What a sweet story that readers will certainly love. When Ruby an dBunny have to try and solve life's problems they realize that life isn't perfect, but it is what you make it. Sweet!

Ruby Clyde has not had an easy life- her father died before she was born, her mother stole a pig from a weird zoo in Hot Springs, and her mother's boyfriend robbed a convenience store. Enter Sister Eleanor Rose, Ruby's aunt, the estranged twin sister of her mother, and a solitary Episcopalian nun in the Texas Hill Country. This story could easily have been harsh and depressing, but Ruby's spunk and original voice turn it into something hopeful. Although the ending is a little contrived, the novel overall is a great middle grade novel that I know upper elementary students will enjoy.

What is it with pigs this year? Several books I have read with pigs in them...
Ruby Clyde Henderson has had an unconventional life. Her father was shot right before she was born. Her mother, who is not so great at coping, has taken up with a shady character named Carl. In the middle of the night the left their homes for his dream of Hollywood. On the way they steal a pig from a local "zoo" and then Carl decided to rob a gas station. He was caught and Ruby's mother was also accused. Ruby who had been hiding during the robbery has no idea what to do. She decides to find her Aunt Eleanor, her mom's estranged twin who is a nun. There Ruby finds a new family and learns to trust again. But what will happen if her mom is convicted?
I thought this was actually pretty good. I was a bit confused at the ending because I thought the lawyer was in the dark - must have missed something in my speedy reading.

Excellent kid's book that adults will enjoy too. A young girl's life is turned upside down when the adults in her life make bad decisions. As a result of those decisions, Ruby is sent to live with her Aunt Eleanor. There she learns about the secrets we all keep and the meaning of family & home.

The first clue that Almost Paradise would qualify for a good Southern yarn came when I saw the author’s name, Corabel Shofner, on the Net Galley offering for an advance reading copy. She did, indeed, grow up in the Mississippi Delta with a long line of Southern ancestors. The second clue came in Corabel’s workshop at the Faye B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival when she recounted growing up among eccentric relatives. By this time, I had her book downloaded on my Kindle ready to read when it came up in the queue.

It’s a good thing I didn’t know just how entertaining it would be or my queue would have been completely messed up. There are problems aplenty for protagonist Ruby Clyde (also a Southern name) – a father who died before she was born, a mean grandmother, an estranged aunt. And these are before her mother’s boyfriend takes her and her mother on a trip where they steal/rescue a pig from a show and the boyfriend commits armed robbery. When her mother is falsely accused of abetting the crime and is put in jail, Ruby Clyde must rely on others to help her find the estranged aunt who turns out to have secrets of her own.

Spunk and humor lace into Ruby Clyde’s search for home and vindication for her mother. Those who do her harm are balanced by others who genuinely care for her. Even as the author brings rescuers into Ruby Clyde’s life, she pokes fun at the icons of Southern culture. “Mr. Gaylord Lewis had gone to court and told the judge he would watch after my mother until trial. And since Mr. Lewis was so big and important with football and money and God, the judge couldn’t say no.”

I’ll miss Ruby Clyde now that I’ve closed the last page of the book. It’s available for purchase on July 25.

Ruby Clyde Henderson doesn't really want to spend her birthday traveling by car to an unknown destination with her mom, Babe, and Babe's obnoxious boyfriend, Carl, known as the Catfish. But what the Catfish says goes, so Ruby Clyde is along for the ride, like it or not. Unfortunately, when they are stopped at a gas station, the Catfish commits armed robbery and both he and Babe are taken into custody. The only relative who can possibly take in Ruby Clyde (and her newly acquired pig, Bunny, who was also stolen by Carl) is her mother's twin sister, Eleanor, about whose existence Ruby has just learned for the first time. Eleanor is an Episcopalian nun who lives on a ranch called Paradise and is facing a potentially deadly cancer diagnosis, but despite living as a solitary and having her own problems, she agrees to help Ruby Clyde, and over time, the two grow close enough to begin healing the rifts in their family.

I included this title on my list of most anticipated 2017 books, and the author was kind enough to supply me with a digital ARC from NetGalley. My primary interest in the story was the fact that it involves religion, since I am always curious to see how middle grade novels handle issues of faith. Since I am Catholic, not Episcopalian, I can't say much about how accurately or inaccurately the story treats this particular denomination (which it describes as a "pretty loosey-goosey, do-whatever-you-want kind of church"), but I still feel qualified to comment on how religion is treated overall.

I think, on the whole, the book is respectful of belief in God. Ruby Clyde has some unusual thoughts about Biblical teaching - e.g., she feels that Mary nagged Jesus into changing water into wine at the Wedding at Cana because "she just wanted wine" and that "Adam was a wuss" because "God made him weak" - but I never got the impression that these were anything more than a child's immature (and funny) reflections on pieces of scripture she doesn't yet fully understand. (In that sense, Ruby reminded me a lot of Lucky from The Higher Power of Lucky, who doesn't quite know what a higher power is, but still wants to find one.) Certainly kids who know their Bible stories will understand Ruby's references in these passages and understand that her interpretations are a little off the beaten path. I appreciated that these references were in the book at all, as Biblical allusions are not all that common in mainstream kids' books.

