Charlotte’s eyes meet mine. “Why are you doing this? So you can tell everyone how stupid I am?” Her voice is almost a whisper, and she is blinking back tears.
I shake my head. “I’m doing this because books are everything to me. I thought you didn’t like books because you didn’t like me. But now I realize it’s the other way around. You didn’t like me because you don’t like books. But not for long.”
I hand her the book about the girl and the dog. She takes it from me, but she is still waiting for me to tell her something. I know what that something is.
“I’m not going to tell anyone anything,” I say. “It’s your secret to tell. But maybe you should trust your friends with the truth.”
Charlotte sighs and opens the first page of the book. “Don’t laugh,” she tells me with narrowed eyes.
“I promise,” I tell her. “You know, my mom told me something that might help you. I know it helped me a lot. She said, ‘You can do anything you want to do—as long as you believe in yourself.’ And I know you can read really well, Charlotte. But you have to believe in yourself.”
Charlotte nods at me. And then she starts to read. She messes up a lot of the words. But I help her. And we get through the whole first chapter before the bell rings.
On the way back to class, Charlotte reaches out and touches my shoulder.
“This is the first time in my life I’ve ever liked a book,” she says softly.
I smile at her. “And this is just the beginning.”
“I’m sorry I changed the Unicorns to a drama club. It was your group, and I messed it up.” She looks down at the ground at this last part.
“Maybe we can have Drama Club Thursdays instead,” I say. As long as my Book Club Tuesdays are back, I don’t mind trying something new on another day.
She nods. Then Charlotte tosses her dark hair over her shoulder and smirks at me before saying, “Maybe I’ll even have to dress up as a character from a book for Halloween.”
“That’s my thing!” I say, only I am smiling.
“Yeah, I know,” she answers, smiling back.
• • •
After school, I tell Mom all about my day.
“I am so proud of you,” she tells me. “Why don’t you invite Charlotte over on Friday after school?”
I think about that. It’s one thing to help Charlotte at school, but do I really want to let her come to my home?
“I think she would probably relax a lot more if she didn’t think someone could hear her make a mistake,” Mom offers.
“Maybe,” I say. “Do you think she will make fun of me? Like tease me about how many books I have in my room or something like that?”
Mom runs her hand over my head, smoothing my hair back from my forehead. “You can’t be afraid of things that might happen. You just have to take steps forward. What would you do if she made fun of your books?”
I think about it. “Ask her to leave?”
Mom laughs out loud at that. “Probably a good idea. But I have another thought. How about telling her that you would appreciate it if she would keep any not-nice thoughts to herself?”
“That might work,” I tell her. “But do you think she will do that?” I am more worried than I want Mom to know.
Mom shakes her head no. “I really don’t think she will.”
Dad pops his head in the door. “Pizza’s here.”
“Are you going to sit in on my book club tonight?” Mom asks.
Last week was the first time I have ever missed a book club meeting. And I don’t want to miss another one.
“Of course!” I answer. I grab my notepad for taking notes on their great book ideas. And then I follow Mom to the living room to help set up the chairs.
Nothing like spending an hour with a group of people who love books as much as I do. Mom’s book club gives me the courage to ask Charlotte to come over Friday.
I see myself standing in front of my house, wearing my green armor, and carrying my purple shield with the picture of a unicorn on it. I am armed with a stack of books. I will protect myself with my belief in reading and books. I will not be afraid of turning a page. I will keep moving toward the ending. A good ending is always worth fighting for, no matter what.
On Thursday morning, Siri actually sort of smiles at me. And I smile back. The Shun is a thing of the past. But she doesn’t talk to me at lunch, even though I sit with the Unicorns. And she doesn’t even clap for me when I spin around as the fairy godmother in the drama club game of the day. I still think I am way too old to be playing princess, but I want to make an effort to be part of the Unicorns. And if they want to play princesses, I guess I can try for them.
“Thanks for eating with us today,” Daisy tells me on the way back to the classroom after lunch. “We missed you.”
“Maybe not all of you,” I grumble with a look toward Siri.
Daisy shrugs. “She’s still mad about the book club. She’ll get over it.”
I shrug too, mimicking Daisy. “Hope so.”
• • •
Friday afternoon, the one and only Charlotte Thomas comes to my house. And I am ready for her. Only she isn’t anything like I expected. She is actually sort of nice.
“I like your room,” Charlotte says, complimenting me. She is sitting on my floor, petting Abe on the stomach. “And your dog. I wish I had a dog. You are so lucky.”
“Thanks,” I say as I sit down beside her. “Here are some of my favorite books.” I hand her a stack of books. “Some of these were my mom’s. She saved them for me.”
Charlotte gently picks up Island of the Blue Dolphins. She runs her hand over the cover and then opens the book to look at the first page. “I don’t have anything from my mom.”
I don’t know what to say. So I keep my mouth closed. For once, I don’t say anything.
“This is beautiful. I wish I could read it,” Charlotte confides.
I take the book from her hands and open to the first page. “The first step in learning to read is to love books. You have to want to read them. If you let yourself fall into the story, it will be easier to work through reading the words.”
“Thank you for helping me,” Charlotte says, shaking her hair out of her eyes. “I’ve never wanted to read a book as much as I want to read this one.”
“I have an extra copy you can borrow,” I tell her, pulling a paperback from my bookshelf. “Let’s read it out loud together.”
