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Ralph S. Mouse #3
Ralph S. Mouse
In this third and final Ralph S. Mouse novel from Newbery Medal–winning author Beverly Cleary, Ralph heads to school to see what humans do all day . . . and to discover what the "S" in Ralph S. Mouse stands for! With his rowdy cousins constantly wearing out his motorcycle and the Mountain View Inn manager threatening to take care of the mouse infestation once and for all, Ralph decides it's time to get away for a while. He convinces his human friend Ryan to take him along to school, where Ralph instantly becomes the center of attention. But when Ryan's class decides to see how smart Ralph is by making him run a maze, the usually confident mouse starts to fret. What if he's not as clever as he thought? Ralph S. Mouse is perfect for independent reading or for shared reading at home or in a classroom. This fun story is the third of a trilogy, along with The Mouse and the Motorcycle and Runaway Ralph , all inspired by the author's hope to create appealing books for boys and girls—and by the sight of her son playing with toy cars.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1982
397 people are currently reading
2735 people want to read
About the author
Beverly Cleary
266 books3,360 followersBeverly Atlee Cleary was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction. One of America's most successful authors, 91 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide since her first book was published in 1950. Some of her best known characters are Ramona Quimby and Beezus Quimby, Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, and Ralph S. Mouse.
The majority of Cleary's books are set in the Grant Park neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, where she was raised, and she has been credited as one of the first authors of children's literature to figure emotional realism in the narratives of her characters, often children in middle-class families. Her first children's book was Henry Huggins after a question from a kid when Cleary was a librarian. Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother and the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. For her lifetime contributions to American literature, she received the National Medal of Arts, recognition as a Library of Congress Living Legend, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the Association for Library Service to Children. The Beverly Cleary School, a public school in Portland, was named after her, and several statues of her most famous characters were erected in Grant Park in 1995. Cleary died on March 25, 2021, at the age of 104.
The majority of Cleary's books are set in the Grant Park neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, where she was raised, and she has been credited as one of the first authors of children's literature to figure emotional realism in the narratives of her characters, often children in middle-class families. Her first children's book was Henry Huggins after a question from a kid when Cleary was a librarian. Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother and the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. For her lifetime contributions to American literature, she received the National Medal of Arts, recognition as a Library of Congress Living Legend, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the Association for Library Service to Children. The Beverly Cleary School, a public school in Portland, was named after her, and several statues of her most famous characters were erected in Grant Park in 1995. Cleary died on March 25, 2021, at the age of 104.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 483 reviews
August 30, 2021
I read one or two of these Ralph books a way long time ago, but I think this was the first time I read this one (book 3). Ralph gets annoyed with his many mouse cousins wanting to use his motorcycle, so he decides to go to school for a while for a change of scenery.
Ralph has a bit of a temper and is a little selfish, and I loved how these flaws played out. It kept the story amusing and unpredictable.
Clean content.
Ralph has a bit of a temper and is a little selfish, and I loved how these flaws played out. It kept the story amusing and unpredictable.
Clean content.
June 24, 2018
I just couldn’t resist. I just couldn’t. When I saw my favorite mouse, Ralph, waiting for me, I just had to abandon all other reading. I found an hour of quiet in the middle of a hectic day to sit with Ralph, and it felt like my soul was being replenished with each swish of Ralph’s tail.
In the last of the series (sob), Ralph grows up, escaping to a school, and learning all about the indignities of education. Funny, whimsical, and utterly cute, this series has captured my heart entirely. Why did Beverly Cleary have to stop at just three? But well, I was also utterly chuffed that Ralph gets a little car in the end. Now, if that doesn’t make my life complete, what else will? A mouse with a car. Smile.
PS: Thank you, my friend, for not making me wait another year to read this book. I can almost forget the cat you made me read.
In the last of the series (sob), Ralph grows up, escaping to a school, and learning all about the indignities of education. Funny, whimsical, and utterly cute, this series has captured my heart entirely. Why did Beverly Cleary have to stop at just three? But well, I was also utterly chuffed that Ralph gets a little car in the end. Now, if that doesn’t make my life complete, what else will? A mouse with a car. Smile.
PS: Thank you, my friend, for not making me wait another year to read this book. I can almost forget the cat you made me read.
December 16, 2023
The three books in this delightful trilogy were published across a span of 17 years. Publishing doesn't work that way anymore.
June 19, 2021
Once again, I'd agree with my initial thoughts -- for the most part. Ralph is still far too selfish for the growth shown at the end to be entirely believed. On another note, Miss K is yet another example of an amazing useful adult in a Cleary book, and that trend, I definitely enjoy.
