Ruby And Olivia

Description

A spooky middle-grade story that's full of fun, friendship, and humor--perfect for fans of Ingrid Law and Lisa Graff. Ruby is best friends with Emma, but she and Emma's twin sister Olivia are definitely not friends. Unfortunately, Emma will be away for the summer, while Ruby and Olivia are going to be stuck at a community service day camp for troublemakers-together. To kick off the spirit of service, the campers are outfitted with bright pink polka-dotted t-shirts with smiley faces on the front, then tasked with cataloging the contents of an abandoned mansion. Sorting through objects in an old house sounds boring, and working with each other is that last thing the girls want to do, but the stuff is actually pretty cool. There's everything from mink stoles to golf clubs to stuffed deer heads . . . and . . . wait . . . is that stuffed deer head watching them? When the taps run freezing cold and doors slam inexplicably, Ruby and Olivia wonder if the other campers are having a bit of fun, or if the abandoned mansion is looking for new residents. To solve the mystery, Ruby and Olivia will have to put their grudges aside and figure out how to be a team with or without Emma.

Rachel Hawkins is the author of Journey's End, the Rebel Belle series, and the New York Timesbestselling Hex Hall series. Born in Virginia and raised in Alabama, Rachel taught high school English before becoming a full-time writer.

"The girls relate their spooky adventure and developing friendship with humor, tenderness, and just the right amount of creepiness. This is sure to delight girls, and there is just enough suspense and mystery to provide an enjoyable read for boys as well."--School Library Connection, starred review "Equal parts preteen drama and ghost story, Ruby & Olivia will delight young readers with its mild spookiness that remains grounded in the everyday complexities of family, friendship, and finding yourself."--Booklist "As they work to solve the mystery of Live Oak House, Ruby and Olivia become fast friends while also encouraging the best in each other. . . . This lightly spooky story demonstrates the complexities of preteen girl relationships."--Kirkus Reviews "This is a lightly creepy haunted house mystery for fans of books like Neil Gaiman's Coraline or Jonathan Stroud's The Screaming Staircase--though not as scary."--School Library Journal "Readers who enjoy stories where the ghosts turn out to be as real as the friendships required to bust 'em are the audience for this."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books