loneliness – Mom Read It

The author of The Invisible String takes on intense loneliness in her newest work, Ruby and Lonely.

Ruby and Lonely, by Patrice Karst/Illustrated by Kayla Harren,
(September 2023, Two Lions), $17.99, ISBN: 9781662508042
Ages 5-8
Ruby is a young girl who feels lonely. Overlooked. The other kids at school don’t seem to notice her as they play together. Her siblings are always busy with their friends, and her parents are busy either working or zoning out in front of the TV. She doesn’t have the words to express herself, so she withdraws further, disappearing into her loneliness, until a teacher suggests that “examin[ing] it from all angles and giv[ing] it a name” will help solve things. Ruby decides to name her problem Lonely, visualized first as a black and white reflection of Ruby in the mirror. Ruby decides to befriend Lonely, spend time alongside Lonely, and the two begin spending time together. Comfortable with her solitude, Ruby gains more confidence, drawing the attention of other kids and finally giving Ruby the ability to ask for what she needs, including time with her family. As Ruby gains more confidence, Lonely takes on color and steps out of the mirror, an inner light shining through her. But Lonely also knows when it’s time to hand Ruby the reins, and quietly returns to the background, still colorful, quietly cheering on Ruby and “waiting deep inside, whenever Ruby needed her”. A gentle story about loneliness and learning that confidence comes first from spending time with oneself, Harren uses color and realistic illustration to deliver Karst’s message. Ruby’s red hair shines once she and Lonely embrace one another; her clothes go from muted darker colors to bright yellows, blues, and pinks; her face turning up and smiling, moving from a head-down, preoccupied frown. An author’s note and questions for discussion round out the back matter. A good book to have on hand for social-emotional collections.

Patrice Karst is the bestselling author of The Invisible String, which has sold more than a million copies and been translated into fifteen languages, and its companion titles, The Invisible Leash, The Invisible Web, You Are Never Alone: An Invisible String Lullaby, and most recently, The Invisible String Backpack. She is also the coauthor of The Invisible String Workbook with Dr. Dana Wyss. She also wrote The Smile that Went Around the World. Patrice is passionate about spreading her message of love across the planet. Born in London, England, she now lives in Southern California. Learn more at www.patricekarst.com.

Kayla Harren is an award-winning illustrator of children’s books, including A Boy Like You, written by Frank Murphy, and The Boy Who Grew a Forest, written by Sophia Gholz, among other titles. She recently illustrated Thursday, by Ann Bonwill, which Midwest Book Review called “an impressively presented picture book of healing and hope for young children.” Her work has been featured in the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, Communication Arts, and 3×3 Magazine, and she won the Highlights for Children Pewter Plate Award. She lives in Minnesota. Learn more at www.kaylaharren.com.

The Monstrous Child, by Francesca Simon, (June 2017, Faber & Faber), $11.95, ISBN: 9780571330270

Recommended for ages 12+

Being the daughter of a giantess and the god of mischief is hard enough, but being born as a half-corpse on top of it? No wonder Hel, daughter of Loki and Angrboda, has a chip on her shoulder. Her older brothers are a snake and a wolf, her half-brothers are human – but they’re jerks, and her father’s no prize, whether or not he’s a Marvel and Tumblr heartthrob in another universe.

So goes the story of Francesca Simon’s The Monstrous Child. Narrated by Hel herself, it’s Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology for the middle school set. We read about her anger at Odin’s casting her into Niffelheim to rule over the dead, and the pain of her unrequited love for Baldr, the most beautiful of the Norse gods. We discover her friendship with a frost giant, condemned to oversee the bridge to Hel’s realm, and the despair that leads her to consider a role in Ragnarok: The Twilight of the Gods.

I loved this book. As a fan of Norse myth and YA, I enjoyed seeing the myths from Hel’s perspective: an outcast, literally cast away from her family; forced to make her way on her own. She suffers loneliness, the pain of loving someone unavailable, and the desire for revenge. This is a perfect addition to middle school libraries, and a great way to connect ancient myths to contemporary YA. Hel’s voice is clear and strong; supporting characters also have defined personalities and the dialogue – both Hel’s internal dialogue and the dialogue between characters, particularly between Hel and Loki, is delicious.

Francesca Simon has delved into Greek and Norse myth in the past. While I’m not sure if her books The Sleeping Army and The Lost Gods are part of The Monstrous Child‘s Universe, as they take place on Midgard (Earth), I’m still going to add them to my collection to stand next to Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase series, because the kids at my library read any and all things fictional myth. The Monstrous Child stands on its own as a solid work of Norse myth and middle school-level fiction. Younger readers will be familiar with Ms. Simon’s Horrid Henry intermediate series.

Originally released in hardcover in May 2016, The Monstrous Child‘s paperback release is due out in a few short weeks. You can grab a copy from your library right now!

Tag: loneliness

Loki’s daughter has her say in The Monstrous Child