about the book
My name is Sarah Beth Willis, and it I the first day of the summer of 1969. I am twelve years old, I’m white, and I live with my family in North Carolina. There, now you’ve got all the important information. Well, not all. The accident is my fault and I can’t tell a soul the truth.
It is a perfectly ordinary day. Well, not so ordinary and not perfect any more. Mama is working in the garden so I’m supposed to look after my little sister Robin. She is just six. Truthfully, I just bury my nose in a book. Suddenly car tires screech! As neighbors race into the street, I spot Robin’s red shoe lying on the pavement. I scream at her to get up…but she can’t.
As the hospital bills mount, we have to sell our house and move to Shady Creek, near my grandparent’s farm. When Robin finally comes home, it is in a full body cast. It will take her a long, long time to heal. Things couldn’t get much worse…or so I thought.
As days turn into months, the tension builds in Shady Creek. The school is to be integrated. Don’t get me wrong, the blacks and whites get along just fine most times. They’re right polite to one another. My grandma has been friends with their neighbor Miss Irene, a nice black lady, since forever. (Though truth be told, they pretty much ignore each other in town.) Miss Irene’s granddaughter, Ruby Lee, is also my best friend. But now, everyone says we can’t be chummy!
With tensions so bad, even playing outside together is dang scary.
Worse yet is the stir caused by the new teacher. She’s black and will be teaching our class! Then the Freedom Riders come to town and it gets even crazier. When Ruby claims we can’t ever be school friends, we both end up hollerin’ and all the fear spews out of me in a flood. “I hate you, Ruby Lee.” I yell. And then I call her that really nasty N name, the one that hurts her so bad. Words are like dynamite; I wish I could take it right back but the damage is done.
I don’t care what everyone else thinks. I’m going to decide for myself what is right and what is wrong…and I guess I’ll have to start by owning up to my actions, especially the one that caused Robin’s injuries. Life is so dang unfair.
about the author
Shannon Hitchcock spent her childhood in rural North Carolina on a 100-acre farm. She had a big extended family and delighted in the southern traditional life. Her love of stories began with her mother’s drawl. Later, it was her little sister Robin who encouraged Shannon to make up her own stories. Robin wanted to hear about herself, Cousin Penny. and Shannon and their ponies Surelick, Tennessee, and Spot. The many tall tales of the “Carolina Cowgirls” honed Shannon’s storytelling skills.
Although she was a gifted storyteller, she was a reluctant reader, ashamed to be assigned to the Yellow Birds, the worst readers in her first grade class. Thankfully, Mrs. Porter, who taught the class next door (and who was the first black teacher in their newly integrated school), was gifted at teaching slow readers. She promised Shannon that she would become the best reader in the class and be promoted to the Blue Birds, the top reading circle. And that is exactly what happened. The experience later inspired Shannon’s novel Ruby Lee & Me.
Shannon’s road to writing took the long route. She was just too busy, especially when she was raising a family and working as an accountant and human resources manager. In 1969 Robin was injured in a car accident. In 1999, she died in another car crash. Shannon decided life was just too short and it was time to go after her dream. She began to write, eventually publishing articles in several magazines. Her first novel, The Ballad of Jessie Pearl, received critical acclaim.
When Mrs. Porter became ill, Shannon told her old teacher exactly how much she impacted her life. She considers Mrs. Porter one of the unsung Civil Rights heroes. Not only did she teach hundreds of white and black children how to read, she also taught them how to be better people.
Shannon currently divides her time between Hendersonville, North Carolina, and Tampa, Florida.
Sources:
Author website
Author spotlight: Nerdy Book Club
Book Trailer: Ruby Lee and Me
Also by Shannon Hitchcock:
The Ballad of Jessie Pearl. Namelos. 2013.
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