Way Down Deep
Author(s): Ruth White
Although Ruby seemed to just appear out of thin air on the steps of the courthouse on the first day of summer in 1944, no one in Way Down Deep, West Virginia, ever worried too much about where the toddler came from. They figured that if Ruby's people were dumb enough to lose something as valuable as a child, then that was their problem. So even though Ruby can't help but wonder where she came from, she has led a joyful and carefree life in Way Down Deep, loved and watched over by Miss Arbutus – proprietor of The Roost, the local boardinghouse – the residents of The Roost, and the rest of the town. But when Ruby is twelve, a new family moves to Way Down Deep, and they inadvertently provide enough clues about Ruby's past that she is able to find her own people. Ruby travels from Way Down Deep to the top of Yonder Mountain to learn who she really is – only to find that she is bound to Way Down Deep by something even stronger than family ties: love.
With a touch of fairy-tale magic and a lot of heart, Ruth White explores just what it is that makes a place truly home.
Way Down Deep is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Review(s):
“Both fable and mystery, Way Down Deep is simply irresistible, as plucky orphan Ruby June searches for the secret of her past, deeply entwined with an entire community worthy of Dickens. Funny, sweet, and filled with the heart's own truths, this is the best book yet from the queen of Appalachian storytelling.” —Lee Smith, author of On Agate Hill and Fair and Tender Ladies
“A tale of magical beginnings and the everyday magic of an ordinary place populated by a colorful cast of characters worthy of Dickens. A story to love.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“At the heart of the story are profound questions that readers will enjoy puzzling out.” —Booklist, Starred Review
“Captivating and thoughtful on many levels, White's novel offers humor, mystery, and a feel-good ending that a multitude of readers will find satisfying ‘way down deep.' ” —School Library Journal
“Has its own memorable charm.” —The Horn Book
“White's humor is wise and gentle. . . . Goats, children, readers, disappointed old men, and crotchety old women--all find a warm welcome in Way Down Deep.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“Ruth White . . . narrates in a voice that is not condescending by wryly knowing, as if she's Flannery O'Connor for the younger set.” —Chicago Tribune
“Peopled with delightfully quirky characters, this short novel caputres the authentic cadences of Appalachia.” —VOYA
“You easily fall in love with the little town of Way Down Deep.” —A YALSA YA Galley Teen Reader
“This book has a great plot. I love the small hometown-feeling of the story and all of the characters. . . . this book was great!” —A YALSA YA Galley Teen Reader
“This is one of my favorite books--I felt like I was really in Way Down Deep.” —A YALSA YA Galley Teen Reader
VOYA Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers, Lamplighter Award (National Christian Schools Association) (2009), Winner PA Carolyn W. Field Award (2008), Long-listed Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year (2008), Butler Center - Kinship Project Winner (2011), Lamplighter Award (National Christian Schools Association), Missouri Mark Twain Award Master List, Long-listed Missouri Mark Twain Award Master List (2009), Long-listed Iowa Children's Choice Award Master List (2009), Long-listed VOYA Top Shelf Fiction MS Readers, Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award Master List, Georgia Children's Book Award Master List (University of GA), Oklahoma Sequoyah Young Adult Book Award Master List (2010), Long-listed Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award ML (2008), Long-listed Oklahoma Sequoyah YA Book Award ML (2010), Long-listed Hawaii Nene Book Award Master List, Oklahoma Sequoyah Young Adult Book Award Master List, Georgia Children's Book Award Master List (University of GA) (2008), Long-listed Kansas William Allen White Award Master List, Utah Beehive Book Award Master List, Long-listed Booklist Editors' Choice, Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, PA Carolyn W. Field Award, Iowa Children's Choice Award Master List, GA Picture Storybook Award ML (2008), Long-listed Utah Beehive Book Award Master List (2009), Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award Master List (2008), Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List, Long-listed Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List (2008)
ISBN: 9780312660963