Ruby’s Wish. ISBN 0-8118-3490-5. Shirin Yim Bridges. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. 2002. Ezra Jack Keats Book Award. Ages 5-8. Chinese.

Ruby is a girl in China from a wealthy family who allows her to learn to read and write, at a time when most girls are not allowed to do so. She wishes that when she is old enough, rather than marrying, she can attend university. Ruby shows her grandfather her talent and her desire for education, and he grants her wish. The watercolor illustrations extend the text by showing the reader the beauty of traditional Chinese culture with which many young readers may be unfamiliar, such as the clothing, hairstyles, Chinese calligraphy, and architecture.

Ruby's Wish could be used in the classroom, most likely in the social studies curriculum, to discuss traditional gender roles and traditions of other cultures. The class could have a Chinese New Year celebration with Chinese lanterns and red envelopes with wishes inside for their classmates or families. This book also provides an opportunity to discuss the importance of children speaking-up for themselves. Art is another area in which this book could be used. Simple Chinese calligraphy could be explored along with a discussion about the use of pictographs in the evolution of written language.