I also appreciated the fact that Sister Eleanor makes it clear that she wears her habit by choice. I think it is a common misconception in our secular culture that Christianity oppresses women religious (and women in general) by forcing them to do things they do not want to do. In fact, though, women who answer a calling to become nuns, do so of their own free will, and though they may take vows that thereafter require them to do certain things or dress a certain way, they fulfill these vows each day by choice. It was nice to see this understood and explicitly stated in a casual way.

The book does mention Catholicism in one scene, and obviously that caught my attention. When the Catfish first hears of Sister Eleanor, he becomes agitated and calls out to Babe and Ruby Clyde, "You Catholic?!" I will confess that this rubbed me the wrong way a little bit at first, since his tone makes it sound like being Catholic is about the worst thing that can happen to a person. But as I read Ruby's explanation of her grandmother's distrust for Catholics, and her quick summary of the development of the Anglican church because of Henry VIII, I realized that the only anti-Catholic sentiments in the book are associated with villains of the story, and that the characters who have the reader's sympathy remain either neutral or silent about the Catholic church. I understand the need for the author to mention it, both as a means of delivering historical information about the Episcopal church and as a means of explaining that Eleanor is not a Catholic nun, as many readers might otherwise rightfully assume. Part of me wished for just one more sentence to clarify that Catholicism isn't inherently bad just because some people feel it is, but I also tend to resent it when authors over-explain themselves so an extra sentence might just have been overkill. Ultimately, I don't think the book espouses an anti-Catholic worldview or that it would sway a young reader with no prior exposure to the Church to automatically condemn it. I do expect Catholic kids might not like the Catfish too much, but no one is meant to like him anyway, so they would not be alone in that feeling.

Religion aside, I do have to admit that this book was not really my cup of tea. I was expecting a funny story a la the Mercy Watson series, but what I found was more quirky than zany and overall more emotional than I was anticipating. I think the story is well-written, and there are entire scenes that came across so vividly I can replay them in my mind even without the book in front of me. I liked Ruby Clyde and I found the resolution to her story believable and satisfying. I just don't think I was in the right mood for a sassy tomboy character, or for the strange and unfortunate circumstances that shape the events immediately following her birthday. I would definitely have no qualms about recommending the book to Christian families (even the Catholic ones!), but I do think it's a book that a certain type of reader will appreciate more than others. I could appreciate what was good about it; I just didn't feel that it was my type of book overall.

Either way, I think Corabel Shofner is an author to watch in the coming years. Almost Paradise is a strong debut, and I'll be curious to see what other stories she tells in future novels.

Ruby Clyde wiggled her way into my heart! Ican't wait to see what's next from Corabel Shofner.

This terrific middle grade fiction book is full of great characters and uncommon situations. I think lots of people will identify with the storyteller, Ruby Clyde Henderson who believes even if she can't love someone completely, she can love them in pieces. Her optimism shines clearly through this story, full of people who make bad choices and yet keep showing up. Loved this one.

Ruby Clyde Henderson wakes up on her birthday in the backseat of The Catfish’s car headed to California. Carl, aka the Catfish, is Ruby’s mom’s boyfriend and he has a wild idea to head to Hollywood. Ruby’s mom, Babe, hasn’t been okay since Ruby’s dad was shot during a robbery causing Ruby to be born early. After a stop in Arkansas to steal a pig named Bunny, the group is driving through Texas when Carl robs a gas station. The police arrest Carl and Babe while Ruby hides. Turns out they are very near where her aunt Eleanor lives and, through the help of a stranger, Ruby is able to locate Eleanor. Eleanor and Babe had a falling out and Ruby had never even heard of her aunt until this trip. Eleanor is an Episcopalian nun living on a ranch. She is also dying of cancer. Eleanor and Joe Brewer, Babe’s lawyer, are working to help Babe but things don’t look good. Carl has turned evidence against her and she is looking at jail time. How will Ruby survive with a mom in jail and a dying aunt?

It was kind of hard to place the time this book is set. If it is present day, then I have questions about why Eleanor was stigmatized and forced to give up a baby. That whole plot point sounded more 1950s than 2000s. I did love Ruby Clyde though. She was spunky and original and a lot of fun to read. I also loved the fact that she adopted/stole a pig and named him Bunny. I really didn’t like Babe or the fact that she seemed completely incapable of being a mother to Ruby. Eleanor grew on me though. I appreciated her take on life. The ending left me a little iffy. I am just not sure I liked the resolution that happened or how some of the characters reacted. Not to give anything away, but Joe Brewer weirded me out a bit at the end.

I received this book from Netgalley.

The characters alone in this book would have made me interested in it. I loved the quirky characters that the girl meets. I was immediately cheering for her to be successful in her quest for a home and stability. I found the book to be entertaining and enjoyable! I will enjoy recommending this book to students.