Emma and the Ruby Ring - Hardcover

MacGrory, Yvonne

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1571316353 ISBN 13: 9781571316356

Publisher: Milkweed Editions, 2002

Synopsis

A magic ruby ring transports eleven-year-old Emma to nineteenth-century Ireland, where she and two young girls unravel a mystery at Moylough Castle, which forces Emma to summon all of her courage and cleverness to save her new friends from being banished to the New World. Simultaneous.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-6-In this sequel to The Secret of the Ruby Ring (Milkweed, 1994), Emma, 11, overhears family friends calling her selfish and counting the days until her visit with them ends, and she resolves to change her ways. A ruby ring with the power to grant two wishes gives her the chance, and twisting it transports her to 19th-century Ireland. She suddenly finds herself in a crowd entering a workhouse and befriends an ill, worried, widowed mother and her two daughters. When Mrs. Madden dies, Emma accompanies the girls to Moylough Castle to help them fulfill their mother's last request, which was to find a certain cousin. She gets work as a scullery maid and discovers the importance of the dying woman's instruction. For the most part, this is a fast-paced mystery. However, the historical elements are much more convincing than the characterizations, and the author does little to establish the Irish setting in the present day. Emma's realization of her selfishness and resolve to change comes on a bit too suddenly, and adds an unnecessary didactic element to an otherwise entertaining read. The ending is surprising and satisfying, with the ownership of the castle coming full circle. Sketchy illustrations add little to the story. Despite its flaws, this book will appeal to readers with healthy appetites for time-travel mysteries.
Heather Dieffenbach, Lexington Public Library, KY
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

Emma Martin takes readers on a trip to 19th-century Ireland after accidentally making a wish on her cousin's magic ring in Emma and the Ruby Ring by Yvonne MacGrory, the follow-up to The Secret of the Ruby Ring. Terry Myler's b&w cross-hatch drawings pepper the text.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Milkweed Editions
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 1571316353
• ISBN 13: 9781571316356
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 180
• Illustrator: Myler Terry