixes up the names of Ruth and Sue. The narrator mentions "Sue's daddy" when it should refer to Ruth's daddy. This caused some confusion to the child that I observed reading the book. Also, the question of Ruth's brother raised some questions. In the illustrations, he does not look to be more than a few years older than Ruth, but the status of his schooling is never mentioned. It simply states that he works on the farm with his father. This book is a sequel, and it is possible that the information is given in the first book of the series,
I gladly award this book four out of four stars. Other than the two issues I mentioned, there were no errors. It is otherwise well-edited. The correctness of the font size, amount of text per page, and appropriateness of the illustrations contribute to the enjoyment level of this congenial book.
I recommend this book to elementary school teachers, to parents, and to counselors. Both the story and the illustrations could be used to begin conversations about emotions and feelings of uncertainty. The reading level is appropriate for new readers as well as some advanced readers. I look forward to Ruth's next adventure.
******
Ruth Adventures, Best Friends Forever
View: on Bookshelves
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