Ruby's Secret

Ruby’s Secret is a realistic story presented as a first-person recount.  A girl has gone to spend the summer with her dad, but shortly after her arrival, her beloved dog dies.  She doesn’t believe she’s ready for another dog, but when a stray ends up in the back yard, she opens her heart to her.  She names the new dog Ruby.  The girl is devastated when Ruby’s owner is found, but when Ruby has puppies, the girl learns that she has love for more than one dog.  The story captures the emotional growth of a young girl who experiences loss and then learns how much love she has to give.  Narrative and dialogue are used to tell the story.

The recount tells the story as a sequence of events.  A variety of sentence types are used.  Illustrations support the text and add meaning.  Bold face, ellipses, and enlarged type are used for emphasis and to create drama.  The book concludes with a two-page spread that gives the characteristics of a recount, including information about who the story is about, when and where it takes place, what happens, and how the story ends.

Some words, such as charged, whined, crept, and pounced may require clarification.  The adjectives white, junk and big are used.  The pronouns I, he, she, her, and us are used.  A simile is used. 

This title is from the Sails Literacy series. Hook readers and ignite their curiosity - over 700 levelled texts with bright, colourful, sophisticated designs.