Will an insult (and Ruby Beautiful?!) spark Wednesday Wilson’s next business idea?

When Wednesday Wilson and her best friend, Charlie, get an unexpected day off from school, they plan to work on a new business idea. But their day gets upended when they find out they have to spend it with Ruby Beautiful, their former best friend who dumped them for the Emmas. Things get even stranger when Ruby comes to Charlie’s defense after the Emmas make fun of his freckles. Ruby tells the Emmas that, according to her cool older brother, Raj, freckles are popular, and, in fact “People spend tons of money to get freckles tattooed on their faces.” Wait, could this be the perfect new business idea Wednesday has been searching for? And, even more important, could this mean she and Charlie have their best friend back?

Part of Bree Galbraith’s critically acclaimed early chapter book series, this title brings everything readers love: a high-energy plot, loads of twists and turns and a diverse cast of unforgettable characters. What they’ll also love is finally learning why Ruby Beautiful stopped being friends with Wednesday, and why she became friends with the Emmas instead. Short chapters filled with Morgan Goble’s character-focused illustrations, lists and other clever images make this series perfect for emerging readers. Definitions of business-oriented vocabulary words that appear throughout the story maintain the fun theme. The story encourages ingenuity, creative thinking and problem solving. It makes a great choice for character education lessons on initiative, perseverance and teamwork.