Ruby in the Rough

Steve Ruby’s father has passed away and his mother finds it oh so hard to raise the mischievous experimenter. Steve must now figure out how to deal with all the weird characters surrounding him. To the cruel and vicious Mrs. Badger, he appropriately applies a nickname, and it provokes her so much that her fists clench tight, her body shakes, and her face glows cherry red. Even the vein on her forehead pops out and beams like an emergency light on top of a police cruiser. The neighborhood is teaming with eccentrics with whom he must battle and there is one around every corner.

Steve’s goal in life is to become a great inventor. He is fascinated by gadgets and gizmos: whether big or small, new or old, safe or perilous. His older sister, Katie, is his friend in peace and ally in battle. But even she can’t protect him from his worst enemy: himself. He is far too inquisitive and unpredictable for the adults who constantly worry whether he just might accidentally incinerate the house or inadvertently blow up the dog. To tell the truth, he’s never actually exploded anything or maimed anyone. Then again, he’s only eight. So, there’s lots of time left for being a holy terror. Looks like the road ahead’s going to be rough.

The book is a series of stories (each chapter can be read independently) about a boy's coming of age. They are linked by the hero's life changes through his boyhood and teenage years.