Ruby and the Booker boys Brand new school, brave new Ruby

Ruby Booker wakens to the strains of her favorite song and loudly sings along to celebrate her first day as a student at Hope Road Academy. Her three older brothers have already established themselves at the school through leadership, academics, personality, and pranks, but Rudy wants to find her own way to shine, in her third-grade classroom and beyond. After going out on a limb to be noticed, though, she realizes that she may have landed in trouble. There's plenty to like in this, the first volume in the Ruby and the Booker Boys series, from the warm portrayal of the African American Booker family at home and at school to the buoyant character of Ruby herself. With large print, wide-spaced lines, and effective black-and-white drawings at intervals, the book will appeal to readers moving into chapter books. The second volume in this paperback series, Trivia Queen: 3rd Grade Supreme is also available.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist

African-American third-grader Ruby Booker is going to school with her three older and immensely popular brothers for the first time. Nevertheless, her brothers will not overshadow her: She plans to show the world that she is a star in her own rights. Many younger siblings find themselves in this exact predicament and will find strength and motivation in Ruby's spirit. Although the story might bring comfort and familiarity to those readers, they will have to get past both distracting slang and clumsy writing: Ruby's teacher tells her, "Marcellus was one of the best students I ever had. I had him in the third grade, and now he's grown up to be such a multitalented, extremely intelligent Hope Road student." Newton's black-and-white illustrations break up the space but add little to the story. This series kick-off will publish simultaneously with its second volume, Trivia Queen, 3rd Grade Supreme (ISBN: 978-0-545-01761-9). (Fiction. 7-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.