Ruby Redfort Look Into My Eyes (Ruby Redfort Series #1)

by Lauren Child

Overview

"Sardonic narration will grab readers from the get-go, and puzzles laced throughout will intrigue those who share Ruby’s passion for solving mysteries." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Everyone knows that Clarice Bean is exceptionordinarily keen on the Ruby Redfort books. Now in her own starring role, Ruby, a genius code-cracker and daring detective, along with her sidekick butler, Hitch, work for a secret crime-busting organization called Spectrum. Ruby gets into lots of scrapes with evil villains, but she’s always ice-cool in a crisis. Just take a classic screwball comedy, add heaps of breathtaking action, and multiply it by Lauren Child’s writing genius, and what have you got? Only the most exciting new middle-grade series since, like, ever.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763656362
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/27/2012
Series:	Ruby Redfort Series , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Lexile:	800L (what's this?)
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

About the Author

Lauren Child burst onto the children’s book scene in 1999 and has since published many best-selling and award-winning books, including the hugely popular Charlie and Lola and Clarice Bean series. She has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal. Her books have been made into an award-winning TV series and have sold in many languages with runaway success. Lauren Child lives in London.

“I get most of my ideas from listening to people talking or seeing something funny happen,” says Lauren Child. “I am mainly interested in peculiar things that happen in everyday life rather than fantasy.”

Lauren Child’s own childhood memories have provided a fair share of inspiration. Just like Clarice Bean—star of the hilarious picture books Clarice Bean, That’s Me; Clarice Bean, Guess Who’s Babysitting?; and Clarice Bean, What Planet Are You From?; as well as three full-length fiction episodes for middle-grade readers, Utterly Me, Clarice Bean; Clarice Bean Spells Trouble; and Clarice Bean, Don’t Look Now—Lauren Child is familiar with the travails of a middle child. “I had an older sister who spent her time telling me to go away, and I had to share a bedroom with my younger sister, who was always getting me into trouble,” she recalls. Other ideas come simply from looking out the window. “When I was writing the first Clarice Bean book I lived next door to a little boy who used to shout over the wall to a little girl,” she says of her inspiration for Clarice’s annoying classmate, Robert Granger. “He would say, ‘I know you can hear me!’ and she would try very hard to ignore him. My roommate and I called him ‘shouting boy.’”

Lauren Child’s stories may spring from ordinary life, but her treatment of them is anything but ordinary. “I very much enjoy writing the Clarice books because there is no strict format to them,” she says. “Anything can be included, as it’s very much Clarice’s take on the world. I decided right at the beginning that I wanted the text to integrate with the pictures, and that I wanted all the characters to have their own typeface—their own voice, in a way. I used a mixture of paint, photos, textiles, and computer artwork to give it a kind of scrapbook look, as well as a chaotic feel, so it looks like something Clarice might make herself.”

Lauren Child uses this signature collage style in another series of picture books, about the feisty Lola and her ever-patient big brother, Charlie. I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato—inspired by Lauren Child’s own fussy eating habits as a child—earned her a Kate Greenaway Medal, Britain’s most prestigious award for children’s book illustration. I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go To Bed and I Am Too Absolutely Small For School bring back the beloved brother-sister pair in two more familiar scenarios. In That Pesky Rat, Lauren Child introduces a new, four-legged character, an endearing alley rat who pines for a place to belong. “I got the idea for That Pesky Rat when for several months, I was without a fixed address,” Lauren Child says. “I house-sat, watered plants, fed cats, and slept on friends’ floors. I found myself longing for a place of my own.”

