Laura Ruby

Laura Ruby
Occupation	Author, professor
Nationality	American
Notable awards	Printz Award (2016)
Website
lauraruby.com

Laura Ruby is an American author of twelve books, including Bone Gap (2015), winner of the 2016 Michael L. Printz Award[1] and finalist for the 2015 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.[2] She is also a professor at Hamline University.[3][4]

Bone Gap is a coming-of-age mystery about a kidnapping in a small Midwestern town, and it incorporates elements of mythology and magical realism. The New York Times Book Review called it a "lush and original young adult novel".[5] In an interview with Publishers Weekly, Ruby characterized her award-winning novel as an "oddball" book that doesn't fit neatly into one genre.[6]

Biography

Ruby grew up in New Jersey, and now lives in the Chicago metropolitan area.[7]

She is a faculty member at Hamline University in the low-residency MFA program in writing for children and young adults.[3][4]

She teaches fantasy writing workshops for children's authors at Highlights.[8]

Awards and honors

Ruby's books and audiobooks constitute seven Junior Library Guild selections: Bone Gap (audiobook and book) (2015),[9][10] The Shadow Cipher (2017),[11] The Clockwork Ghost (2019),[12] Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All (audiobook and book) (2020),[13][14] and The Map of Stars (2020).[15]

In 2015, Bone Gap was named one of the best books of the year by Bank Street College of Education,[16] Chicago Public Library,[17] Locus,[18] the New York Public Library,[9] Publishers Weekly,[19] and School Library Journal.[20]

In 2017, The Shadow Cipher was named one of the best books of the year by the Chicago Public Library,[21] New York Public Library,[22] and Los Angeles Public Library.[11]

In 2019, Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All was named one of the best books of the year by the Chicago Public Library,[13]Locus,[23] NPR,[24] School Library Journal,[13] Shelf Awareness,[25] and Tor.com.[26]

Literary awards for Ruby's writing

Year	Title	Award	Category	Result	Ref.
2004	Lily's Ghosts	Edgar Award	Juvenile	Finalist
2007	The Chaos King	Cybils Award	Elementary and Middle Grade Speculative Fiction	Finalist	[27]
2012	Bad Apple	Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults	—	Selection	[28]
2015	Bone Gap	Booklist Editors' Choice	Books for Youth	Selection	[29]
		Cybils Award	Young Adult Speculative Fiction	Finalist	[30]
		National Book Award	Young People's Literature	Finalist	[31][4][32]
		Nebula Award	Andre Norton Award	Finalist	[33][34][35]
2016		ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults	—	Selection	[36]
		Michael L. Printz Award	—	Winner	[37][38][39]
	The Shadow Cipher	ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults	—	Selection	[40]
2019	Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All	Booklist Editors' Choice	Books for Youth	Selection	[41]
		Geffen Award	Translated Fantasy Book	Finalist	[42]
		National Book Award	Young People's Literature	Finalist	[43][44][4][45]
2020		ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults	—	Selection	[46]
		Rise: A Feminist Book Project	—	Selection	[47]

Published works

Standalone books

• Lily’s Ghosts (2003)
• Everything I Wanted to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume (2006)
• I'm Not Julia Roberts (2007)
• Good Girls (2006)
• Play Me (2008)
• Bad Apple (2009)
• Bone Gap (2015)
• Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All (2019)

York series

• York: The Shadow Cipher (2017)
• York: The Clockwork Ghost (2019)
• York: The Map of Stars (2020)

The Wall and the Wing series

• The Wall and the Wing (2006)
• The Chaos King (2007)

References

1. "'Bone Gap' wins 2016 Printz Award". ALA News. American Library Association. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
2. "2015 National Book Award Finalist, Young People's Literature". National Book Foundation. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
3. "Laura Ruby". Hamline University. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
4. "Laura Ruby". National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
5. Meloy, Maile (May 8, 2015). "'Bone Gap', by Laura Ruby". New York Times. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
6. "An 'Amazing' Honor for an 'Oddball' Book: Laura Ruby on Winning the 2016 Printz". Publishers Weekly. January 12, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
7. Ruby, Laura. "Laura: Beefier Bio". Author Laura Ruby. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
8. "Laura Ruby, Faculty". Highlights Foundation. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
9. "Bone Gap by Laura Ruby". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
10. "Bone Gap (Audiobook) by Laura Ruby". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
11. "York: Book One, The Shadow Cipher by Laura Ruby". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
12. "The Clockwork Ghost: York by Laura Ruby". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
13. "Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
14. "Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All (Audiobook) by Laura Ruby". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
15. "The Map of Stars: York by Laura Ruby". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
16. "Best Children's Books of the Year | Fourteen and Older | 2016 Edition" (PDF). Bank Street College of Education. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
17. "Best Teen Fiction of 2015". Chicago Public Library. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
18. "2015 Locus Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. 2016-02-01. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
19. "Best Books of 2015". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
20. "Best Books 2015: Bone Gap | Young Adult". School Library Journal. 2015-11-24. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
21. "Best Fiction for Older Readers of 2017". Chicago Public Library. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
22. "New York Public Library Announces Its Best Books of 2017 for Kids and Teens". The New York Public Library. 2017-11-20. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
23. "2019 Locus Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. 2020-02-01. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
24. "Books We Love". NPR. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
25. "Our 2019 Best Children's & Teen Books of the Year". Shelf Awareness. 2019-11-26. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
26. Brown, Alex (2019-12-12). "Best Young Adult Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror of 2019". Tor.com. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
27. "2007 Cybils Finalists". Archived from the original on 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
28. "Bad Apple | Awards & Grants". American Library Association. 2012-05-24. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
29. "Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2015". Booklist. 2016-01-01. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
30. "2015 Cybils Finalists". Archived from the original on 2023-03-25. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
31. Andrews, Meredith (2016-03-01). "Laura Ruby Interviewed by Tim Manley". National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
32. "Awards: National Book Award Finalists". Shelf Awareness. 2015-10-15. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
33. "Nebula Awards Nominees and Winners: Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction". The Nebula Awards®. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
34. "2015 Nebula Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2016-05-15. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
35. "Announcing the 2015 Nebula Award Winners". Tor.com. 2016-05-14. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
36. "Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2016". Booklist. 2016-03-01. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
37. "Printz Award Winner: 2016". Booklist. 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
38. Philippe, Kefira. "New Year, Past Winners | Pondering Printz". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
39. "Ruby and Levithan Win ALA Awards". Locus Online. 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
40. "2018 Best Fiction for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2018-02-13. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
41. "Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2019". [Booklist]]. 2020-01-01. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
42. "2019 Geffen Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2019-10-17. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
43. Andrews, Meredith (2019-10-07). "The 2019 National Book Awards Finalists Announced". National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
44. Diane, Roback (2019-11-21). "2019 National Book Awards for Young People's Literature in Photos". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
45. "Awards: National Book Award Finalists". Shelf Awareness. 2019-10-09. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
46. "Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2020". Booklist. 2020-03-15. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
47. "Rise: A Feminist Book Project: 2020". Booklist. 2020-03-15. Retrieved 2023-04-06.

External links

• Official website
• Laura Ruby at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• One Thing Leads to Another: An Interview with Laura Ruby