Books with author Lois Ruby

Guy Hudgens, age 13, mysteriously tumbles into a haunted creek in Kansas, is rescued by the Hogg Fiddler Band, and returned to his home in Chicago. But he has no actual home -- until he decides to take up permanent residence in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. He successfully dodges cameras, security officers, and Child Protective Services, until an act of vandalism at the museum points national attention his way. Guy makes a decision that changes his life and the lives of scores of homeless people in Chicago in this book jumping with humor and heart.

A spunky young girl forms an unlikely friendship with a dying Chinese man while living in a group home For Greta, having light and carefree Hackey hanging around her mom is a lot more fun than having an ordinary dad. But Hackey isn’t her father—he’s more like a pimp, and no matter how friendly he is, he still treats Greta’s mom like dirt. When the situation at home goes from bad to worse, Greta is moved into a home for at-risk children where she meets some of the most interesting girls she has ever known—and a shy young boy named Wing. Greta’s riding a San Francisco cable car when she notices Wing carrying a huge basket of delicious-smelling food. It’s for his grandfather, Old Man, who is dying in the Chinese hospital. Although they don’t speak the same language, Greta and Old Man will become fast friends—two survivors, who refuse to give up on life.