Eleven-year-old Rubie Fox navigates summer camp without her more confident best friend in Really Rubie, the first in a sincere and hilarious diary-style middle-grade series by Maddie Frost (Iguana Be a Dragon).
Rubie just finished fifth grade and is excited to attend her first (all-girl) sleepaway camp with her "total PIC (partner in crime)," Riley. They've even created "the TUCE TRUCE": a list of five must-do activities to guarantee "The Ultimate Camp Experience." The list includes making friendship bracelets, going water tubing, performing in the talent show, making s'mores, and each having their "first kiss at the dance." Then Riley breaks her ankle, forcing Rubie to go to camp alone. When Rubie makes a new friend, Eliza, the girl is torn--she promised not to complete any items on the TUCE TRUCE without Riley, but Eliza also wants to experience everything camp has to offer. Rubie must decide whether she's going sit it out or mimic Riley's confidence and create her own adventures.
Really Rubie is a remarkable start to a promising planned series that is reminiscent in tone and format (lined pages with illustrations) of Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid titles. Rubie, who is a bit like an older Ramona Quimby, is a wonderfully average, relatable kid. She's excited about growing up but puzzled by what that entails: What exactly does a crush feel like? Why do some of the girls like makeup so much? Frost's digitally rendered black-and-white illustrations are plentiful and consistently comical, allowing readers an illustrated chuckle on every page. --Kyla Paterno, freelance reviewer