Buy used:

$5.84

FREE delivery Tuesday, May 14. Details

Or fastest delivery May 9 - 13. Details

Select delivery location

Used: Good | Details

Sold by onceuponatimebooks

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (17) from $5.84 & FREE Shipping

Follow the author

Shannon Hitchcock

+ Follow

More books from this author

Ruby Lee and Me Hardcover – January 5, 2016

by Shannon Hitchcock (Author)

4.7 144 ratings

See all formats and editions

When a segregated North Carolina town gets its first black teacher, two girls--one black, one white--come face-to-face with how prejudice affects their friendship.

Everything's changing for Sarah Beth Willis. After Robin's tragic accident, everyone seems different somehow. Days on the farm aren't the same, and the simple fun of riding a bike or playing outside can be scary. And there's talk in town about the new sixth-grade teacher at Shady Creek. Word is spreading quickly--Mrs. Smyre is like no other teacher anyone has ever seen around these parts. She's the first African American teacher. It's 1969, and while black folks and white folks are cordial, having a black teacher at an all-white school is a strange new happening. For Sarah Beth, there are so many unanswered questions. What is all this talk about Freedom Riders and school integration? Why can't she and Ruby become best friends? And who says school isn't for anybody who wants to learn--or teach? In a world filled with uncertainty, one very special teacher shows her young students and the adults in their lives that change invites unexpected possibilities.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3–6—After a tragic accident leaves her younger sister Robin hospitalized, 12-year-old Sarah must move in with her grandparents. Miss Irene is Granny's neighbor and friend, and her granddaughter Ruby Lee has been Sarah's best friend since she can remember. The trouble is, Sarah is white and Ruby Lee is black—and it's 1969 in North Carolina. The local school will be integrated this year, and the first black teacher has been hired. Tension is high in the tiny town of Shady Creek. Forced to leave her home and start over on her grandparents' farm, Sarah must come to grips with her guilt about her sister, her anger and confusion about Ruby Lee, and the uncertainty of relationships among whites and blacks in the rural South. Balancing the heavier topics are home-style recipes, strong storytelling, and Southern charm, which will engage younger middle grade readers. The characters are well developed and the historical setting realistic. VERDICT Tenderly told, this appealing story explores racial tensions during a key moment of the civil rights movement.—Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH

Review

Praise for Ruby Lee and Me:"With the poetry of plain speaking, Shannon Hitchcock recreates the daily drama of a vanished world."--Richard Peck, Newbery Award-winning author of A Year Down Yonder"Hitchcock deftly weaves her narrative through history to gently bring important past events to light. Excellently written, the novel's characters avoid stereotyping and are well-developed, and Hitchcock perfectly captures Sarah Beth's voice as she wrestles with big questions. The somber themes of race relations and personal guilt are handled sensitively and with a good dose of flour, courtesy of Sarah Beth's grandmother, and hope for racial healing is offered. A heartening and important offering for younger readers." --Booklist, starred review"[A story] about sibling love and self-forgiveness." --Kirkus Reviews"Sarah's inner struggles take place against the background of integration in a rural North Carolina community; Hitchcock . . . depicts her guilt, anger, and grief with credibility and the important people in her life in sympathetic, fully dimensional fashion." --Publishers Weekly

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scholastic Press (January 5, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0545782309
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0545782302
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 12 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 590L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.9 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1.25 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,040,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #913 in Children's 1900s American Historical Fiction
- #1,090 in Children's Books on Prejudice & Racism
- #13,675 in Children's Friendship Books

Customer Reviews:
4.7 144 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Shannon Hitchcock

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Shannon Hitchcock was born in North Carolina and grew up in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She is the author of four middle grade novels, Flying Over Water, One True Way, Ruby Lee & Me, and The Ballad of Jessie Pearl. Her books have been featured on many state award lists and have received acclaimed reviews. Saving Granddaddy's Stories is Shannon's debut picture book. She recently moved to Asheville, North Carolina, where she can see the mountains every day. For more information, visit her website at shannonhitchcock.com.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

144 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Kathleen Burkinshaw

When they were younger their friendship was so easy but now they are trying to figure out if ...

Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2016

Verified Purchase

I recently read RUBY LEE & ME by Shannon Hitchcock, a fellow #MGGetsReal author. Sarah Beth has just found out she has to move (which will mean a new school). Her sister, Robin was hit by a car and injured badly. Because she was watching Robin, Sarah blamed herself. While her parents spent time at the hospital with her sister, Sarah stayed with her grandparents. In addition to her guilt, she is very nervous about being the new girl in school. Her friend, Ruby Lee who is African American is nervous about integrating into Sarah Beth’s (white) school. In addition to that, they will be in the same class taught by Mrs. Smyre, the first African American teacher in their town. When they were younger their friendship was so easy but now they are trying to figure out if they can still be friends at school. Only there is no simple, easy solution in such a difficult, scary time.

Ruby Lee and Sarah have a horrible argument right before school begins, which may end their friendship. Once Sarah’s sister returned home, Sarah focused on ways to make things up to her. Sarah Beth has to work through her guilt, and figure out how her friendship with Ruby Lee can be mended even though they are like “two mismatched socks.” In the midst of this Sarah Beth discovers her courage in the ability to help others.

In the author’s notes she mentions how her school’s first African American teacher, Mrs. Porter taught her how to read. In addition to that, her own sister was hit by a car. However, unlike Sarah she was only 8 and not babysitting. I loved that she included pictures of her own sister, her teacher Mrs. Porter, her Granny, and even Surelick!

The author gave Sarah Beth “the knowledge and the courage she wished she had at that age, and wishes for her readers”
An important book about friendship and courage at a time when events seemed insurmountable and as 12-year-olds they weren’t sure how to make a difference. Yet, they work towards showing others that they are all the same on the inside, regardless of how different they may look on the outside. Something we still need to be reminded of today.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Erinmoorecoaching

One of my favorite books!😍❤️👍🏼

Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2019

Verified Purchase

Ruby Lee & Me is a very good book about a girl named Sarah Beth Willis! Sarah’s little sister, Robin, is injured in a car accident and Sarah thinks it is her fault because she was supposed to be watching her. Long story short, Sarah also has a fight with her best friend, Ruby Lee, who is a black girl. It has detail, and is very entertaining! Love it! Highly Recommended!😍❤️👩🏼👩🏿

Helpful

Carol Heilman

With Cords of Courage and Forgiveness

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2016

Verified Purchase

Shannon Hitchcock's Ruby Lee And Me is a story woven throughout with the cords of courage and forgiveness. Seen through the eyes of a twelve-year-old girl, Sarah Beth, who struggles to forgive herself for her sisters accident, it will touch the hearts of young and old alike. Set in a small, southern community in the turbulent sixties, it is a book for those of us who remember those times, as well as for the young person who needs to understand that part of our nation's past. A perfect book for classrooms, bookclubs, and discussion groups, as well as for pure enjoyment.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Melinda

Good book, misleading book description

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2021

Rating based on the book I read: 4.
Rating based on the book promised: 2+ or 3.
Let me explain.

I enjoyed the book. I liked the characters and relationships. The setting was great. The style was simple but engaging. The pacing was good.

I did, however, feel that there were too many plotlines going on to really get as deep into any of them as I would have liked. Which leads me to…the mismatch of expectations. The book description led me to believe this was going to be a book about school integration, two girls braving racism to be friends, and the struggles and life-changing influence of the first black teacher in the school. But…that's not what we got. I mean, we got a little of it, as one of the subplots, but it wasn't explored in nearly as much depth as I wanted. We hardly got to see the teacher at all or the two girls' friendship struggles and triumphs once school actually started. It felt very much like false advertising. So, this is mostly a criticism of the publisher and the marketing, not the author.

If you understand, going in, that this is a book about the main character's relationship with her sister, the rest of her family, her guilt…and her best friend, with some added complications of racism and segregation, then you'll enjoy it.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Andreas

Valuable story about friendship & diversity

Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2016

Verified Purchase

Set in the south in the 1960’s, RUBY LEE & ME captures a time when being friends was complicated when the color of your skin didn’t match. Sarah Beth and Ruby struggle to understand this and they watch their grandmothers do the same. Being friends should be easy, shouldn’t it? It was a question I kept asking myself too.

A book about confusion and guilt, about bravery and forgiveness, RUBY LEE & ME offers valuable perspective for any classroom and any family looking to better understand diversity.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Khat

Must-read book for children

Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2016

Verified Purchase

This is a must-read book about many interwoven topics: friendship, family, grieving set in a time of integration in the south. The characters are strong, the flow of the story makes children and adults want to find out what happens. Simply a beautiful book! I picked up a copy for my children on display at the library (the cover is pretty) but then I bought a copy. The author's photographs at the end give are a special touch.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Catherine Matthews

I thoroughly enjoyed the two simultaneous story lines

Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2016

Verified Purchase

This book should be an award winner! I thoroughly enjoyed the two simultaneous story lines, which take me back to childhood days in the South. Neighbors seemed like extended family, and playmates like siblings. A time of change and a time when life seemed to have a lower pace. This will be a book young readers can be excited about. I look forward to more from this author.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Mom, Champion & Executive

Great

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2020

Verified Purchase

It really brings you back in time to inform you about American civil rights. It makes you very interested with the different types of people.

Helpful