First review
This one was a definite improvement on Runaway Ralph. The story came to a satisfying and cute conclusion, not lingering on inactive sections too long and spurring on character development in a believable way.
First review
This one was a definite improvement on Runaway Ralph. The story came to a satisfying and cute conclusion, not lingering on inactive sections too long and spurring on character development in a believable way.
February 1, 2023
If memory serves, The Mouse and the Motorcycle was a book my mom brought home from the library one day. Maybe that was a normal thing in the 90s, for your mom to attend the library frequently, peruse books that her kids might like, check them out and bring them home. My guess is it wasn't "normal" and my mom was just special. She loved reading and expended a lot of effort to help her kids appreciate it. There are many aspects of my adult life I wish I could share with her. A rediscovered love for reading is a particularly painful one. Ralph and his Motorcycle were a thoroughly enjoyable callback to a simpler time.
There is so much about Ralph's flaws and growth to relate to. The humor is really witty. But I think what I appreciate most is the simple fun of a mouse riding a motorcycle.
There is so much about Ralph's flaws and growth to relate to. The humor is really witty. But I think what I appreciate most is the simple fun of a mouse riding a motorcycle.
December 4, 2012
Ralph,a small,smart mouse living in a hotel with his big family.They try to stay out of sight.Ralph decides he needs to leave the hotel. Riding his small motorcycle around just isn't safe anymore,especially when his cousins are constantly begging to ride it. Ryan, a small boy that lives in the hotel with his single mother is one of the few people that can hear and understand Ralph when he talks. Ralph one day gets Ryan to take him to school so he can start a new life there, but finds out it's not a place for a mouse like him. The overwhelming life of a classroom isn't as thrilling to Ralph, especially when his motorcycle gets broken by one of the kids. Ralph decides that going home to the hotel and using what he learned in the classroom is something he can deal with and enjoy. Even better Ryan gets a friend and Ralph gets a new,cool sports car, and learns to share it with his family. Life at the hotel isn't so bad after all. Ralph realized that you can't always get what you want but you have to be happy with what you have, and what you can't ever get rid of, your family. This book is a cute little novel that most young teens would enjoy because it is a fun and adventurous book. I think that girls and boys could read this book and like it just as much as I did. I do not recommend it to adults because it is not a challenging of a read, and it is too childish. This book is part of a series so you if you love it, there is more!
January 1, 2016
I liked this book the best of the series about Ralph. I liked that Ralph S. Mouse was smart enough to run a really hard maze. Ralph got his name from Ryan because he was smart. The 'S' stands for smart. One of Ryan's classmates asked him, "What's his last name?" and he answered, "Mouse."
Ryan's classmates were writing poems about Ralph S. Mouse because they wanted to have a mouse exhibit. One of Ryan's classmates had a poem. Brad wrote this poem. "Mouses are dumb. They are not very good animals. They are mammals. Mouses are stupid. The End." (It's not a very good poem either.)
Ralph S. Mouse went up the pant leg of Brad and stood on his shirt and looked straight at him. He said, "Brad, you're not being very nice to me. And you broke my motorcycle." And then Brad came one day to school and gave Ralph a sports car. Ralph tried out his old motorcycle noise, but it didn't go. He had to say, "Vroom!"
Ryan's classmates were writing poems about Ralph S. Mouse because they wanted to have a mouse exhibit. One of Ryan's classmates had a poem. Brad wrote this poem. "Mouses are dumb. They are not very good animals. They are mammals. Mouses are stupid. The End." (It's not a very good poem either.)
Ralph S. Mouse went up the pant leg of Brad and stood on his shirt and looked straight at him. He said, "Brad, you're not being very nice to me. And you broke my motorcycle." And then Brad came one day to school and gave Ralph a sports car. Ralph tried out his old motorcycle noise, but it didn't go. He had to say, "Vroom!"
February 19, 2016
This one was a definite improvement on Runaway Ralph. The story came to a satisfying and cute conclusion, not lingering on inactive sections too long and spurring on character development in a believable way.
May 5, 2024
Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Clearly is the third book in an enjoyable middle-grade trilogy about a mouse and his adventures. Ralph is a small, smart mouse with spunk and has the ability to talk to certain humans, mostly lonely children who share his interests as well as his friend Matt, an adult employee at the Mountain View Inn. In this story, Ralph loves riding his motorcycle around the inn where he lives with his family of mice. He befriends a young boy named Ryan, who is also a resident at the inn. One evening, Ralph and his annoying cousins make a mess in the lobby that gets Matt in a great deal of trouble. Ralph decides that he and his motorcycle should go with Ryan to school where he can ride his motorcycle in peace and prevent Matt from getting into more trouble. Thus, Ralph’s newest adventures begin which have a huge impact on Ralph, Ryan, and Ryan’s classmates at Irwin J. Sneed Elementary.
