Parents' Choice Awards : Books : Fiction
Way Down Deep
Spring 2007 Fiction
Ages: 10 & Up
Author: Ruth White
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
ISBN: 978-0-374-38251-3
Hardcover Price: $16.00
Review:
Way Down Deep in West Virginia in 1944, a toddler is found sitting on the courthouse steps in the early morning sun. No one knows who she is or where she came from. The quiet Miss Arbutus Ward, proprietress of the town’s boardinghouse, volunteers to take Ruby in. Ruby’s life is happy and settled until, just before she turns 13 years old, a quirky family new to Way Down Deep seems to have some information that may unravel the truth of Ruby’s past.
The town of Way Down Deep is wonderfully old-fashioned and whimsical, and is peopled with residents by the names of Mr. Doctor (the doctor) and Mrs. Doctor (the dentist), Robber Bob (an almost-bank robber) the Reeders (including Peter and Cedar) and animals like Jethro, Ruby’s pet goat, who likes to climb onto the roofs of cars so he can better watch the world go by. There is Busy Street, Yonder Mountain and the Path to Way-Up-That-A-Way. Most importantly, the loving and caring folks of Way Down give Ruby the time and space to find out who she is and where she came from, and to decide where her future lies.
Melissa Fox ©2007 Parents' Choice
Melissa Fox has been an independent bookseller for 10 years in Potomac, Maryland. Her specialty is young adult books and she loves to personally match teenager to book. She is married and has two daughters, one in college and one in high school.
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