Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything

Appealing story about what Ruby does when her cousin Flying Duck's family immigrates to the US and moves in with Ruby. Flying Duck is deaf, and knows Chinese sign language, so Ruby becomes a Smile Buddy at school to help her adjust. It's a charming kid hijinks kind of story, but I found some of the narrative choppy. It felt like it leaps from adventure to adventure with very little transition.

I read the second book first, not knowing that their was a first book. I was also a bit thrown off by the acknowledgements at the front of the book. Nevertheless, I laughed and became highly engrossed in Ruby Lu's family and friends. The details in the story about adjusting to a new country, being special and friendship (Ruby's relationship with Emma is a treat and Emma is like some people I knew). I loved the little drawings at the bottom of the corners, and loved all the illustrations Anne Wilsdorf created in the book. After the story concludes there are two treats that will have you buying the book for yourself and others. I cannot wait to read the first one and hope there are more to follow.

Ruby Lu's Chinese immigrant cousin, Flying Duck, has come to live with Ruby Lu and her family and has turned everything wonderfully up-side-down. With her has come her Cantonese-speaking parents, chopsticks, strange and unknown vegetables, and Chinese sign-language. Will Ruby Lu figure out how to juggle all this change - her new favorite relative, scary swimming lessons, bummer summer school and special new "stray" friend? First through third grade readers will have a great time finding out as the make their way through Lenore Look's whacky sequel, "Ruby Lu, Empress of the Everything." Look's language shifts frequently from the easy-to-understand to challenging in this transitional chapter book interspersed with Anne Wilsdorf's fun, show more sketchy illustrations that give readers just enough visualization to capture the spirit of this crazy, energetic second-grade protagonist. In a world like Ruby Lu's, with so much change, readers will be faced with many of their own early-grade concerns - from "aquaphobia" during beginner swim lessons to "getting busted" in school and having to bring home shirt-pinned notes from displeased teachers. Though scattered, the plot manages to get through the big twists and turns, but at times the story seems disoriented - the language feels a bit condescending in places. The book could have benefited from a more focused, clever attempt to pull it all together and young readers (who know when they're being spoken down to) would appreciated it, too. Recommended for ages 7-8. show less

Ruby Lu is facing big changes: her cousin, Flying Duck, has come from China to live with Ruby's family. Flying Duck is Deaf and speaks Chinese Sign Language, so Ruby has to learn that as well as brush up on her Chinese. She also has to face swim lessons and summer school, and, when a stray dog comes into her life, she has to figure out how to keep him. It's a lot, but Ruby is up to the challenge!

In this sequel to Ruby Lu, Brave and True, feisty, Asian-American Ruby Lu jumps from one hilarious episode to another with her cousin, Flying Duck who has just emigrated from China to live with her. Children will relate to her thoughts and feelings about notes (to parents) pinned to her shirt; and her absolutely hilarious reaction to the Basic Lifesaving video she manages to check out from the library (because her dad doesn’t check her selections like her mom does).

Ruby Lu and her friends have a new fascination that has arrived in town. Her cousin Flying Duck had just to moved from China and brought with her the mysterious and knew game of mah-jongg, hyper action heroine doll “UtterPrincess”, and quirky fashion. Her cousin is also deaf from her eardrum busting and brings another perspective to Ruby and her friends. After a while Ruby realizes there are many different things about the way her immigrant cousin lives but that different isn’t bad. The story follows the girls and their friends through the ups and downs of the summer with mishaps at the pool and summer school eventually ending in friendship.

A perfect chapter book for second grade, lovable characters, situations kids can appreciate, terrific voice.