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Ramona Quimby #1-8
The Complete Ramona Collection
Whether a long-time fan of Beverly Cleary or a newcomer to her award-winning books for children, this eight-book box set of the complete Ramona Quimby series will be a perfect addition to any bookshelf.
Kids everywhere feel connected to Ramona's unique way of looking at the world as she tries to adjust to new teachers, encounters bullies at school, and puts up with her bossy older sister. The scrapes she gets herself into—like wearing pajamas to school or accidentally making egg yolk shampoo—are funny and heartwarming, and sometimes embarrassing. No matter what, Ramona's lively, curious spirit shines through.
Titles included in set: Beezus and Ramona; Ramona the Pest; Ramona the Brave; Ramona and Her Father; Ramona and Her Mother; Ramona Quimby, Age 8; Ramona Forever; Ramona's World
Kids everywhere feel connected to Ramona's unique way of looking at the world as she tries to adjust to new teachers, encounters bullies at school, and puts up with her bossy older sister. The scrapes she gets herself into—like wearing pajamas to school or accidentally making egg yolk shampoo—are funny and heartwarming, and sometimes embarrassing. No matter what, Ramona's lively, curious spirit shines through.
Titles included in set: Beezus and Ramona; Ramona the Pest; Ramona the Brave; Ramona and Her Father; Ramona and Her Mother; Ramona Quimby, Age 8; Ramona Forever; Ramona's World
1728 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2002
387 people are currently reading
629 people want to read
About the author
Beverly Cleary
265 books3,357 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 137 reviews
March 27, 2021
Ramona is one of my all-time favorite kids in the world. And don't you dare say she is a fictional character. She is most certainly not. See this dear old woman?
For me she was Ramona around 100 years ago!
As Ms. Cleary claims “A littler person sometimes had to be a little bit noisier and a little bit more stubborn in order to be noticed at all.”
For me she was Ramona around 100 years ago!
As Ms. Cleary claims “A littler person sometimes had to be a little bit noisier and a little bit more stubborn in order to be noticed at all.”
February 20, 2023
Ramona is one of my all-time favorite kids in the world. And don't you dare say she is a fictional character. She is most certainly not. See this dear old woman?
For me, she was Ramona around 100 years ago!
As Ms. Cleary claims, “A littler person sometimes had to be a little bit noisier and a little bit more stubborn in order to be noticed at all.”
For me, she was Ramona around 100 years ago!
As Ms. Cleary claims, “A littler person sometimes had to be a little bit noisier and a little bit more stubborn in order to be noticed at all.”
May 29, 2018
My wife and I alternated reading these out loud to our two daughters (ages 8 and 6.) They really loved them. We will continue by reading the Henry Huggins series next.
July 25, 2023
Ramona, you absolute charmer. Somehow these books managed to entertain a grumpy Mom, a moody tween, AND a mildly illiterate 9 year old... Nothing short of a miracle. These will always be special to us, we laughed so much listening to them in the car.
July 6, 2021
I ordered the 8 book boxed set of Ramona books ten days before the author passed away at the age of 104 - almost 105! She had a blessed and beautiful life as a much-appreciated children's book author. But I had never read any Ramona books and by coincidence they were handed over to me at the post office on the same day Beverly Cleary died. I didn't know about it until a few days later. It seems that as things end, new things begin, and life is a never-ending cycle which is well represented with the learning years of a little girl like Ramona.
Ramona got into a lot of strange situations over the years. The series started when she was a preschooler, then progressed with at least one book for each year, kindergarten through fourth grade. At school she's always trying to get along with her teacher and other students, with a bit of insecurity as she deals with her problems. Some examples of Ramona problems were:
1. Being too hot because she wore her p.j.'s under her clothes to school.
2. Having another student copy her work.
3. Embarrassing spelling errors.
4. Accidentally breaking an egg on her forehead and finding out it wasn't hard boiled.
Ramona's issues happened at home and at a babysitter's house too. But it wasn't just Ramona going through changes. Her mother and father were going through things too. They both got new jobs, a baby was born, and a room was built onto their house.
In other words, it was normal school life and normal family life for the Quimby family living in Portland, Oregon. Portland is also where Beverly Cleary grew up. She wrote plenty about that in her first memoir, A Girl From Yamhill. The Portland elementary school she attended is now named after her.
Right now I have no plans for reading other Beverly Cleary series or stand-alone books. I might, but not right away.
Ramona got into a lot of strange situations over the years. The series started when she was a preschooler, then progressed with at least one book for each year, kindergarten through fourth grade. At school she's always trying to get along with her teacher and other students, with a bit of insecurity as she deals with her problems. Some examples of Ramona problems were:
1. Being too hot because she wore her p.j.'s under her clothes to school.
2. Having another student copy her work.
3. Embarrassing spelling errors.
4. Accidentally breaking an egg on her forehead and finding out it wasn't hard boiled.
Ramona's issues happened at home and at a babysitter's house too. But it wasn't just Ramona going through changes. Her mother and father were going through things too. They both got new jobs, a baby was born, and a room was built onto their house.
In other words, it was normal school life and normal family life for the Quimby family living in Portland, Oregon. Portland is also where Beverly Cleary grew up. She wrote plenty about that in her first memoir, A Girl From Yamhill. The Portland elementary school she attended is now named after her.
Right now I have no plans for reading other Beverly Cleary series or stand-alone books. I might, but not right away.
August 6, 2022
The Ramona Quimby books meant so much to me as a kid, I sometimes get a little choked up when I think about it. Rereading a couple of chapters in the evenings for the last few months has been a delight. I’m also so glad to see how well the books aged overall, considering the first book was written in the 50s. I remain very grateful to Beverly Cleary for understand children so well, which is a timeless gift. I can’t think of my childhood without also thinking of her. Long live Ramona! ❤️
July 14, 2021
Beverly Cleary does have remarkable insight into the minds of children. Ramona as a character feels like a vivid recollection of the hundred miniature crises that successively fill life's horizon when one is very young. I appreciate how how Cleary writes in a matter-of-fact way that produces gentle humor and maturation rather than heedless sermonizing. I enjoyed my hours spent with Ramona.
Yet, without a nostalgic connection to the Ramona books (I myself never read them as a child), I am not sure I would enthusiastically suggest them to my own children. I read them largely due to an article (https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/20...) about the "quiet Christianity" of Ramona's world. Though it is true that cultural Christianity--with its accompanying moral guidance--is assumed for the Quimbys, an adult reader I see through the seemingly timeless quality of the books to the undercurrents of the times when they were written, and it weakens my appreciation for them.
First, it should be noted that the eight books were written over a span of 45 years (1955-1999). That they DO possess such a timeless, contemporary feel throughout the series is astonishing, really. But in the early books there are situations that are almost unimaginable now. A nine-year-old Beezus is in charge of her four-year-old sister, and they walk a good distance unaccompanied to the library. Kindergarten-aged Ramona regularly walks to school by herself, and one morning is left home with instructions on what time to leave for school. The girls are (until later books) expected to share a bedroom. And they are expected to eat whatever is fixed for dinner without complaining, even if the main dish is tongue!
Then there are the cultural currents that shape Ramona's life. Her mother goes back to work. Beezus exclaims, "Mother! You're going to be a liberated woman!" Ramona, however, wonders in distress who will bake them cookies if they no longer have a mother at home, and my heart nearly broke at her mother's reply that they could have store-bought cookies or bake them themselves. The cookies are not the point, are they? Or when in Ramona and Her Father (1977) we suddenly find out that Mr. Quimby smokes and see his daughters campaigning for him to stop, to the point of stealing his cigarettes and badgering him. In one of the later books Ramona worries about the possibility of her parents divorcing. Even the changes of a new school being built and requiring a bus-ride for Ramona reveal the changing norms of Beverly Cleary's world working their way into Ramona's.
There's nothing downright objectionable to Ramona. I wouldn't forbid my children to read these books, but they are not quite as timeless as they appear, and even with their presumed background Christianity, the Quimby family is not really the type I can admire or aspire to. There is a love between them, but also a disconnect that speaks loudly to the social shifts of the latter twentieth century. When school and home are seen as separate domains, the family will inevitably fragment into separate generations who see the world differently. There must be more to unite families. I don't expect children's fiction to tackle that head-on, but it is possible for it to do so, and Ramona is too much a product of her times to stand against the tides of cultural change.
Yet, without a nostalgic connection to the Ramona books (I myself never read them as a child), I am not sure I would enthusiastically suggest them to my own children. I read them largely due to an article (https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/20...) about the "quiet Christianity" of Ramona's world. Though it is true that cultural Christianity--with its accompanying moral guidance--is assumed for the Quimbys, an adult reader I see through the seemingly timeless quality of the books to the undercurrents of the times when they were written, and it weakens my appreciation for them.
First, it should be noted that the eight books were written over a span of 45 years (1955-1999). That they DO possess such a timeless, contemporary feel throughout the series is astonishing, really. But in the early books there are situations that are almost unimaginable now. A nine-year-old Beezus is in charge of her four-year-old sister, and they walk a good distance unaccompanied to the library. Kindergarten-aged Ramona regularly walks to school by herself, and one morning is left home with instructions on what time to leave for school. The girls are (until later books) expected to share a bedroom. And they are expected to eat whatever is fixed for dinner without complaining, even if the main dish is tongue!
Then there are the cultural currents that shape Ramona's life. Her mother goes back to work. Beezus exclaims, "Mother! You're going to be a liberated woman!" Ramona, however, wonders in distress who will bake them cookies if they no longer have a mother at home, and my heart nearly broke at her mother's reply that they could have store-bought cookies or bake them themselves. The cookies are not the point, are they? Or when in Ramona and Her Father (1977) we suddenly find out that Mr. Quimby smokes and see his daughters campaigning for him to stop, to the point of stealing his cigarettes and badgering him. In one of the later books Ramona worries about the possibility of her parents divorcing. Even the changes of a new school being built and requiring a bus-ride for Ramona reveal the changing norms of Beverly Cleary's world working their way into Ramona's.
There's nothing downright objectionable to Ramona. I wouldn't forbid my children to read these books, but they are not quite as timeless as they appear, and even with their presumed background Christianity, the Quimby family is not really the type I can admire or aspire to. There is a love between them, but also a disconnect that speaks loudly to the social shifts of the latter twentieth century. When school and home are seen as separate domains, the family will inevitably fragment into separate generations who see the world differently. There must be more to unite families. I don't expect children's fiction to tackle that head-on, but it is possible for it to do so, and Ramona is too much a product of her times to stand against the tides of cultural change.
April 7, 2021
RIP Beverly Cleary! My mom was a children’s librarian, too, and her books were a staple around our house. It’d been years since I read one, but to honor Cleary’s death, I thought it worthwhile to visit her most memorable character, Ramona Quimby who lives in Portland, Oregon, with her mother, father, and sister Beezus.
Ramona isn’t a special snowflake like Harry Potter nor rich like Sara in A Little Princess nor living in a unique time and place like Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy in the Victorian New England of Little Women. Instead, she’s an ordinary girl, living an ordinary life filled with ordinary frustrations in an ordinary time and place. Her life isn’t that different from yours or mine growing up in 20th-century, suburban America, and that’s why she’s so special—we know her because we are her.
She wants to be adored by her parents and teachers, but her stubbornness and tendency to get into scrapes often means she feels angry and humiliated. Like a sitcom, everything always works out in the end with a lesson learned and self-esteem earned. From accidentally cracking a raw egg on her head to drawing her Q like a cat, Ramona is relatable and enjoyable. She also grows up realistically through the series, her preoccupations and behavior maturing as they should.
