Review Detail

Really Rubie by Maddie Frost is a middle-grade illustrated novel that humorously explores friendship, self-discovery, and the awkwardness of first crushes. The story is told from the perspective of eleven-year-old Rubie through a journal filled with hilarious doodles and authentic insights into the tween mind.

Rubie and her best friend, Riley, have major plans for their summer at sleepaway camp, including making friendship bracelets, eating s'mores, and performing together in the talent show. Riley also plans to confess her feelings to Owen, a boy attending the brother camp, at the end-of-summer dance. It sounds like the perfect summer until Riley breaks her ankle right before they leave, forcing Rubie to navigate camp entirely on her own. Without her best friend by her side, Rubie must learn to make new friends, manage an accidental crush on the very guy her BFF likes, and figure out who she is when she steps out of her comfort zone.

What I Liked: The journal format is the perfect way to tell this story, and the doodles and illustrations make it so fun to read. Visually, I know this will appeal to reluctant readers, who will appreciate that the book is not very text-heavy and that illustrations are sprinkled on every page. Rubie is written in a way that makes her feel relatable. She has normal tween reactions and makes mistakes. I think most readers will be able to relate to something that Rubie is going through in this book.

Really Rubie is the perfect book for readers who love books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries.