Ruby's been through this before; her mother, Ruthie Bean, has struggled with mental health issues and addiction for years, and has gone missing again. Ruby lives with her Aunt Marion, a librarian, in a small town in Georgia near her grandparents. After getting a call from Ruthie, Marion decides to wait a week until the end of Ruby's school year and take off to Philadelphia, where her missing sister has gone to visit Ruby's dad, Jimmy. Unfortunately, when they finally get to Pennsylvania, Ruthie has moved on, but Jimmy thinks she's gone to New York City. Marion has a process, and soon the two are looking on the streets and at homeless shelters of the Big Apple. They befriend Daisy and Benny (along with his dog, Nixon) who are unhoused and have talked to Ruthie. When evidence points to her having gone to Washington, D.C., all four head there. Staying at an inexpensive hotel, they follow all the leads they can. The biggest one is that Ruthie has been involved in a robbery of a family jewelry store along with Mason, her boyfriend from Georgia and Jimmy. Even though thousands and thousands of dollars as well as merchandise has been stolen, the owner, Julia, not only talks to the group, but offers to let them stay in her posh house while they hunt for Ruthie. When her mother shows up, Ruby wants to call the police, but is hesitant. When Jimmy and Mason also show up, she dials 911, and soon the police have apprehended the trio. Daisy decides to stay in D.C. and Benny gets a bus back to New York. Knowing that her mother will be spending time in jail isn't great for Ruby, but she is glad to know that she is safe. She and Marion return to Georgia along with Nixon the dog, who starts a career as a therapy dog. Ruby has a new appreciation for her aunt's phrase that everyone is valuable because they are "somebody's someone", especially after learning more about her aunt's own troubled past.
Strengths: There are an ever increasing number of students struggling with a parent or loved one who is dealing with mental health and/or addiction issues, so Ruby's story will resonate with many readers. I appreciated that she did have the support of her aunt, as well as grandparents who were available, if worn down by life. The look at life on the streets is age appropriate, and kids who don't have any experience with being unhoused will learn some things and hopefully gain some empathy. Traveling from Georgia to Philadelphia to New York to D.C. is quite an adventure. The ending is sad but realistic, and I was glad that Ruby was able to have some joy in her life with her aunt and working with Nixon to help others. The illustrations were very nice; I'd love to see more of these in middle grade literature.
Weaknesses: There were several things that made this seem like a title written in the 1960s or 1970s. People in disadvantaged circumstances were sometimes portrayed in a stereotypical way; Jimmy has long hair, tattooes, and is wearing a sleeveless undershirt. There are also some actions that seemed dangerous and unlikely. Marion is very understanding of people with problems, but sending her car keys with Benny, whom she has just met, to get something out of her car was not a safe choice. Julia had some issues in her own life that made her similarly sympathetic, but it seemed odd that she would shelter the family of a woman who robbed her. Young readers won't notice these things as much, but I thought that Marion would have been much more careful with the situations into which she put her long suffering niece.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Wallace's Nowhere Special (https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2023/10/nowhere-special.html) or Hoyle's Millie (https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2024/03/millie-best-friends-dog-tales-3-and.html)

This story will hit home with many of your kids from families where adoption is part of their story. A, “Someone” who is lost in a cycle of addiction, poor choices, and running away is familiar. I can see keeping this on my 7-8 shelves for the right readers to find. Every Somebody’s Someone matters.

This was a cute book! I did enjoy the pictures incorporated in the chapters. I also enjoyed the storyline. I just found that sentences were too long or ran together. The story was very cute, but as a 32-year-old, I found some of the sentences and information to be geared more towards young adult or adult novels, and not child appropriate. But I did enjoy the story overall! Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book is the touching account of a girl and her aunt, dealing with mom's addiction and disappearance. It takes us through a wild ride of characters and calamity, but also really focuses on the feelings of the family of those with addiction. I would recommend it to middle schoolers and mature upper elementary students.

Loved how Mary and the homeless people bonded from tragedy to find Mary’s missing mom ….sad that her mom was never admitted to a hospital to get help earlier on….but people are their choices !

Twelve-year-old Ruby Bean, who knows too well about missing mothers, sets out with her aunt to search for her mother, Ruthie, who has disappeared again. Along the way, a jewelry store robbery and a surprising act of kindness add twists to their journey, taking them from Georgia to New York. Through it all, Ruby learns that even in difficult times, unexpected moments of hope and joy can appear if you keep believing.

This touching children’s story, complemented by gentle illustrations, follows Ruby as she and her aunt set out to find her missing mother, Ruthie. The book thoughtfully introduces themes of mental health and addiction in a way that’s approachable and sensitive for young readers.

This book is going to be so important when its released. Not every child has a mum like Ruby's, but lots have an adult in their life with poor/unstable mental health. The picture of Ruby's life that is created is one that many children will, unfortunately, recognise. The story isn't one about a mum who is unwell all the time. This mum has good periods, bad periods and inbetween periods when she's neither good nor bad, just meh. And the best bit? It doesn't end all happy and mum is fixed. This feels like a 'real' story and not one that's been written to all live happily ever after. Ruby makes a hard, terrifying choice about her mum and it has consequences, but she made the decision for the right reasons. This is an incredible story.

This was a very sweet story. Ruby is a cutie and this was well written from the perspective of a 12 year old who has grown up with some serious issues around her and is in that weird in between state of way to mature and still not quite there. Mental health and addiction can hit anybody and "Somebodys Someone" is a good way to think about others.

This was a beautifully done and realistic story being told, it had that element that I was looking for and was invested in what was going on. The characters felt like real people and was invested in their story. It was written in a way that I was looking for and was engaged with the way Linda Oatman High wrote this.

I read this book in one sitting. It was just so beautifully written. It handles the topics of mental health and addiction with honesty and so much care. It would be wonderful for students in grades 4-6th. The mixing of character is eclectic and a great mix that fits the message of the story perfectly.