One interesting element that reveals itself while reading the series is the development of class and gender throughout the latter half of the 20th century. “Ramona and Beezus” opens with Dad Quimby working at a gas company and Mom Quimby a stay-at-home mom, who, memorably, sends Beezus to an art class with the instruction to let four-year-old Ramona play in the sandbox unsupervised. Later, Dad loses his job, works as a grocery store clerk, returns to college to be an art teacher, and finally ends as a grocery store manager. Mom goes from not working to being a part time hire at a doctor’s office to working full time. Ramona and Beezus become more and more supervised by babysitters—no more playing in the sandpit alone. Money worries and the desire for a larger home flicker like worrisome shadows through the series, but Ramona burns brightly regardless.
Ramona isn’t a special snowflake like Harry Potter nor rich like Sara in A Little Princess nor living in a unique time and place like Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy in the Victorian New England of Little Women. Instead, she’s an ordinary girl, living an ordinary life filled with ordinary frustrations in an ordinary time and place. Her life isn’t that different from yours or mine growing up in 20th-century, suburban America, and that’s why she’s so special—we know her because we are her.
She wants to be adored by her parents and teachers, but her stubbornness and tendency to get into scrapes often means she feels angry and humiliated. Like a sitcom, everything always works out in the end with a lesson learned and self-esteem earned. From accidentally cracking a raw egg on her head to drawing her Q like a cat, Ramona is relatable and enjoyable. She also grows up realistically through the series, her preoccupations and behavior maturing as they should.
One interesting element that reveals itself while reading the series is the development of class and gender throughout the latter half of the 20th century. “Ramona and Beezus” opens with Dad Quimby working at a gas company and Mom Quimby a stay-at-home mom, who, memorably, sends Beezus to an art class with the instruction to let four-year-old Ramona play in the sandbox unsupervised. Later, Dad loses his job, works as a grocery store clerk, returns to college to be an art teacher, and finally ends as a grocery store manager. Mom goes from not working to being a part time hire at a doctor’s office to working full time. Ramona and Beezus become more and more supervised by babysitters—no more playing in the sandpit alone. Money worries and the desire for a larger home flicker like worrisome shadows through the series, but Ramona burns brightly regardless.
June 12, 2022
Revisiting my childhood favorite THE COMPLETE RAMONA COLLECTION on audiobook narrated masterfully by the delightful Stockard Channing. Finding a storybook character like me, a Ramona, as a little girl excited me. I yearned to be a Beezus, the perfect older sister rather than Ramona the screwup.
Hearing these stories brought to life as an adult I see Beverly Cleary showed Ramona’s charms and Beezus was far from the perfect girl I had assumed as a child. I highly recommend for the young and old(er).
Hearing these stories brought to life as an adult I see Beverly Cleary showed Ramona’s charms and Beezus was far from the perfect girl I had assumed as a child. I highly recommend for the young and old(er).
Read
June 5, 2017I'm certain I enjoyed some of all this series as a kid. I'm bursting to tell my Goodreads friends that the "Ramona and Beezus" movie is awesome. My 3, 6, 7, 9, 11, and 13-year-olds ALL loved the movie. Dan, his mother, and I thought it was pretty great too. Jacob has three of the Henry Huggins books and now really wants the other two. :-D
Rated G.
$5 on Amazon.
Rated G.
$5 on Amazon.
July 11, 2022
Ramona can be annoying at times. I think I was more like Beezus as a kid.
August 19, 2024
It took us about a month to listen to this collection on Audible. It was a fantastic way to pass driving time to and from OT appointments.
*August 2024*
All three of my kids (ages 8,5, and 4) were invested in Ramona’s stories and happily listened to them in the car over the course of several weeks. All the below details are true for my boys as well as my daughter.