And we start on page one.
Charlotte never says one rude word the entire time she is at my house. Actually, when her grandmother picks her up just before my piano lesson, she asks if she can come again next week.
I wave good-bye at the front door. Charlotte waves and holds up Island of the Blue Dolphins.
Gram pats me on the shoulder. I didn’t realize she was just behind me.
“You did a good thing, pumpkin. A forever kind of thing,” she says as she kisses me on the top of my head.
I turn around and close the door behind me. “What do you mean?” I ask.
“Reading is forever. You are giving Charlotte a gift she will have with her the rest of her life.”
“I never thought about it that way before,” I say. But I guess it’s true. Even when Charlotte is all grown up, she will still be able to read.
Chapter 16
The Best Ending of All
I only have one thing left to do.
The next week, Mrs. Sablinsky calls me to the front of the Friday morning assembly. And I make an announcement in front of the entire school.
“Hi, I’m Ruby Starr, and I am in Mrs. Sablinsky’s fifth-grade class. From now on, every Tuesday will be a Book Club Tuesday. Bring your favorite book to lunch, and find someone to share it with. You can always come and join me. I love all books. Oh, and one more thing, everyone is welcome.”
Talking in front of the whole school is harder than it looks. I breathe out and realize I have been holding my breath. Then I look at Mrs. Sablinsky. She nods and pats me on the shoulder. She even smiles at me, with teeth! And she doesn’t sigh once.
I see all my favorite characters in a line. All these characters I admire and love. They are my best friends and my role models. And the most amazing thing of all is that they are all clapping for me. I smile and wave. I know they are proud of me. And the best part is—I am proud of myself.
I walk back to my seat. I see Siri, Jessica, Daisy, and Charlotte. They are clapping for me. Will P and his friends are clapping too. In fact, everyone is clapping. It’s just like I imagined, only it’s for real. And they are all clapping for me.
Siri runs over to me. She throws her arms around me and hugs me tight. “Best friends always forgive each other, right?” she asks me.
I hug her back. “Always.”
• • •
And the very next Tuesday, Book Club Tuesday, every single lunch bench is full. The Unicorns have a few new members. Charissa and her friends are joining us to read A Wrinkle in Time. Charlotte is coming over today after school so I can help her read the first few chapters. She still hasn’t told the rest of our friends, but she says she will soon.
I break away from the Unicorns to visit the Polar Bears. I have finished The Secret Merlin Society, and I can’t wait to share my favorite parts. The boys are actually talking about the book, and no one is even throwing food or fake vomiting. Will P shows me his socks. They are sky blue with pairs of yellow wings all over them.
“Hero socks,” Will tells me, and his eyes get all big behind his glasses. “For you, Ruby. ’Cause you brought everyone together.”
I duck my head, because I’m not used to compliments, especially from boys. Not that I like Will P—I mean, like-like. I don’t. But still, getting a compliment is kind of embarrassing and amazing at the same time. I also realize something: This story wasn’t about Charlotte like I thought it was the day she walked into Room 15. It was about me.
“You are fantastically braver than brave,” Will P finishes.
“Thanks, Will,” I manage. “I hope I’m still part of the Polar Bears,” I add. I don’t want to share lunch with them, but I like reading all different types of books, and the Polar Bears choose adventurous stories.
“Absolutely,” Will answers.
I move around the yard, checking in with the different groups. Some are reading mysteries, and others are reading books from movies. Mrs. Sablinsky is even sitting out here, instead of inside the teachers’ lounge. Four teachers are sitting with her, and they all have books with them. I can’t wait to tell my mom that even the teachers have joined in.
It’s most possibly the best day of my life. I stand in the middle of the lunch benches and look around. Books have brought everyone together.
And that’s when I know exactly who I will be for Halloween. I won’t be a character from a book. I will be a book. A book with a green cover and a pink spine and lots and lots of pages.
Because books can change the world.
Acknowledgments
A perpetual thank you to my always fabulous agent Stacey Glick for loving Ruby from the beginning and for always encouraging me to write what is in my heart.
Thank you to my incredible team and partners at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky:
Thank you to my gifted editor Annie Berger for connecting with Ruby and her love of books and for believing in the story I wanted to tell. I am grateful to Elizabeth Boyer and Diane Dannenfeldt for their insightful and thorough editing. Nicole Komasinski created designs that are beyond anything I could have imagined. The immensely talented Jeanine Murch has won my eternal gratitude for the illustrations that have brought Ruby’s imagination to life so beautifully. Thank you to Katy Lynch and Alex Yeadon for their hard work and dedication to sharing Ruby with the world through publicity and marketing. I also want to thank Steve Geck, Todd Stocke, and Dominique Raccah for supporting the imperfectly perfect Ruby and for taking this journey with me.
Thank you to my family for their endless support and friendship and for being book crazy people! Thank you to my girls, Ava and Caroline, for being my first and most trusted readers and for always believing in me. And thank you to God for making all things possible.
About the Author
Deborah Lytton writes books for middle grade and young adult readers. She is the author of Jane in Bloom and Silence. Deborah has a history degree from UCLA and a law degree from Pepperdine University. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her two daughters and their dog, Faith. For more information about Deborah, visit deborahlytton.com.
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Ruby Starr Series, Book 1 Page 11
