Fool's Errand
By Jenna Zark
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
When her best friend Sophie goes missing, 12-year-old Ruby Tabeata has a choice: wait for her friend to come home or defy her parents and find Sophie.
Set during the 1950s Blacklist era when writers like Sophie’s mom were being jailed or fired, Fool’s Errand sends Ruby out of her city and her comfort zone.
With nothing to rely on but her grit and determination, Ruby has to outsmart the men chasing Sophie and her mom—discovering that whether or not you succeed, trying to save a friend is never a fool’s errand.
Read part one of this middle-grade Beat Street Series, The Beat on Ruby’s Street, to learn how Ruby’s story begins.
Please Note: narrative language and dialogue was designed to evoke the 1950s. The author does not condone 1950s language in present times.
Jenna Zark
I am a columnist, lyricist and an award-winning playwright whose plays have been produced in New York and around the country. More information on my play credits are on my Playwriting page. I first learned about the Beats when my older sister brought me to a play in the Village and shared stories about the poets who walked its streets in the 1950s. Though long gone, their poems and books were in all the book stores and I started to read them. When I was in college, I visited the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco and heard more stories about Beats and the readings they had there. Years later, my sister and her family moved to Perry Street and I visited them every Friday after work. I began to imagine a young girl, trying to find the poets who were legends in her time. Would she want to be a poet herself? What would life be like for her? Turned out it was kind of rough—rougher than I thought it would be, and full of surprises. But the story kept growing until it became the Beat Street Series. Now I want to share it with you.
Related to Fool's Errand
Titles in the series (2)
The Beat on Ruby's Street Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fool's Errand Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related ebooks
Fool's Errand: The Beat Street Series Book, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Beat on Ruby's Street Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLife on Little River: By Braxton Hickman Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKCGB The Boy From the Porch Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFifth Estate: An Anthony Carrick Mystery, #5 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTrust Me: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ninjas and Vamps Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMom Doth Murder Sleep Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Marjorie White: Her Life and Work Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat Happened to My Sister?: Inspired by True Events Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAll White People are Racist Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Angry-Ass Black Woman Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Unsung Shero: Grace W. Davis Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsParting Shot Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLooking for Peyton Place: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Hot Mess Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Well-Known Secret Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5His Little Women Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Issue 49 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dealer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dragon of Cherry County Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMaking Headlines Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThese Things Happen Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Wingo Fly Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIt Started in August Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWalking a Duck in L.A. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Boy from St. Apostlebury: What If? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDestroyed Child Shattered Women: One of the Most Powerful, Horrific, Riveting Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKilling Tye Garr Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Children's Action & Adventure For You
The Field Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Into the Wild: Warriors #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Stone Fox Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Spy School Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Amari and the Night Brothers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Baron Trump's Marvelous Underground Journey Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The School for Good and Evil: Now a Netflix Originals Movie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Series of Unfortunate Events #2: The Reptile Room Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unwanteds Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Tower Treasure: The Hardy Boys Book 1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Enchanted Wood (Faraway Tree #1) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Alone Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unlocked Book 8.5 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stellarlune Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Neverseen Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Everblaze Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Keeper of the Lost Cities Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Last Battle: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Flashback Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Exile Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Silver Chair: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Legacy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Prince Caspian: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Horse and His Boy: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Fool's Errand
7 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fool's Errand brings history alive. A dark time in American history, the witch hunts surrounding the fear of Communism. Told through the eyes of Ruby, a brilliant girl who will draw you into her life as if it were your own. The second book in the series, Ruby hasn't missed a beat (pun a little intended). Her spunk and smarts and loyalty are all that stands between her best friend and ruin. A brilliant adventure that will transport you back to historic NY.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Twelve year old Ruby Tabeata is ready to have a fun summer. However, she finds out that her best friend Sophie is forced into hiding with her mother after her mother attended a Communist meeting. The House Un-American Activities Committee would like to serve Sophie's mom in order to have her turn in other people who have attended meetings as well. Ruby wants to help Sophie and her mother after her mother loses her job and goes on the run, but after last year's run-in with a social worker, Ruby's mom has set some rules for her. Ruby decides to chase Sophie all the way to Illinois along with her brother's girlfriend JoJo. Although, her intentions may end up hurting more than helping.An exciting and dangerous middle grade adventure in the 1950's. Fool's Errand picks up soon after book 1, The Beat of Ruby's Street leaves off and I would highly encourage reading that first in order to get to Ruby. Through Ruby, I learned a little more about America's hidden history of the House Un-American Activities Committee and the Hollywood Blacklist that Sophie's mom was placed on. Ruby's adventure was also a coming-of-age journey for her where she expanded out of the Beat society and learned that her actions had consequences. Ruby also learned more of the rules of society that she didn't always experience as a Beat and gained maturity as she learned to trust others and that not everything will go the way you think. This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What would you do for your best friend? Ruby would go anywhere she is needed to help her friend. When Ruby’s best friend Sophie and her mother have to leave, Ruby is willing to travel from New York to Indiana just to make sure her friend and mom are okay. Sophie’s mother is a comedy writer caught up in what was called the “Red Scare”. A time when entertainers in particular were targeted and encouraged to name their friends who the government considered communists or communist sympathizers. This was a great book. It teaches about a time kids know nothing about. Sophie has to learn how to communicate with both of her parents, how to trust people and how to make a difference. This is the second book in the Beat Street series. A great series for middles school students.