Dallas and Florida, the trouble twins, have had a hard life since their mother abandoned them on the doorstep of the Boxton Creek Home and left them to the haphazard care of Mr. and Mrs. Trepid. The twins' harrowing portfolio of memories include brief stays with various foster families, such as the creepy Dreeps, the hopeless Hoppers, and the bullying Burgertons. It is with suspicion, therefore, that they arrive in Ruby Holler as temporary traveling companions for Tiller and Sairy, who are determined to take vacations leading them in different directions.
The twins don't plan to stay in Ruby Holler for long, but hope to hop a nearby train which passes through in the night. Before they know it, however, Ruby Holler draws them in, making them want to stay in this place where they've found love and acceptance for the first time in their lives.
The days pass until finally, deciding that it might be best to practice before leaving on their respective vacation destinations, Tiller sets off with Florida to try out their homemade boat on a nearby river while Dallas and Sairy hike into the hills. While they're gone, the greedy Mr. Trepid pays the mysterious Z to map out Ruby Holler in hopes of discovering the hiding places of Tiller's and Sairy's buried savings which are there.
Will Tiller and Sairy decide that Florida and Dallas are just too much trouble to keep and send them back to Boxton? Will the greedy Mr. Trepid find Tiller and Sairy's hidden money? Will Florida and Tiller survive or be swept away when their river adventure turns deadly. The only way to find out is to take a trip to Ruby Holler yourself.
Sharon Creech has been awarded the Newbery Medal for her book Walk Two Moons, plus the Newbery Honor for her book The Wanderer. You can find her books at several of our local libraries, including the Gail Borden, Batavia, Bartlett, Schaumburg, and Poplar Creek.
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