Ruby the Copycat

Author - Peggy Rathmann ... [Goo?] [Posters]

This Paperback Book item from Scholastic Paperbacks was reviewed on 11-Aug-2008.

Search ISBN:0590474235 offer from Abebooks or used books from Alibris. Ruby the Copycat Reference Book. Classifications : Fiction Self-Esteem & Self-Respect Social Situations People & Places Children's Books Subjects Books General Ages 4-8 Children's Books Subjects Books School Issues Children's Books Subjects Books Gene . Click the following link to view the cover of Ruby the Copycat.

Related topics: Fiction. Social Situations. People & Places. Children´s Books. Subjects. Books. General. Ages 4-8. Children´s Books. Subjects.

1) Paperback Book Ruby the Copycat by Scholastic Paperbacks. This book has a wonderful message about being yourself. My four-year-old daughter loves the illustrations and asks for this to be read to her often.¤

2) Paperback Book Ruby the Copycat by Scholastic Paperbacks. Ruby is a new girl in a new class. She is afraid to be herself. She finds a girl and little by little starts dressing like her and supposedly doing the same things as she does. This other girl is Angela, who gets very upset with Ruby and tells Mrs. Hart the teacher.

Ruby is a little girl who is nervous and insecure about herself. She is afraid she will not be accepted or liked if she is who she really is.¤

3) Paperback Book Ruby the Copycat by Scholastic Paperbacks. Ruby, in this delightful story, starts school new and finds an iconographic fascination with a girl who does everything easily and beautifully, Angela. Angela for lack of a better way to explain this is simple sugar and spice and cheer squad and Peggy Lipton all rolled into one dynamite girl. Miss Hart, the teacher, in time observes Ruby as each day she escalates levels of imitation and pure fixation on Angela,from wearing an identical red bow as Angela has on when she comes back to class after returning from home lunch, to bending the truth to say she was "also a flower girl in her sister´s wedding"(oh no, teacher silently realizes real lying is starting) to painting a rainbow on her clothes to make her outfit match Angela after another lunch break home. Ruby even, when absolutely rejected in a very strong and rather cruel manner by Angela who is clearly yucked out by this sad little gadfly sycophant, tries to reattach the need to just be someone else (and thus matter) Ruby even stoops to imitation of Miss Hart´s nails. Now that´s pretty complex stuff for kids.I´d say heavy, wouldn´t you? If you read it to a class they will be glued to their spots as if in a trance. This, they get. The problem is resolved in a manner I call SIDEWAYS resolving. It isn´t as if Angela suddenly in epiphany sees Ruby as her equal, learns her true worth and harmony results. In a classic distraction the teacher finds a way to generate a Ruby based skill, make it fun and the class enjoys her for herself. How the next day went is unaddressed. In my teaching life as a classroom leader it is likely the teacher would mediate the social interaction for a good long while to build the skills for Ruby, the confidences and to open up Angela to understanding she may indeed write nice poetry, wear her clothes well, speak with ease and have power but she´s a long way from having the kind of fragile willingness to be vulnerable and reveal inner insecurities and present that mirror up to Angela. Ruby is , in my teacher lingo-a child that tells us by her doing well or not the barometer for our class´s social/emotional health.WE ARE ALL RUBY , I´m afraid. If we learn the lesson of this book, being a copycat is insignificant really, what we are addressing is how we perceive others, our selves, our talents and worth in relationship to others, acceptance, grace, vulnerability these constructs ride at the heart of this wonderful book. Peggy Rathman who went on to win awards on her next book, Officer Buckle and Gloria, surely did a great job here. And if you read her first, Bootsie Barker Bites, written with Barbara Bottner you have quite a triple play. I´m going to share a tip. This book, as well as Bootsie Barker was made into a VCR by Shelly Duvall in a series called "Bedtime Stories" , I think now sadly just available used. This series was just about the best I ever saw for children after Reading Rainbow. This particular story was narrated by Shelley Long (from Cheers) with a great guitar riff in background and is just such a treat for children. It is a Great way to hear Ruby the Copycat. Incidentally if you want the best straight up copycat story out there read Ramona the Brave. You´ll love it too.¤

4) Paperback Book Ruby the Copycat by Scholastic Paperbacks. I have mixed feelings regarding this book. On the one hand the book is funny and deals with a real life problem of kindergarden and primary school children ("he is a copycat" is a regular accusation at my house). However, reading this story after reading Peggy Rathmann´s three other books: "Gorilla", "Officer Buckle and Gloria" and "Ten minutes till bedtime" is a little disappointing. The three books mentioned are totally hilarious and I feel they are all unique and special works of art. This book however, although very good, does not come to their masterpiece level.
"Ruby the Copycat" is written with a neutral voice without "taking sides" - just telling the story as it is. Reader can understand both Ruby, the copycat, and in a way even understand why she is copying (Ruby is the new kid and Angela´s ribbon is so very charming) but also see the point of view of those being copied - as Angela, whose every act (red ribbon in hair, rainbow painted shirt) is copied by Ruby. At first this is nice and Angela whispers back at Ruby "I like your ribbon" - but after a while Angela does not whisper any more... Ruby is stripping her of all individuality. These are an adult words but the book is written in a language every child can understand and the pictures are there to strengthen the words. Ruby wins the readers heart in the end when following the teacher´s advice (don´t we all wish for such teachers) finds her own unique "thing" and now the children copy Ruby´s "hopping".¤

5) Paperback Book Ruby the Copycat by Scholastic Paperbacks. We read Ruby the Copycat in my second-grade classroom, and the kids really gravitated toward it. The illustrations are appropriately stylized to clearly deliver character emotions, and there are subtle details in the pictures that breathe more life into the characters. Ruby reminds me of the nervous child in all of us that seeks to fit in. I highly, highly recommend this book for in-class reading. Buy a class set!¤

Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 8-Sep-2008, 05904742359780590474238, 460-350-210-720-QQB-EWB-8

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