Tina Dybvik (Children's Literature)
Ms. Look writes every chapter as a separate picture book, which leaves the reader smiling without a strong conclusion. Ruby Lu is a wayward heroine with loving friends and family to guide her through the misadventures. They model positive actions without any preaching and provide solutions to 8-year-old problems. Ruby's challenges begin with the birth of her brother, Oscar, who does not quite develop on his big sister's timetable. She has high standards for behavior that are offended when a new friend is rude, but she rises to the occasion and learns a lesson in tolerance. She is also smart enough to drive a car by herself but finds out just because she can do something does not mean she should. Wilsdorf's line drawings grace every chapter and bring Ruby's 20th Avenue world to life. The vocabulary is challenging e.g., Apgar test and mercurochrome, and the book concludes with a glossary and guide to Chinese words. It is a fearless read for students of any heritage. 2004, Atheneum Books/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, $15.95. Ages 6 to 10.

CCBC (Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices, 2005)
Ruby Lu is an eight-year-old Chinese American girl who lives life to the fullest. A hilarious book for newly independent readers reveals the best and worst of Ruby. She has a great imagination and loves to perform magic shows in her back yard. She is crazy about her new baby brother, Oscar; her grandparents; and the snacks they serve at Chinese School. She is not so crazy about Christina, the new girl in her class, other people’s baby brothers, and learning all the new Chinese words and characters. By the end of this short novel, Ruby’s growth is apparent in many ways, from her friendship with Christina to her obvious pride in newly mastered Chinese skills. Occasional black-and-white illustrations add to the lighthearted tone of a story that includes a screamingly funny scene in which Ruby decides to “borrow” her parents’ car and drive herself to school. Ruby Lu is a girl to watch out for. CCBC categories: Books for Beginning and Newly Independent Readers. 2004, An Anne Schwartz Book / Atheneum, 105 pages, $15.95. Ages 5-9.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2004 (Vol. 72, No. 1))
Welcome Ruby Lu! In what is billed as the first in a series, Ruby Lu bursts onto the scene with Oscar, her beloved baby brother, at her side. Whether she is furling her cape and performing backyard magic tricks or visiting her grandparents, PohPoh and GungGung, Ruby's enthusiasm for life bubbles out of her. She loves her house, her neighborhood, her second-grade teacher and, well, just about everything. When Oscar begins to talk, Ruby learns just how hard being a big sister can be. He reveals the secret of her best magic trick and easily learns the words to the songs at Saturday Chinese school, slowly deflating her ego. Young readers will identify with Ruby's excitement and good intentions, even when she is slowly and carefully driving her brother to Chinese school and parking the family car in the principal's spot. Wilsdorf's airy pencil illustrations joyfully bounce through the text. Hooray for Ruby Lu: she can ably join Hurwitz's Russell and Elisa, McGovern's Julian, and Cleary's Ramona on the shelves of excellent series fiction for new chapter-book readers. 2004, Anne Schwartz/Atheneum, 112p, $15.95. Category: Fiction. Ages 6 to 10. © 2004 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sharon F. Williams (Library Media Connection, November/December 2004)
Almost eight, Ruby Lu joins a sparkling array of female phenomes-Olivia (the pig), Ramona Quimby, Junie B. Jones, Lily, (of purple plastic purse fame), Hermione Grainger, and India Opal Buloni. Ruby likes many things: her neighborhood and her neighbors, the sunshine, her school bus and school, her new wallet, and especially Mr. Tupahotu who is teaching her to become a great magician. Ruby has adventures, such as giving magic shows in her backyard; going to Chinese School on Saturdays; trying to teach Oscar, her baby brother, to talk; driving the family van to Saturday school all by herself; and preparing for relatives from China to live in their home for a while. Through vivid verbs, vibrant adjectives, witty, brisk, and believable dialogue, imaginative mischief, and creative conundrums, author Lenore Look invites readers into a world peopled by Chinese Americans. Readers are introduced to their foods, family relationships, customs, and vocabulary and are made to feel quite comfortable in this world. This delightful, up beat, and heart-warmingly funny book is illustrated with simple, expressive pen and ink drawings that enhance the text as all good illustrations should. Look includes "Ruby's Fantastic Glossary and Pronunciation Guide" for readers who do not speak the language; it's most helpful. Recommended. 2004, Atheneum (Simon & Schuster), 106pp., $15.95 hc. Ages 7 to 10.

Karen Coats (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, April 2004 (Vol. 57, No. 8))
Meet Ruby Lu, an eight-year-old Asian-American girl for whom the adjectives "spunky" or "spirited" seems too tame--she's effervescent, rambunctious, even occasionally precocious, but in a mostly good way. She's also amphibian, or wants to be, in her collection of capes that allow her to become a tree frog when she needs to be one, like on the first day of Chinese school. Ruby's frenetic energy bounces off every page as she moves through her Seattle neighborhood, performing magic acts (until her baby brother starts giving away her secrets), trying new snacks at Chinese School (chicken feet, yum), making new friends (even with the bully who moves into her neighborhood), and driving (yes, driving) herself and her little brother to Chinese school (lesson learned: don't park in the principal's spot). Soon her world is rocked by the news that she will be sharing her room with a cousin who is emigrating from China, but when she sees Flying Duck get off the plane and notices right away that her cousin shares her predilection for reflective tape, she knows they will be fast friends. Ruby Lu's exuberant embrace of all the new experiences her world offers is infectious. Though some of the jokes have their tongues planted firmly in adult cheeks, the humor in Look's introduction to Ruby and her family runs the gamut from slapstick to subtle; readers paying different kinds of attention will find different things alternately laugh-out-loud funny, eyebrow-raising, or merely worth a sage and knowing nod. It will be interesting to see what mischief Ruby and Flying Duck can conjure; as a series for young readers, the crossover appeal of these books, in terms of both age and culture, has the potential to take it places Junie B. Jones just can't follow. A glossary of Chinese words is included. (Reviewed from galleys) Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2004, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2004, Schwartz/Atheneum, 105p, $15.95. Grades 2-4.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2004)
Seven-year-old Ruby Lu practices her magic tricks, attends Chinese school on Saturdays, and prepares for the arrival of relatives newly emigrating from China. Ruby is a spunky child—and Wilsdorf's angular sketches are as full of life as Ruby herself. The text is more difficult than the format suggests because the language is peppered with Chinese words and poetic expressions. Category: Younger Fiction. 2004, Atheneum/Schwartz, 106pp, $15.95. Ages 5 to 9. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.