I have always loved the Ralph Mouse series. Ralph is adorable and adventurous, but at times a bit irresponsible. The S in his names stands for smart, and he has figured out the right sounds to make in order to move his beloved motorcycle. This imaginative story is about friendship, courage, and compassion. Both Ralph and Ryan learn some valuable lessons as a result of Ryan taking Ralph to school. My edition also includes delightful illustrations by Paul O. Zelinsky. I had a fun ride revisiting this delightful treasure which includes plenty of heart.
I have always loved the Ralph Mouse series. Ralph is adorable and adventurous, but at times a bit irresponsible. The S in his names stands for smart, and he has figured out the right sounds to make in order to move his beloved motorcycle. This imaginative story is about friendship, courage, and compassion. Both Ralph and Ryan learn some valuable lessons as a result of Ryan taking Ralph to school. My edition also includes delightful illustrations by Paul O. Zelinsky. I had a fun ride revisiting this delightful treasure which includes plenty of heart.
June 10, 2024
Listened to this one in the car on the way to and from baseball practice. Good introduction for my 8 and 6 year olds to the concept that sometimes kids act hard/tough when things at home with their parent are not how they want it to be. I appreciate that the conflicts between the boys at school and between each boy and their parent get resolved well by the end of the book. Good exploration of real-life situations, fairness, and the power of a teacher willing to let 4/5th graders encounter difficulties.
March 31, 2018
Challenged by a student this past week to read what she was reading, I enjoyed this book, and had forgotten it since last reading it years ago. An enjoyable read, great for young readers, lots of fun and a few lessons along the way as well.
January 19, 2020
This was, by far, my boys' favorite chapter book series so far. They loved it.
Read
January 3, 2023My younger brother got this book from his teacher and wanted me to read it. It was short and sweet.
December 27, 2024
Great story
August 22, 2021
I obviously read this book out of order but that didn't make it any less delightful.
It's a simple story, very easy to read, and maybe it's aimed at six year olds but I think it was fabulous. Ralph is dramatic and feels constantly indignant at the actions of pesky humans and I found him very relatable.
It's innocent and funny and centered around a smol animal; all good things that benefit my mental health from time to time.✌️
It's a simple story, very easy to read, and maybe it's aimed at six year olds but I think it was fabulous. Ralph is dramatic and feels constantly indignant at the actions of pesky humans and I found him very relatable.
It's innocent and funny and centered around a smol animal; all good things that benefit my mental health from time to time.✌️
November 5, 2017
It was cute, but I did not like it as much as the first one.
May 13, 2022
The third and final book in the series about Ralph. It was fine, but my least favorite. My kids enjoyed it.
January 17, 2022
Read this for a group challenge, discovered I had not read it as a kid. Now I have something to read with the grandkids.
October 21, 2025
Super fun read aloud with my 4yo! I am looking forward to reading more Beverly Cleary with her.
March 31, 2016
Ralph S. Mouse
Personal Response
This book was really interesting. It was fun to read about all the things that mice might actually be thinking. It was also cool to see that a little mouse could make two kids best friends. It’s nice to see that It has real life scenarios.
Plot
When midnight struck at a hotel way up in the mountains, a mouse named Ralph came riding out of his hole on a motorcycle. He went right through the puddles of muddy water and anything else he can go through with it. His relatives wanted to ride but he had a problem. He only had one helmet and only one seat. This did not make his relatives happy. They chased him around until he drove into his hole under the clock. He thought hard about how to keep his motorcycle from his relatives. He decided he had to leave this place so his relatives would not tear his motorcycle apart. The next day he crawled up his friend Ryan's pant leg into his shirt pocket. Ryan asked what he was doing and he said, “ I’m going to live at your school.” Without much thought Ryan said, “yes.” He went and grabbed Ralph’s motorcycle and got on his bus. While at school Ryan got caught with Ralph. The class decided to do a project on the things mice, like Ralph, do on a everyday basis. After the project they would have Ralph run a maze. Ralph did run the maze and he did it in under a minute. Ryan has a new friend named Brandon. Brandon gave Ralph a Laser LTZ which is a sports car.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book to any gender who likes adventure books. I recommend the book for third grade and up because it's easy to read. I think it would be hard for younger kids to understand this book. It's a great book and I think every kid should read it.
