- Short-listed for the CLA Young Adult Book Award, 2004
- Nominated for the White Pine Award, 2004
Reviews
This is one of the best coming of age books we've seen.
The Hamilton Spectator
Ruby Nan Larkin, Nanny, Nan Ruby. She is Nanny to her mother, Nan to her father, brother and little sisters, but she is Ruby to her Gramma. And it seems like Gramma is the only person right now who really understands her. Nan is changing, and not just her name. She is 15 and is trying to find out who she wants to be. That means exploring relationships with her family and developing relationships with young men. The first boyfriend, Daniel, she meets at the summer cottage, and her mother interferes with that relationship.
Unless you’re paying close attention, you might miss the fact that this perceptive coming-of-age novel takes place more than 35 years ago. One tip-off is that most moms today (in kids’ books, anyway) don’t chain-smoke, and when they’re out of cigarettes, they can't buy a new pack with a $2 bill. But some things don’t change, like parents not wanting kids to grow up too fast, and kids learning that change can be painful.