Way past mean

Ruby is friendly with the new girl, Nelly, which bothers the "popular" girls. When they invite Ruby to join them after school "without Nelly," the Ruby jumps at the chance to be included. Yaz and Keya mock the new girl, and Ruby goes along with that, wanting to be accepted into their clique. Ruby "felt way past mean, the kind of mean that's like a roller coaster you can't get off." When she realizes how sad Nelly is at being snubbed, Ruby decides she is uncomfortable acting out of character and needs to apologize and revert to her usual conduct, even if that means forfeiting her relationship with Yaz and Keya. Apologies are voiced and hurt feelings ironed out as the four become friends. Colorful illustrations feature diverse skin tones and easily understood facial expressions. Getting caught up in the behavior of others is a common childhood predicament; Ruby's insight into Nelly's feelings and her compassion are good lessons for youngsters as they hone their social behaviors.

Why is everyone being so mean to the new girl? Ruby is having fun with Nelly, the new girl at school, when Keya and Yaz invite Ruby to play. The note they slide over to Ruby reads, "Let's play after school without Nelly." Keya and Yaz are popular, so Ruby feels flattered. Still, Ruby's uncomfortable when the other two start mocking Nelly's shirt. Later, the three of them walk home, trading mean barbs about Nelly ("Do you think Nelly brushes her teeth?" "NO!" "Do you think Nelly has stinky feet?" "YES!"). It's not until Nelly finds out what's been going on that Ruby realizes they've gone too far and tries to make amends. This sweet but somewhat preachy tale has a clear message about the importance of kindness and comes to a happy if somewhat pedestrian ending; it turns out that Keya instigated the bullying because she thought that Nelly had rejected her at a party. Though these elements may make for a good teaching tool, they diminish the power of the story, which feels a bit reductive. Still, young children experiencing bullying may take solace in seeing the problem wrapped up so neatly and will relate to Ruby's confusion and goodwill alike. In Wall's brightly colored artwork, Ruby and Yaz are brown-skinned, while Keya and Nelly have paper-white skin. A solid, if somewhat heavy-handed, lesson in friendship and staying true to oneself. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.