May 20, 2018
We apparently read these books out of order!
This was a fun book to read with my youngest. He's really enjoying the antics of Ralph. The school adventure was a welcome one.
This was a fun book to read with my youngest. He's really enjoying the antics of Ralph. The school adventure was a welcome one.
June 7, 2012
I got this out of the library for my 1st grader. His teacher had read the story to the class over the period of a week or so. He loved the story so much, he wanted to read it for himself. Unfortunately, (while I was certain we own a copy) I couldn't find our copy, and the library copy was already checked out. So, we got the audiobook for him to listen to in his room. He listened to it every day for 4 or 5 days until his little brother asked to have the music back at bedtime. I ended up downloading it for his MP3 player so he could listen to it some more. After completing all the audiobooks I had on my iPod, I decided to listen to his story too.
It was really cute.
I can see why he liked the story so much and it gives me reason, once again, to be amazed by Beverly Cleary's talent. A true classic able to be enjoyed by all ages.
It was really cute.
I can see why he liked the story so much and it gives me reason, once again, to be amazed by Beverly Cleary's talent. A true classic able to be enjoyed by all ages.
February 4, 2014
Ralph's pesky cousins are wrecking his motorcycle, and his janitor friend, Matt, is in trouble because there seem to be mice in the hotel. All in all things are not going well at the Mountain View Inn. So Ralph persuades his young pal Ryan to take him to school. Ralph is an instant hit with Ryan's classmates. But he doesn't like being forced to run through a maze or the threat of an exterminator coming to the school. Worst of all, Ryan gets into a fight with a classmate, and Ralph's precious motorcycle is broken.
A Mouse with an attitude - and a bit selfish to boot. Ralph is not real endearing as he won't share, won't cooperate, and clearly has a one track mind - getting his motorcycle back/fixed. Kids will like the idea of a motorcylce riding mouse that talks, but couldn't he be a bit nicer? It was OK.
A Mouse with an attitude - and a bit selfish to boot. Ralph is not real endearing as he won't share, won't cooperate, and clearly has a one track mind - getting his motorcycle back/fixed. Kids will like the idea of a motorcylce riding mouse that talks, but couldn't he be a bit nicer? It was OK.
February 28, 2017
I don't know how it happened but a few days ago I realized this is one of only two or three of Beverly Cleary's books that I had never read so...off to the library I went to pick this one up.
It was really good.
I probably would have loved it as a kid and I still really enjoyed it as an adult.
The third book in the adventures of the mouse and his motorcycle.
Funny and touching at the same time.
Pick it up. Read it yourself. Read it to your kids.
It was really good.
I probably would have loved it as a kid and I still really enjoyed it as an adult.
The third book in the adventures of the mouse and his motorcycle.
Funny and touching at the same time.
Pick it up. Read it yourself. Read it to your kids.
August 7, 2019
Want to do a reread so will review at that time.
September 12, 2017
Not as good as the first two but a nice ending to the series.
July 17, 2020
A classic "tail" for young readers. I wonder if this character ever influenced anyone's opinion of mice?
January 16, 2025
This is the third and final book of The Mouse and the Motorcycle trilogy, and this one takes place mostly in an elementary school. My 8-year-old son and I listened to the audiobook together on our way to and from school, and it was so much fun! 🐭🏍️ Without hesitation, my son said this is his favorite of the three books, but I am torn between the first book (as it was the one I grew up reading, so it has that nostalgic piece) and this third book (as I’m a teacher, and I love silly kids and fun class projects like the ones they do with Ralph). All in all, we both love this book and the entire trilogy, and highly recommend them. Our only complaint is that there aren’t more books about Ralph and his adventures. We give this third book, Ralph S. Mouse, four letters written to the newspaper by Ralph’s elementary school friends. 📝📝📝📝
February 14, 2021
3 stars for the audiobook narration, because I don’t love this narrator’s voice for Ralph, and I also don’t love all the times kids call others stupid and dumb in the book. However, I gave it 4 stars because I still have vivid memories of reading this repeatedly as a kid and there were so many details I loved, including Ralph snipping tiny holes in the pockets and eating seeds and paste.
February 5, 2019
This one took awhile but I read it around to my 6 year old son. He really enjoyed the series about a mouse named Ralph who gets a motorcycle. This book finds Ralph running away to an elementary school when his little cousins start fighting over his motorcycle. Hijinks ensue, there are two boys who can’t get along and fear that spreads when people think mice are in the school.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 483 reviews