The daughter of two teachers, Lauren Child went to two art schools, worked as an assistant to the artist Damien Hirst, and designed an offbeat line of lampshades before beginning a career in children’s books. She lives in London, where she is a manic collector of Barbie doll mermaids and Star Wars memorabilia.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

In this funny and action-packed first installment of an adventure series from Child, Ruby (who Child’s fans will recognize as her character Clarice Bean’s favorite fictional heroine) quickly becomes bored with her first Spectrum assignment, poring over the files of a code-breaking agent who met an untimely demise. With the help of her sidekick/classmate Clancy Crew, she ventures out from her well-hidden office into more dangerous territory... Child’s sardonic narration will grab readers from the get-go, and puzzles laced throughout will intrigue those who share Ruby’s passion for solving mysteries.
—Publishers Weekly

The detective-heroine of RUBY REDFORT LOOK INTO MY EYES may be small for 13, but she's a prodigy: brilliant, tenacious and observant to an almost Sherlockian degree... As Ruby and her best friend, Clancy Crew (no relation to Nancy Drew, surely) dash about following hunches, they're drawn into a whirl of comedy and menace, espionage and cryptograms, naive townspeople and baleful baddies... Ms. Child's appealing wiseacre tone keeps the mood buoyant throughout, even when it looks as if Ruby herself may be . . . toast.
—The Wall Street Journal

Readers familiar with Child’s Clarice Bean chapter books will be delighted to see Clarice’s mystery- solving hero, Ruby Redfort, star in her own book, a delightful homage to Louise Fitzhugh’s classic HARRIET THE SPY (1964)... This series opener shows much promise, with a swift pace, clever dialogue, and many codes and puzzles scattered throughout. Bold graphics, well-placed chapter breaks, and just enough irony will appeal to middle school readers who grew up with Clarice Bean. Child’s light, bright wit is in fine form here.
—Booklist

Editorial Reviews

Gr 6–8—At age two, when Ruby Redfort couldn't get her parents to understand that she was telling them about a theft she witnessed, she determined to give up baby talk and spruce up her verbal skills. By age seven, she had created a code that took weeks for well-educated adults to crack. Not surprisingly, 13-year-old Ruby is an exceptional code-breaker and clever detective who is contacted by a spy agency called Spectrum to help them crack a particularly difficult code. With her buddy Clancy and butler Hitch, she foils the villains (including a woman named Valerie "Nine Lives" Capaldi and a sly, slippery, and creepy Count) and saves the Jade Buddha from falling into their unscrupulous hands. Ruby's parents are kind but clueless and provide a foil for her brilliant ways. The mystery and intrigue, murder and mayhem are presented in a light tone and with a satirical touch sure to make readers laugh. Those familiar with the author's "Clarice Bean" novels may note that Clarice's favorite book character now has her own series. And since the Count escapes, Ruby's adventures are likely to continue.—Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at Washington DC Public Library

School Library Journal

As smart and observant as her socialite parents are clueless, junior high student Ruby Redfort has the makings of a top-notch sleuth. But it’s her code-cracking skills that attract the attention of Spectrum, a secret intelligence agency that hires her. In this funny and action-packed first installment of an adventure series from Child, Ruby (who Child’s fans will recognize as her character Clarice Bean’s favorite fictional heroine) quickly becomes bored with her first Spectrum assignment, poring over the files of a code-breaking agent who met an untimely demise. With the help of her sidekick/classmate Clancy Crew, she ventures out from her well-hidden office into more dangerous territory to prevent the theft of a priceless jade Buddha statue. Playing a game of cat and mouse with criminals and fellow agents (who are furious at her for overstepping boundaries), Ruby finds her way into some dire situations, but readers will rest assured that she will find a way to squirm out of enemy hands. Child’s sardonic narration will grab readers from the get-go, and puzzles laced throughout will intrigue those who share Ruby’s passion for solving mysteries. Ages 10–13. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

A nice pastiche of the spy genre for younger readers.
—The New York Times

In this funny and action-packed first installment of an adventure series from Child, Ruby (who Child’s fans will recognize as her character Clarice Bean’s favorite fictional heroine) quickly becomes bored with her first Spectrum assignment, poring over the files of a code-breaking agent who met an untimely demise. With the help of her sidekick/classmate Clancy Crew, she ventures out from her well-hidden office into more dangerous territory... Child’s sardonic narration will grab readers from the get-go, and puzzles laced throughout will intrigue those who share Ruby’s passion for solving mysteries.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Readers familiar with Child’s Clarice Bean chapter books will be delighted to see Clarice’s mystery- solving hero, Ruby Redfort, star in her own book, a delightful homage to Louise Fitzhugh’s classic HARRIET THE SPY (1964)... This series opener shows much promise, with a swift pace, clever dialogue, and many codes and puzzles scattered throughout. Bold graphics, well-placed chapter breaks, and just enough irony will appeal to middle school readers who grew up with Clarice Bean. Child’s light, bright wit is in fine form here.
—Booklist