Ramona’s spunk and imagination had me and my 6 year old daughter giggling and gasping. There was so much that was relatable to my daughter’s world, we really had some great discussion on and off. There were several instances throughout the month where my daughter would observe something in our home and say, “Hey! We’re like the Quimbys!”
Beverly Cleary really helped pave the way for more relatable stories for children. We love her work.
*August 2024*
All three of my kids (ages 8,5, and 4) were invested in Ramona’s stories and happily listened to them in the car over the course of several weeks. All the below details are true for my boys as well as my daughter.
Ramona’s spunk and imagination had me and my 6 year old daughter giggling and gasping. There was so much that was relatable to my daughter’s world, we really had some great discussion on and off. There were several instances throughout the month where my daughter would observe something in our home and say, “Hey! We’re like the Quimbys!”
Beverly Cleary really helped pave the way for more relatable stories for children. We love her work.
October 10, 2021
I’ve always loved these books— and Stockard Channing is the queen of narration and makes them even better.
March 7, 2024
I don't typically add my kids' books to my Goodreads. Usually I only add books that I read for me.
But Ramona has been a huge part of our family this past year and I feel like Beverly Cleary deserves it. She is one of those writers who clearly never forgot what it was like to be a kid. She has compassion and understanding for the challenges of growing up and interjects humor. Not only Beverly Cleary, but Stockard Channing as well. Her voice has been running in the background of my days so frequently and her reading is perfect.
I loved Ramona as a kid. I still love Ramona as an adult. And I really love that my kids love Ramona too.
But Ramona has been a huge part of our family this past year and I feel like Beverly Cleary deserves it. She is one of those writers who clearly never forgot what it was like to be a kid. She has compassion and understanding for the challenges of growing up and interjects humor. Not only Beverly Cleary, but Stockard Channing as well. Her voice has been running in the background of my days so frequently and her reading is perfect.
I loved Ramona as a kid. I still love Ramona as an adult. And I really love that my kids love Ramona too.
August 10, 2021
Audible with Ryan. Loved it.
April 23, 2025
Loved reading this with my boys!
October 13, 2025
I loved listening to these with my kids. I remembered them as just silly but they surprised me. They also tackle a lot of real life feelings and hardships (birth order, divorce, body image, addiction, identity, etc.). But nothing was too heavy even for my 4 year old.
December 31, 2023
I listened to this series on audio while stuck in bed with covid, and it was perfect for when I was too tired to keep my eyes open but too uncomfortable to sleep. I loved re-reading this series over and over as a kid, so it was fun and nostalgic to return to it.
May 8, 2023
#RamonaForevet
January 13, 2024
Fantastic Stories!
I loved all of the Ramona books! Beverly Cleary was so talented at creating these characters with their very different and believeable personalities. It was great to read about a family who was loving and knew how to work through conflicts and deal with hard times. But they also knew how to celebrate accomplishments, birthdays, Halloweens, Christmases, etc. with one another and other family and friends.
It was enjoyable watching Ramona grow from a pre-schooler to a 10 year old throughout the series. And her friendship with Yard Ape was fun to read about. I remember what it was like for me on my 10th birthday and waiting for the boy I liked to show up!
In some ways I wish the series had gone on longer, but I think Beverly Cleary ended it well and at a great age for Ramona. I will definitely read these again!
I loved all of the Ramona books! Beverly Cleary was so talented at creating these characters with their very different and believeable personalities. It was great to read about a family who was loving and knew how to work through conflicts and deal with hard times. But they also knew how to celebrate accomplishments, birthdays, Halloweens, Christmases, etc. with one another and other family and friends.
It was enjoyable watching Ramona grow from a pre-schooler to a 10 year old throughout the series. And her friendship with Yard Ape was fun to read about. I remember what it was like for me on my 10th birthday and waiting for the boy I liked to show up!
