Laura Ruby is an American author of twelve books, including Bone Gap (2015), winner of the 2016 Michael L. Printz Award and finalist for the 2015 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. She is also a professor at Hamline University.
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". In an interview with Publishers Weekly, Ruby characterized her award-winning novel as an "oddball" book that doesn't fit neatly into one genre.
Biography Ruby grew up in New Jersey, and now lives in the Chicago metropolitan area.
She is a faculty member at Hamline University in the low-residency MFA program in writing for children and young adults.
She teaches fantasy writing workshops for children's authors at Highlights.
Awards and honors Ruby's books and audiobooks constitute seven Junior Library Guild selections: Bone Gap (audiobook and book) (2015), The Shadow Cipher (2017), The Clockwork Ghost (2019), Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All (audiobook and book) (2020), and The Map of Stars (2020).
In 2015, Bone Gap was named one of the best books of the year by Bank Street College of Education, Chicago Public Library, Locus, the New York Public Library, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal.
In 2017, The Shadow Cipher was named one of the best books of the year by the Chicago Public Library, New York Public Library, and Los Angeles Public Library.
In 2019, Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All was named one of the best books of the year by the Chicago Public Library,Locus, NPR, School Library Journal, Shelf Awareness, and Tor.com. +Literary awards for Ruby's writingYearTitleAwardCategoryResultRef.2004Lily's GhostsEdgar Award JuvenileFinalist2007Cybils Award Elementary and Middle Grade Speculative FictionFinalist2012Bad ApplePopular Paperbacks for Young Adults—Selection2015Bone GapBooklist Editors' ChoiceBooks for YouthSelectionCybils Award Young Adult Speculative FictionFinalistNational Book AwardYoung People's LiteratureFinalistNebula AwardAndre Norton AwardFinalist2016ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults—SelectionMichael L. Printz Award—WinnerALA Best Fiction for Young Adults—Selection2019Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them AllBooklist Editors' ChoiceBooks for YouthSelectionGeffen Award Translated Fantasy BookFinalistNational Book AwardYoung People's LiteratureFinalist2020ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults—SelectionRise: A Feminist Book Project—Selection
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
External links Official website
One Thing Leads to Another: An Interview with Laura Ruby