Smart, savvy, and cool, Ruby Redfort is a modern young heroine adept at holding her own in the adult world. Replete with codes, high-tech spy gadgets, outspoken T-shirts, and plenty of humor, LOOK INTO MY EYES is a fun, if often fantastical, mystery adventure romp with plenty of character and action and will appeal to male and female readers looking to keep their wits sharp while minding Ruby’s “Rule 1: You can never be completely sure what might happen next."
—VOYA

She is everything you want a pint-sized detective to be: smart, resourceful, and brave with a clever wisecrack ever at the ready. Mystery fans who have outgrown Clarice Bean will nonetheless join her in her admiration of this mashup of Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown with twists and quirks that are all Ruby’s own.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Middle school readers are sure to enjoy this exciting, action-packed adventure of super sleuth, 13-year-old Ruby Redfort... A gold heist, special spy gadgets, puzzles, codes, and clues create a plot continually full of surprises. Ruby’s a strong spunky female character, full of sarcastic wit and spirit who gives this fun title girl appeal.
—Library Media Connection

The mystery and intrigue, murder and mayhem are presented in a light tone and with a satirical touch sure to make readers laugh. Those familiar with the author’s “Clarice Bean” novels may note that Clarice’s favorite book character now has her own series.
—School Library Journal

The detective-heroine of RUBY REDFORT LOOK INTO MY EYES may be small for 13, but she's a prodigy: brilliant, tenacious and observant to an almost Sherlockian degree... As Ruby and her best friend, Clancy Crew (no relation to Nancy Drew, surely) dash about following hunches, they're drawn into a whirl of comedy and menace, espionage and cryptograms, naive townspeople and baleful baddies... Ms. Child's appealing wiseacre tone keeps the mood buoyant throughout, even when it looks as if Ruby herself may be . . . toast.
—The Wall Street Journal

Get ready, puzzle lovers! There’s a new book on the scene that will satisfy the sleuth in all of us. Author Lauren Child introduces Ruby Redfort, a young code-cracking genius who gets caught up in a great mystery.
—BookPage

Sarcastic and smart, Ruby makes a compelling heroine. RUBY REDFORT LOOK INTO MY EYES is a fast-paced adventure, and budding codebreakers can try cracking the ciphers alongside Ruby. Highly recommended for kids who like mysteries and adventures.
—Baltimore's Child

Ruby's debut is the ideal spytastic summer escapade.
—NW Kids Magazine

From the Publisher

Ruby Redfort, the young sleuth in an imagined book series adored by Child's already-established character Clarice Bean, begins her very own series with this lukewarm mystery. The daughter of two clueless but kind socialites, Ruby displays an uncanny talent for observation from an early age. When her family's beloved housekeeper goes missing along with the entire contents of their house, and a likable but unlikely butler appears on the scene, Ruby suspects there is more to the situation than meets the eye. After being tapped by a spy agency called Spectrum to assist in an investigation, Ruby is pulled into the thick of a plot involving a museum exhibit her parents are staging. Character development is eschewed for quirkiness that can be charming, but it wears thin well before this offering winds itself down. Codes and puzzles featured throughout add some spark, and readers with a penchant for ciphers will enjoy working out the messages passed between Ruby and her best friend Clancy--and can visit a tie-in website for clues. However, the purposefully corny tone of Ruby's narrative voice ("Did anyone ever tell you that you can be a royal pain in the derriere?") falls flat. Fizzy style fails to buoy a slow-moving plot. Fans of Child's other works, however, will likely still be interested in checking this one out. (Mystery. 9-14)

Kirkus Reviews