In some ways I wish the series had gone on longer, but I think Beverly Cleary ended it well and at a great age for Ramona. I will definitely read these again!
March 26, 2025
Immediately after finishing the Henry Huggins series, the kids cried that we must continue with Ramona! Of course! Oh Ramona… how satisfying it is to watch a character change and grow and go from so hard to bear to someone you just cheer for. Beverly clearly absolutely creates a realistic family that goes through hard things and is not perfect but they sure do love each other. I relate deeply to the parents in so many of the stories. So much laughter and just the best thing to listen to at lunch! So sad it is over.
—-relistened to again at lunch and it was the happiest decision for all.. oh I hope it isn’t the last time listening to these fantastic stories that are so relatable as a kid, parent and human.
—-relistened to again at lunch and it was the happiest decision for all.. oh I hope it isn’t the last time listening to these fantastic stories that are so relatable as a kid, parent and human.
September 10, 2016
What a delight to listen through all eight books of Ramona! We all loved Ramona in each of her stages and the narrarator is a joy to listen to.
August 20, 2016
I love it
August 17, 2019
Audiobook.
December 8, 2022
I absolutely loved listening to this audiobook in the car with M. on our way to and from school. Stockard Channing is an incredible reader and her portrayal of each character is forever tied to each for me with such tenderness and love. Augh, I love how she puts such yearning and peevishness into Ramona's voice, the authority and care in Beezus's, and the quirks in the teachers and Yard Ape.
When I was in second grade, I read Ramona Quimby, Age 8, and didn't know about the other books. Listening through all of them in order with M. has been absolute joy, and I am all the more in awe of Beverly Cleary's gifts. While there are a few outdated details in the books, they are still overall timeless and I'd be happy to read them through again and again. She honors the children, parents, and teachers too(!) by writing about them sincerely. We laugh out loud while also nodding along and recognizing ourselves in what happens and how the characters think, feel, and respond. One line that hit me particularly powerfully was when Ramona ponders why adults don't realize that kids worry about adults. Cleary doesn't "baby" Ramona or the other younger characters -- she reveals both their naivate and wisdom in layers, while keeping the story moving forward in an accessible way. Each book stands alone well and the characters are solid and fully formed across the series while also developing in essential ways.
As a parent, I was also moved by the Quimby's socioeconomic state. I love that they make do with less and how lovingly Cleary navigates Mr. Quimby's job loss, return to school to teach art, and the reality of not securing a fairy-tale ending of a job in the field he returned to school for. Wow. That is so rare, especially in children's books. Cleary is far more honest about reality, and rather than painting their struggles as a tragedy or anything pitiable, she brings beauty into it. The scene in the restaurant, when the older gentleman pays for their Whopperburger meal... gosh, it was so lovely. It was also heartening to see Ms. Quimby enter the workforce and taking charge of financially providing for the family while her husband struggled to find another job. They were true partners and supported each other, while having those real, hard conversations in their bedroom. It was also fun to see their parenting strategies in action, such as when they invited the girls to cook dinner for them as both a lesson and source of entertainment, haha.
As a teacher, I appreciated the diversity of teaching styles and teacher personalities. The teachers each had their own quirks and impressions on Ramona. All in all, they were safe adults with good intentions, and Ramona grew to accept that she'll love some and learn to deal with others. It was fun, too, to see her relationships with particular classmates evolve over time. She goes from fascinating with Susan's curls to rancor with her about Susan copying her owl project to increased understanding of the pressures that Susan feels to "be perfect." That was awesome -- an evolution that merits re-reading... readers can gain more and more with re-reads. I have a soft spot for Howie too, since he's a steady buddy. His interest in building and fixing is constant and develops into more sophisticated projects over time. His younger sister, Willa Jean, also develops her own version of spunk without just being Ramona's mirror. The side storyline about Aunt B. and Howie's uncle was an interesting twist, and one that also served a purpose.
