about the book
The Braxton Creek Home for Children is a terrible place, run by the Trepids, who believe they are owners and enforcers, rather than caregivers.
Thirteen-year-old twins, Dallas and Florida, have lived in the orphanage their whole lives. They have been returned to the orphanage by every family that tried to adopt them! After a lifetime of abuse, these two stir up trouble where ever they go.
When a sweet, eccentric old couple offers to take the twins on separate three-month vacations, the kids leap at the opportunity. First chance they get, they plan to jump a freight train and make their escape! But once they get to Ruby Holler to make preparations for the trips, the two become enchanted with the almost magical place.
Florida is supposed to help the crotchety Mr. Tiller Morey build a boat and then explore the Rutabago River. Dallas is to accompany kindly Mrs. Sairy Morey to far-off Kangadoon to hunt down the elusive red-tailed rocking bird. As the four ready for the trips, the kids cause all sorts of mayhem, but the Moreys treat them like their own children, listening to them, teaching them, and outwitting them.
Dallas and Florida have never trusted anyone else. When they learn that the Trepids are planning to steal the Morey’s funds saved for the big trips, will the mischievous kids find enough love in their hearts to help the odd old couple?
about the author
Sharon Creech was born in South Euclid, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, and grew up there with her parents, her sister, and three brothers.
In the summer, her family would often take a trip; they would pile in a car and head out to Wisconsin, Michigan or, once, to Idaho. Their five-day trip to Idaho when she was twelve had a powerful effect on Sharon when she realized what a huge and amazing country she lived in! Such an effect that, thirty-some years later, she recreated that trip in a book called Walk Two Moons.
Another place the Creech family often visited was Quincy, Kentucky, where her cousins lived on a beautiful farm, with hills and trees and swimming hole and barn and hayloft. They would run and play in the hills all day long, and at night they would gather on the porch where more stories were told. Sharon loved Quincy so much that it has found its way into many of her books—transformed into the fictional Bybanks, Kentucky.
She became intrigued in story telling after taking writing and literature courses at Hiram College and George Mason University. After graduation, she taught English and writing in England and Switzerland.
Sharon is the first American in history to be awarded the CILIP Carnegie Medal for Ruby Holler. Her stories are often centered on life, love, and relationships—especially family relationships. She enjoys writing very much and hopes to be writing stories for a long, long time.
Sharon married Lyle Rigg, who is the headmaster of The Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey, and they have two grown children, Rob and Karin. Being with her family is what she enjoys most. The next-best thing is writing stories.
Source:
Author website
Author video interview
Book trailer: Ruby Holler
Also by Sharon Creech:
The Boy on the Porch. Harper Collins. 2013.
The Great Unexpected. Harper Collins. 2012.
The Unfinished Angel. Harper Collins. 2009.
Hate That Cat. Joanna Cotler. 2008.
Replay. Harper Collins. 2005.
Heartbeat. Harper Collins. 2004.
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup. Joanna Cotler. 2003.
Love That Dog. Joanna Cotler. 2001.
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