Back to Nature (The Invincible Girls Club) - Softcover

Alpine, Rachele

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1534475389 ISBN 13: 9781534475380

Publisher: Aladdin, 2021

Synopsis

Ruby and her three BFFs go camping in this third installment of the relatable and empowering The Invincible Girls Club chapter book series that fans of The Baby-Sitters Club will love!

Ruby’s life turns upside-down when her parents give her some big news: she’s going to be a big sister! She is a little worried about the new arrival, so her dad takes her and the rest of the Invincible Girls camping for the weekend, where she plans to become one with nature, bond with her friends and Dad, and get away from technology for the weekend.

However, she finds that things are not as easy as they seem. She forgets a key item to bring, her friends don’t seem as excited as she is...and she kind of forgot about the bears who like to visit the camp sites! Ruby wonders if maybe it isn’t about leaving everything behind for an escape into nature but finding the perfect balance.

About this title

About the Author

One of Rachele Alpine’s first jobs was at a library, but it didn’t last long, because all she did was hide in the third-floor stacks and read. Now she’s a little more careful about when and where she indulges her reading habit. Rachele is a high school English teacher by day, a wife and mother by night, and a writer during any time she can find in between. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio, where she writes middle grade and young adult novels. Visit her at RacheleAlpine.com.

Addy Rivera Sonda has loved creating characters and worlds on paper ever since she was a little girl, as everything was always possible there. Drawing was her magic power! Her favorite place is any bookstore that has that old book smell. Aside from drawing, her favorite hobbies are doing projects with her sister, who is a toy designer, and watching old Argentinian soap operas. It inspires her to think that stories and art are slowly but surely changing the way people understand themselves and perceive others, building empathy and a more inclusive world.

Reviews

Gr 2–4—Ruby loves her well-ordered life. But lately, Ruby's home has grown chaotic with the anticipation of a new baby, and she feels forgotten. To remedy this, Ruby's dad takes her and the rest of "The Invincible Girls Club" on a tech-free camping trip. Classic camping fun and catastrophes ensue, while Ruby's mom and grandma prepare a big surprise for the girl at home. Comic-style illustrations are infrequent, but highlight key events and show the ethnic diversity of the characters. The "Invincible Girls Club" series fits into an important niche on the upper end of difficulty for the chapter book range. The story is sweet and positive, if a bit more predictable than it needs to be for the intended audience. Back matter introduces the reader to several real-life "Invincible Girls" who have done remarkable things related to the outdoors and the natural world, along with a list of ways for readers to be more invincible, too. The author also shares her own experience as a camper and staff member at a summer camp. VERDICT This is an uplifting installment in a very positive series, and while this volume does not show the club engaged in community service as the prior ones do, it presents upbeat messages about spending time in nature, speaking up for yourself, and taking much-needed breaks from technology. A solid addition to chapter book collections.—Kelly Jahng

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One: A Tree-mendous Mess

Edition details

• Publisher: Aladdin
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1534475389
• ISBN 13: 9781534475380
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Rivera Sonda Addy
• Number of pages: 160