A FRIEND FOR RUBY

Ruby is a good kid having a bad week. She thinks she wants to be alone, but maybe what she really needs is to find a friend. A gorgeous story about kindness and family and friendship, brought beautifully to life by two incredibly talented creators.

Ruby was glad she'd found a friend; that week Nell had pulled the ribbon from her hair. Joan had called her Funny face. Nobody had chosen her for the dancing circle. While she is walking home along the beach, Ruby finds a strange creature that has washed up on the shore. So she takes it home, feeds it and makes a bed of straw for it in her cubby. But a cubby is no place for a forlorn creature from the sea who longs to be reunited with their family. Ruby must draw on all her resources to help the creature find their way home - and perhaps, along the way, she might just find an unexpected friendship, and someone to dance with. Sofie Laguna's many books for young people include When You're Older, illustrated by Judy Watson, and The Song of Lewis Carmichael and The Glow both illustrated by Marc McBride, Sofie's husband. Sofie has been shortlisted for the Queensland Premier's Awards, and twice awarded Honour Book by the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA). She is also a highly acclaimed author for adults. www.sofielaguna.com Marc McBride is the illustrator of Emily Rodda's New York Times bestselling Deltora Quest series, which has sold over 18 million copies worldwide and has become an anime TV show. He has illustrated over 200 book covers and 10 picture books, including writing and illustrating World of Monsters. Marc has exhibited with the New York Society of Illustrators, been shortlisted for the CBCA Awards and Aurealis Awards, and has won the Aurealis Awards twice. www.marcmcbride.com