Books that make me laugh out loud are so much fun.  The classic SUMMER OF THE MONKEYS by Wilson Rawls always comes to mind when I think about laughing books.  There’s a red paint scene in RUBY HOLLER by Sharon Creech (Joanna Cotler Books, 2002) that made me laugh so hard, I couldn’t read it aloud to my husband without busting up.  However, RUBY HOLLER is about way more than laughter.  There’s kindness, compassion and love—it’s a very heartwarming story that I know I’ll be returning to.

Here’s a brief intro:  Dallas and Florida are orphans living in a scummy orphanage.  They always get brought back because they are "trouble" twins when they go home with someone.  This time they go home for a temporary stay with two elderly people, Tiller and Sairy, who each want to go on a trip and think having a young person companion would be good.  The kids are amazed when Tiller and Sairy don’t punish them for mistakes.

This books is a very worthwhile read.  And, of course, if you've never read anything else by Sharon Creech, you'll probably want to after reading this one.  Here's her website:  http://www.sharoncreech.com/index.html