One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies, by Sonya Sones

Title: One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies
Author: Sonya Sones
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (October 25, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416907882
ISBN-13: 978-1416907886

 

Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Ruby's life has drastically changed. Her mother, the only parent she has ever known, has died of cancer. Now Ruby must leave her life in Boston behind to go live with her movie-star father in Los Angeles. Ruby documents her trials and tribulations in verse, expressing her rage, sarcasm and even humor through poetry.

 

Review: Sonya Sones mostly uses blank verse to tell the story of Ruby, who must leave behind her mother's grave, her friends, her aunt and everything she knew to go live with her famous movie star father - whom she has never met. Her mother and father divorced before Ruby was born. By using verse, Sones allows the reader to look between the linesRuby has written to visualize and feel Ruby's pain and anger. The only time Sones writes in prose is when showing the e-mails Ruby and her friends have exchanged, as well as the e-mails Ruby continues to send her dead mother. By using a free-verse style, Sones gives readers an intimate look into the life (and head) of this very true-to-life teen character.

 

Awards/Reviews:

• winner of the Tennessee Volunteer State Teen Read Award (2006)
• winner of the Iowa Golden Apple Teen Read Award (2006)
• winner of the Rhode Island Teen Book Award (2005 -2006)
• winner of the New Hampshire Isinglass Teen Read Award (2005-2006)
• winner of the South Carolina Mustang Book Award (2005)
• winner of the 2004 Cuffie Award from Publisher’s Weekly for the Best Book Title of the Year
• chosen a Popular Paperback for Young Adults by the American Library Association
• named an International Reading Association Young Adults’ Choice (2006)
• named a 2005 Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association
• named a 2005 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers by the American Library Association
• nominated by the American Library Association to be a 2004 Teens’ Top Ten Book
• named an Honor Book by the Society of School Librarians International (2004)
• chosen a Kliatt Editor’s Choice: Best of 2004 Hardcover Fiction
• chosen a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Teen Book List (2004)
• chosen a New York Pubic Library Book for the Teen Age (2005)
• chosen for the New York State Charlotte Award Suggested Reading List  2006
• chosen a Westchester’s Choice List: Best Young Adult Book (2005)
• chosen for the Texas Tayshas High School Reading List 2005-2006
• chosen a YASIG Best of the Best (Missouri)
• chosen a Kansas State Reading Circle Senior High School Titles Top Pick  2005
• chosen a Pennsylvania School Librarian Association (PSLA) "Top Ten (Or So)" Young Adult Books  2004
• chosen a PSLA Young Adult Top 40 Fiction List 2004
• chosen an Amazon.com Top Ten Editor’s Pick for Teens (2004)
• chosen a Top Ten Summer Read by Girl’s Life Magazine (2004)

          Nominated for the following state book awards:

• Arizona Young Reader's Award (2005 – 2006)
• Florida Teen Reads Award (2006-2007)
• Maine Student Book Award (2005 – 2006)
• Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (2005 – 2006)
• Missouri Gateway Readers Award (2006-2007)
• Eliot Rosewater High School Book Award (IN) (2006 -2007)
• Garden State Teen Book Award (NJ) (2007)

"Sones’ novel is an unusual combination of over-the-top Hollywood fairy tale and sharp, honest story about overcoming grief…It’s Ruby’s first-person voice—acrimonious, raw, and very funny—that pulls everything together, whether she is writing e-mails to her deceased mother or attending Dream Analysis class at a private L.A. high school…A satisfying, moving novel that will be a winner for both eager and reluctant readers." - Booklist starred review

"Ruby’s affable personality is evident in her humorous quips and clever wordplays. Her depth of character is revealed through her honest admissions, poignant revelations, and sensitive insights. This is not just another one of those gimmicky novels written in poetry. It’s solid and well written, and Sones has a lot to say about the importance of carefully assessing people and situations and about opening the door to one’s own happiness…Ruby’s story is gripping, enjoyable, and memorable." - School Library Journal starred review

"It is true that the mother dies, but this hilarious and painfully real novel in verse and letters is anything but hideous." - VOYA review

 

Connections:

Lead a round-table discussion on the book. Ask students to speculate on why they think Sones wrote the book in verse. How might the novel have been different if it had been written in prose? Would it have been as effective?

During the class's computer group time, have students go to https://penzu.com/ and click on "try it free". Ask to students to imagine they are Ruby and write what would be the next entry in Ruby's diary. The entry must be in free verse and at least 10 lines. Ask students to image what they think happened after the book ended. Ask students to make sure they title the piece and put their names on their entries at the bottom of the page with their class period, then print out their entries.

During the class's next computer group time, have students again go to https://penzu.com/ and click on "try it free". Ask students to write their own free verse diary entry over something that happened to them recently. It can be sad, funny, scary or angry. Stipulate that it must be at least 10 lines. Tell students to make sure their entries have a title. Have students print out their free-verse diary entries with their names and class periods on them and hand them in to you.