Books with author Nancy Oswald

Ants, bees, dragonflies, limping millipedes… Buster would rather ignore his brainy sister Maggie’s insect zoo, but he needs her help with the carnival fundraiser for his baseball team, the Cougars. Unfortunately, Buster needs more than fundraising help from his sister. His failing math grade is at a full count—one more strike and he won’t be able to play in the game against the three Pirate bullies: Chewy, Ace, and Rip. The town of Ashville may never be the same after these rival teams clash. Bugs and baseball don’t mix.

Rescue in Poverty Gulch transports the reader to 1896 Cripple Creek, Colorado, where gold was in the hills and the town was booming. Eleven-year-old Ruby May Oliver and her donkey, Maude, are happy with things just the way they are, traveling with Pa to mining camps to sell candlesticks to miners. However, life changes drastically when Ruby and her Pa are stranded in Cripple Creek. Spending days in a schoolhouse when she already knows her numbers and how to read, doesn’t strike Ruby as the best use of her time. To make things worse, Pa decides Ruby needs a ‘proper upbringing’. The hilarious antics of Maude, a menacing figure set on kidnapping Maude, and the historic backdrop of the destructive Cripple Creek fires of 1896 make for an exciting page-turning read.Nancy Oswald is author of two previous historical novels: Nothing Here But Stones and Hard Face Moon.“Rescue in Poverty Gulch is filled with delights. With eloquent charm, Nancy Oswald recreates life in the rough-and-tumble gold mining town of Cripple Creek.”—Margaret Coel, author of Chief Left Hand and the Wind River novels“Readers are sure to adore best friends Ruby and Maude. Her donkey, Maude, is the best friend a tomboy like Ruby can have! This is a page-turning adventure laced with twists, turns, humor, and a cast of memorable characters. We can only hope that Ruby and Maude team up for more fast and fun adventures.”—Randall Platt, Award-winning author of Hellie Jondoe“Nancy Oswald has the magical ability to let her young readers see life as it was a century ago. Ruby’s story gives the reader a great sense of 1896 Cripple Creek. This is a great read for kids!”—Jan Collins, Director, Cripple Creek District Museum, Cripple Creek, Colorado

Trouble Returns is the third installment in the Ruby and Maude Adventure series.Eleven-year-old Ruby is in an unbelievable amount of trouble. Trouble in school, trouble with the Sisters of Mercy, trouble with her cat named Trouble, and trouble with Pa after he proposes to the school principal. In 1896 Cripple Creek, Colorado, Ruby narrowly escapes death, and her donkey, Maude, steals the story with an unexpected surprise.“If you haven’t met Ruby, Maude, and Trouble, you’re in for a treat and a surprise ending. Enjoy!”—Lois Ruby, author of Steal Away Home

This resource was developed by the author of the Ruby and Maude Adventures for teachers using the novels in the classroom. It contains a variety of questions to guide teachers and students through the books. The questions are organized book by book, and most can be answered directly from the text with a short answer. Other questions might need research or would be better suited for discussion or for longer writing assignments. Questions are coded according to their possible uses. These codes are suggestions only, so teachers are free to modify, expand, or revise questions in any way to customize the classroom experience.