Lois Ruby
Lois Ruby is a former librarian and the author of twenty-two books for young readers. She divides her time among family, community social action, research, writing, and visiting schools to energize young people about the ideas in books and the joys of reading. Lois lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and shares her life with her psychologist husband, Dr. Tom Ruby, as well as their three sons and daughters-in-law and seven amazing grandchildren, who are scattered around the country.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
What’s your favorite line from a book?
“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”—Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
Lois Lowry, Clare Vanderpool, and Patricia Polacco
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
I’m not artistic or musical or athletic, but I can do words, and words count. It’s a thrill to be able to share them with readers who find themselves in stories written by others.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
Read everything you can get your hands on. Travel, take notes about your observations or snippets of conversation you overhear. Turn off the electronics! Find someone you trust (besides your parents, who already love you) to read what you write and help you weave your words and ideas into the best possible form. Think of reading and writing not as chores but as gifts you give yourself, your super-power.