Li, Christina. Ruby Lost and Found. HarperCollins/Quill Tree, 05/2023. 304pp. Fiction. GRADES 5 – 7. $19.99. 978-0-06-300893-9. OUTSTANDING.
Being grounded stinks. Especially if one is thirteen and forced to spend a whole summer with one’s Nai-Nai, hanging out at Chinatown’s senior center. But Ruby knows even if she weren’t grounded there wouldn’t be much to do. Her parents are focused on their startup. Her pre-college sister is always out with friends. Her best friend moved to New York and her remaining one has simply moved on. So Ruby retreats to the past: retracing the routes of her grandfather’s epic San Francisco scavenger hunts; listening to the stories of her elders; and uncovering the importance of a threatened local landmark. With wonderful multi-dimensional characters, a powerful sense of place, and a pitch-perfect rendering of the turmoil that is thirteen, Ruby covers a lot of ground. The strong writing and solid pacing seamlessly meld into a coming-of-age story that explores the importance of slowing down and spending time with the people and places you love. The majority of the characters are Chinese American. Reviewed from an ARC. This book has California specific content.
Melissa McAvoy—Retired