Reviewed by Sarah Tegerdine
Imagine buying a mysterious gold pen from
a flea market to discover that it’s magical, and whatever you draw with it
comes true? Well, that’s exactly what David Lawrence and Cherie Dignam have skillfully and playfully produced with Ruby and the Pen.
This is the story of Ruby, a 12-year-old
girl with a brilliant talent for drawing cartoons, but her life is filled with up-hill
battles and she is surrounded by bullies. Whether it is her mother’s boyfriend
or the girls at her boarding school, life has become really challenging since
the passing of her father.
It doesn’t take long before she realises
the power that she wields with just a few simple strokes which ultimately
brings its own unique set of problems and dilemmas. Initially, it’s great fun
but Ruby is tested acutely and the good friendships she has curated are pushed
to breaking point when moral values are breached.
Ruby and the Pen is filled with
comedy and heart, combined with Cherie’s black and white illustrations which
are lively and dynamic. Young readers are going to thoroughly enjoy the first
book in this new series.
Recommended for readers aged 9 yrs and
over.
The second book in the series, Xander and the Pen is due out in November 2023.
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