Ruth Chew

Ruth Chew

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Illustrated by Ruth Chew
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If you are looking to buy a particular title:

These books are out of print. You will not find any of them in a new book bookstore. You will be lucky to find them in person in a used book bookstore, for that matter: I think that used children's books - especially paperbacks - aren't as easy to re-sell as other books. Used paperbacks in various conditions can be found for sale online in various places. Hardback copies can be bought for a premium. Be aware that there are two kinds of hardbacks, the normal ones with plain cardboard covers and dust jackets showing the illustration, and books that have the illustration on the cardboard cover of the book itself, and were produced with no dust jacket at all.

Here are the websites I recommend for buying used Ruth Chew books:

www.half.com, where you can buy from a previous book owner
www.ebay.com, where you can buy one book or several books at once from a previous book owner through an auction (or sometimes at a set price)
www.abebooks.com, where you can buy from any of an enormous number of dealers in the book business (all of the books listed on abebooks.com which have ISBN numbers are also listed on half.com)
www.amazon.com, which I usually use for buying new books only, although they have an extensive network of used books available from businesses and individuals

I have found all of these online methods to be convenient for me. There are a variety of payment methods available. I have never had a problem with delivery or billing (and I've bought a lot of books). Ebay requires that you register and create a user account, but half.com, abebooks.com and amazon.com do not, although you have the option. If you want help with buying (not identifying) a Ruth Chew book, please send email to webmaster at spjg.com. Or write to webmaster at spjg.com.

If you are trying to remember a Ruth Chew book:

[I will put book summaries here.]

If you are still trying to identify a book you remember:

Just because the book you remember doesn't match any of my descriptions doesn't mean I can't help you. Maybe I read and remember your book. Maybe I can look it up for you if you tell me what you remember. I have been known to find lost books for people, so maybe I can help you. Send me an email about a lost book by clicking here. Or write to webmaster at spjg.com.

Also, there is a wonderful website called www.loganberrybooks.com which runs a book finding service ($2 to post a query) and which posts answered queries to a useful lost and found book archive. I found one of my missing books in the archive.

Also, www.abebooks.com has something called book sleuth which I have never used.

Keep hoping. You will find your book someday! You can read stories of books I lost and then found by clicking on the "Books Lost..." link on my menu, or by clicking here.

My experiences with and thoughts on Ruth Chew's books:

Ruth Chew's books are at the youngest end of the spectrum of children's books that I read. I rediscovered Ruth Chew's books when I found a couple of them while shopping for used books, and all the memories came back. I found I could remember individual characters, scenes, and events from some of the stories I had read when I was much much younger. These books are short chapter books (about 120 pages) illustrated beautifully by the author.

I have noticed that the type of magic Ruth Chew writes about is fairly consistent, and fairly consistently appealing to a young imagination. All her stories involve one or more of the following themes or ideas: size or shape changing, flying, a magic object that behaves unpredictably, a misfit witch or wizard, being in a different time or place, and/or talking to and making friends with animals. The protagonists are always a brother and a sister, or two friends, who share the adventure. Often they live in New York City.

There do seem to be two distinct categories of books among her works. There are the kind which are full of magical happenings, and there are the kind which involve no magic except for a trip back in time. The books in this second category are more historical and educational in nature. This category includes the books Last Chance for Magic, Royal Magic, Summer Magic, Magic of the Black Mirror, Trapped in Time and Wrong Way Around Magic. Then there's Baked Beans for Breakfast aka The Secret Summer. I am told that this book has absolutely no magic at all - it's just about two kids who run away from home.

One thing I really like about Ruth Chew's books is that there is always a tidy plot. There is a friend to be made or a problem to be solved. However, the plot is never such that everything goes back to normal at the end of the book: there is always something gained at the end of the story. The last page of every book seems to wink and say, "Now, wasn't that worthwhile?"

A note to the excessively protective or politically correct: Yes, Ruth Chew did write about witches and wizards and covens and broomsticks and black cats. Have no fear of these witches. If anything, they will teach young readers the values of friendship, independence, and self-esteem, since that's what the books are really about.