Hey, buster! Normal life is a total yawn. Break out of boredom with Ruby Redfort, the super-awesome new creation from multi-million-copy bestseller Lauren Child! Want to know more? Of course you do, bozo. Here's the low-down on Ruby Redfort: she's a genius code-cracker, a daring detective, and a gadget-laden special agent who just happens to be a thirteen-year-old girl. She and her slick side-kick butler, Hitch, foil crimes and get into loads of scrapes with evil villains, but they're always ice-cool in a crisis. In LOOK INTO MY EYES, we go right back to Ruby's beginnings as an agent. When an anonymous caller sets Ruby a challenge, it's not long before she finds her way into the HQ of the most secret of secret agencies -- SPECTRUM. They need her help to crack a code but her desk job soon spirals into an all-out action adventure, as Ruby uncovers the dastardly plans of the formidable Fool's Gold Gang!

About the Author

Lauren Child burst on to the children's books scene in 1999 and has since published many bestselling and award-winning books, including those featuring the hugely popular Charlie and Lola, and the Clarice Bean series. She has won numerous awards including the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal and the Smarties Gold Award. Her books have been made into an award-winning TV series and have sold in many languages with runaway success.

Reviews

"The new Ruby Redfort book is utterly exceptionordinarily brilliant" -- Clarice Bean "Lauren Child has put imagination and fun back into the real worlds of childhood." -- Julia Eccleshare, Guardian "Lauren Child is a publishing phenomenon" -- Observer Magazine "Lauren Child is so good it's exhilarating" -- The Independent Praise for Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now: "Both hilarious and moving -- this is going to be a huge hit." -- Guardian Books Supplement "!combines Lauren Child's inimitable style and wit!" -- Sunday Post

As smart and observant as her socialite parents are clueless, junior high student Ruby Redfort has the makings of a top-notch sleuth. But it's her code-cracking skills that attract the attention of Spectrum, a secret intelligence agency that hires her. In this funny and action-packed first installment of an adventure series from Child, Ruby (who Child's fans will recognize as her character Clarice Bean's favorite fictional heroine) quickly becomes bored with her first Spectrum assignment, poring over the files of a code-breaking agent who met an untimely demise. With the help of her sidekick/classmate Clancy Crew, she ventures out from her well-hidden office into more dangerous territory to prevent the theft of a priceless jade Buddha statue. Playing a game of cat and mouse with criminals and fellow agents (who are furious at her for overstepping boundaries), Ruby finds her way into some dire situations, but readers will rest assured that she will find a way to squirm out of enemy hands. Child's sardonic narration will grab readers from the get-go, and puzzles laced throughout will intrigue those who share Ruby's passion for solving mysteries. Ages 10-13. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 6-8-At age two, when Ruby Redfort couldn't get her parents to understand that she was telling them about a theft she witnessed, she determined to give up baby talk and spruce up her verbal skills. By age seven, she had created a code that took weeks for well-educated adults to crack. Not surprisingly, 13-year-old Ruby is an exceptional code-breaker and clever detective who is contacted by a spy agency called Spectrum to help them crack a particularly difficult code. With her buddy Clancy and butler Hitch, she foils the villains (including a woman named Valerie "Nine Lives" Capaldi and a sly, slippery, and creepy Count) and saves the Jade Buddha from falling into their unscrupulous hands. Ruby's parents are kind but clueless and provide a foil for her brilliant ways. The mystery and intrigue, murder and mayhem are presented in a light tone and with a satirical touch sure to make readers laugh. Those familiar with the author's "Clarice Bean" novels may note that Clarice's favorite book character now has her own series. And since the Count escapes, Ruby's adventures are likely to continue.-Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at Washington DC Public Library (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.