Books

“When Rachel’s own unique artistic talents are recognized, first by a perceptive teacher in Hebrew School, and then by a supportive substitute teacher who replaces ancient Miss Bunker, she finally overcomes her feelings of defeat and resolve her relationships within the family.”

Nicole Rubel It's Hot and Cold in Miami; illus. by the author

202 pp. Farrar 5/06 ISBN 0-374-33611-3 $17.00

(Intermediate)

A child who lives with criticism will criticize. Rachel chafes under negative comparisons to her twin, yet judges herself especially harshly. Since Rebecca does better at school, Rachel imagines her sister has stolen half her brain. Rachel is the more imaginative one (that's often how she gets into trouble); unfortunately, she's become her family's scapegoat. It's not only her surroundings that blow hot and cold (a steamy 1964 Miami classroom; the frigid, air-conditioned synagogue); the adults she most depends on are difficult and unpredictable. Mom is embarrassingly beautiful, rudely abrupt, profoundly depressed; Dad's often away on business. Moody "Granny Fanny," still angry at the husband who left her during the Depression, swings from sweet to bitter in a trice. Neighbors are anti-Semitic. Blaming, bickering, yet subtly conveying to the reader their essential mutual attachment, the twins have lively adventures and vicissitudes that culminate when Rachel realizes that "Rebecca's brain is for schoolwork. My brain belongs to an artist." Rachel's candid, child's-eye view of her flawed family is perfectly reflected in Rubel's astute drawings, childlike save for the complex relationships and emotions they so deftly convey. J.R.L.

-----

Review from BOOKLIST: Rubel, Nicole. It’s Hot and Cold in Miami; 208p. illus. Farrar, $16 (0-374-33611-3).

Gr. 3–5. Although they are identical twins, fifth-graders Rachel and Rebecca Ringwood are as different as hot and cold. Rebecca has more than her share of the brains, winning the constant praise of her parents. Unfortunately, Rachel’s knack for getting into trouble attracts a different kind of attention, but her way of viewing the world, full of hilarious personal theories, allows her to rationalize the unfairness of life. Experiences, commonplace as well as sobering and unusual, are portrayed through Rachel’s wildly imaginative yet piercingly honest perspective: visiting a grandmother whose search for the perfect honey cake gives Rachel nightmares; gorging on Halloween candy while walking home to preempt confiscation of her goodies; plotting revenge against an anti-Semitic bully; living with a gorgeous mother, who sometimes can’t get out of bed to face the world. Even before Rachel’s artistic talents are finally recognized, readers know she is special. Rubel’s narrative and her distinctive illustrations capture the details that make Rachel’s daily adventures so appealing. —Nancy Kim

-----

Kirkus Review April 2006

It’s Hot And Cold In Miami by Nicole Rubel Illus. By the author. Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Life is difficult and puzzling for Rachel, with an identical twin sister, Rebecca, who outshines her in every way. Rachel’s eclectic family consists of her traveling-salesman father, fashion-diva mother and doddery grandparents, who serve the same awful tasting honey cake each Sunday. Constantly in the shadow of her high-achieving sister, Rachel laments her feelings of inadequacy and theorizes about why her father loves her sister best, why Rebecca hates her and why her luck is so poor that she not only winds up with the worst teacher in school but constantly manages to cause trouble for Rebecca and herself. Rubel has moved from her multifaceted informational book about twins, Twice As Nice, into a fictitious scenario told from the perspective of an empathetic underdog in a voice filled with matter-of-fact resignation and some deserved angst. A twin herself, Rubel places her story in her 1960’s Miami and has created a lovable if not endearing character amid the bizarre and non-supportive vibes of an extended family. Ultimately, the introduction of a sensitive teacher in Hebrew School brings light to a little girl’s true talent, her artistic flair and subsequent self-confidence. Rubel’s own signature quirky pen-and-ink drawings round out the Floridian and American-Jewish milieu.

From the School Library Journal
"K-Gr 3- To counter the rules of his parents, sister, teacher, and even the crossing guard, Grody makes up a few of his own, such as "Rule Number One": "Don't get up in the morning. You're just going to have to go to bed again at night!" Best known as the illustrator of Jack Gantos's "Rotten Ralph" series (Houghton), Rubel brings the same kid-friendly sensibilities to the artwork here, incorporating markers, colored pencils, watercolor, fabric, fabric paint, and photographs. An inset on each spread shows the authority figure and rule that the pup is protesting, and the pictures are replete with humorous hyperbole. The point won't be lost on kids when, for example, Grody goes flying through the air because of "Rule Number Nine": "Always run down the stairs instead of walking. It saves time"; or employs his own dish-washing technique in "Rule Number Twelve": "Don't wash dirty dishes when you can lick them clean!" The final spread shows the effects of following the dog's rules, from "very dirty ears" to "unpleasant body odor." A true child-pleaser."
Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

In britches and boots, and a broad-brimmed hat to hide her long red hair, Ernestine looks as much like a cowboy as any plucky young lass from Ireland ever could. Along a dusty trail she crosses paths with Texas Teeth, whose grin is brighter than a shooting star. He and his band of rowdy cowhands have got themselves a herd of ornery cows, and they're driving them on to Abilene. Hoping to earn enough for a ticket back home, Ernestine joins the drive. Though she tends to fall off her horse more than a few times a day, she finds she's pretty durn good at lassoing calves. But will her skill be enough to win her the grand prize at the Abilene Roping and Riding Rodeo? Or will her dreams get roped and tied in the bargain?

Sara's high-spirited, poorly behaved cat, Ralph, disrupts her aunt's wedding with his outlandish antics.