Lucky Broken Girl

Lucky Broken Girl

By Ruth Behar

23 ratings 25 reviews 29 followers
Interest LevelReading LevelReading A-ZATOSWord Count
Grades 4 - 8Grades 3 - 8W4.249919
“A book for anyone mending from childhood wounds.”—Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street
 
In this unforgettable multicultural coming-of-age narrative—based on the author’s childhood in the 1960s—a young Cuban-Jewish immigrant girl is adjusting to her new life in New York City when her American dream is suddenly derailed. Ruthie’s plight will intrigue readers, and her powerful story of strength and resilience, full of color, light, and poignancy, will stay with them for a long time.
 
Ruthie Mizrahi and her family recently emigrated from Castro’s Cuba to New York City. Just when she’s finally beginning to gain confidence in her mastery of English—and enjoying her reign as her neighborhood’s hopscotch queen—a horrific car accident leaves her in a body cast and confined her to her bed for a long recovery. As Ruthie’s world shrinks because of her inability to move, her powers of observation and her heart grow larger and she comes to understand how fragile life is, how vulnerable we all are as human beings, and how friends, neighbors, and the power of the arts can sweeten even the worst of times.

Publisher: Puffin Books
ISBN-13: 9780399546457
ISBN-10: 0399546456
Published on 4/10/2018
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 272

Book Reviews (26)

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This book is very good. Ruthie had just moved into america, when she and her family got into a car accident. Ruthie had a broken leg, and had to have a cast cover the lower half of her body. It is very hard for Ruthie, especially because she had been moved into the more advanced class at school, and she was supposed to join the smart kids the next day. I loved this book, thanks Dogo for giving it to me!! I really recommended this book!!

This book is about a girl named Ruthie. She is having a great life in America, until she gets into a car accident and has a cast cover her entire lower half of her body. As the book goes on, it shows how bravery and perseverance can let you do anything. You should read this book! It is such a good story.

LOVE THIS STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This book is about Ruthie. Ruthie gets in a car crash and brakes her leg. This is a book about how she recovers. It is very heartfelt. it is also kinda sad. BUT I STILL LOVE IT!!!!!

I like everything about this book! The main character suffers from a terrible accident that leaves her unable to walk for a full year, but the book isn't completely sad. I like the way the family remembers their lives back in Cuba, making foods and following customs from their native land. I like the way the main character's family helps her through the accident and her recuperation. The book offers people in bad situations lots of hope. It's the type of book that just makes you feel good to read. I would recommend it.

Raven345 Raven345

This book is beautiful and heart touching please go ahead and read it

Ruthie is just a young girl living in New York City, trying to achieve the American dream until those dreams are put on the line after a car accident that leaves her very injured. The story follows Ruthie's journey to recovery, forgiveness, hope, and love. I loved this book so so much for not only the thought provoking bits and life lessons, but for the melting pots of cultures that were conveyed. Because this is largely based off of the author's own experience, it has a personal touch that couldn't have been added otherwise. First of all, the life lessons and thought provoking bits. I loved Ruthie and I think anyone could sympathize with her hopefulness and kindness. I also loved how her recovery process was used in such a way that Ruthie had to grow up fast and learned so many life lessons like forgiveness, following your dreams, etc. The one complaint I would have is that I felt that sometimes, because Ruthie was bedridden, the story dragged a little. I also loved the other main component I took away from the book, which is that America is a melting pot. One of her friends was Indian, another was fluent in French and English and was from Belgium, their apartment neighbor was from Mexico, and Ruthie's extended family (all Cuban) were featured heavily. I also loved how whenever these cultures were brought up, they were always very warm and celebrated their culture (her parents dancing, their culture of food, her friend's mother making pastries, etc.) and I felt like I learned something about each of the cultures. Ultimately, this book showed one girl's story of recovery while learning about forgiveness and hope, and was able to celebrate cultures from all over the world without making the book all about culture/religion. The book shows that you should always follow your dreams because in America, it's a melting pot- anyone can achieve anything.

Ruthie Mizrahi has only just arrived in America from Cuba, and she's already fitting in among her classmates. She's also the best at hopscotch in her neighborhood. Even though she misses Cuba, she's embracing life in America, and she's a friend to everyone. But then she brakes her leg in a tragic car accident, and she's confined to her bed. But even though Ruthie is stuck in a body cast in bed, she still looks on the bright side of things. She makes new friends while stuck in bed, and spends her most of her time reading and painting, things she almost never did before the accident. Ruthie is healing, physically and emotionally. This book is really touching, and you'll sympathize with Ruthie the whole way. I really love how Ruthie is such a fighter, and how she's not going to let anyone boss her around. I think the lesson in this story is to embrace your fears, because Ruthie really has to be brave when she learns how to walk with the leg she broke in the accident. Ruthie also shows you that you to forgive, and to hope against all odds. Enjoy this amazing story!

This is a great story, about a girl named Ruthie and her family, who recently emigrated from Cuba to New York City. Ruthie struggles to learn English and become comfortable living in a new country, then tragedy strikes in the form of a car accident that leaves her in a full body cast, unable to get out and enjoy the things she has grown to love. She eventually learns to love other aspects of life that she had previously taken for granted.

The rockster The rockster

I have this book, you should definitely get this book.

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