All in all, Beverly Cleary is a national treasure. She writes beautifully, without dumbing things down (which I love!), tenderly, and honestly.
(This is an approximate end date)
When I was in second grade, I read Ramona Quimby, Age 8, and didn't know about the other books. Listening through all of them in order with M. has been absolute joy, and I am all the more in awe of Beverly Cleary's gifts. While there are a few outdated details in the books, they are still overall timeless and I'd be happy to read them through again and again. She honors the children, parents, and teachers too(!) by writing about them sincerely. We laugh out loud while also nodding along and recognizing ourselves in what happens and how the characters think, feel, and respond. One line that hit me particularly powerfully was when Ramona ponders why adults don't realize that kids worry about adults. Cleary doesn't "baby" Ramona or the other younger characters -- she reveals both their naivate and wisdom in layers, while keeping the story moving forward in an accessible way. Each book stands alone well and the characters are solid and fully formed across the series while also developing in essential ways.
As a parent, I was also moved by the Quimby's socioeconomic state. I love that they make do with less and how lovingly Cleary navigates Mr. Quimby's job loss, return to school to teach art, and the reality of not securing a fairy-tale ending of a job in the field he returned to school for. Wow. That is so rare, especially in children's books. Cleary is far more honest about reality, and rather than painting their struggles as a tragedy or anything pitiable, she brings beauty into it. The scene in the restaurant, when the older gentleman pays for their Whopperburger meal... gosh, it was so lovely. It was also heartening to see Ms. Quimby enter the workforce and taking charge of financially providing for the family while her husband struggled to find another job. They were true partners and supported each other, while having those real, hard conversations in their bedroom. It was also fun to see their parenting strategies in action, such as when they invited the girls to cook dinner for them as both a lesson and source of entertainment, haha.
As a teacher, I appreciated the diversity of teaching styles and teacher personalities. The teachers each had their own quirks and impressions on Ramona. All in all, they were safe adults with good intentions, and Ramona grew to accept that she'll love some and learn to deal with others. It was fun, too, to see her relationships with particular classmates evolve over time. She goes from fascinating with Susan's curls to rancor with her about Susan copying her owl project to increased understanding of the pressures that Susan feels to "be perfect." That was awesome -- an evolution that merits re-reading... readers can gain more and more with re-reads. I have a soft spot for Howie too, since he's a steady buddy. His interest in building and fixing is constant and develops into more sophisticated projects over time. His younger sister, Willa Jean, also develops her own version of spunk without just being Ramona's mirror. The side storyline about Aunt B. and Howie's uncle was an interesting twist, and one that also served a purpose.
All in all, Beverly Cleary is a national treasure. She writes beautifully, without dumbing things down (which I love!), tenderly, and honestly.
(This is an approximate end date)
June 4, 2024
My (adult) daughter was on a Ramona audiobook binge. Every time we talked she was telling me this thing or that about Ramona Quimby, and it got me nostalgic for the days when I read these books aloud to my kids. So my wife and I blasted through the whole collection. (Beezus and Ramona is still my favorite of the set, and I’ve read it several times on my own. But I had not read the reast of these since my kids were the right age.)
You don’t need me to tell you Cleary was a genius. I think what I admire most about her work is the love she has for her small simple characters. It is clear on every page that Cleary respects the children she writes about, and she wants us to see all children as intelligent, thoughtful, rational humans deserving of respect from everyone. I could not agree more.
I will also forever love Cleary for her funny subtle Moby-Dick homage in Ramona and Her Mother. Ramona’s mother is reading Moby-Dick with her book club. There are several small instances of connection, but by far my favorite is Ramona’s encounter with the toothpaste:
Compare this with—well I was going to say “one of my favorite passages from Moby-Dick” but honestly every passage in Moby-Dick is a favorite. Anyway, compare:
Tell me I’m wrong.
You don’t need me to tell you Cleary was a genius. I think what I admire most about her work is the love she has for her small simple characters. It is clear on every page that Cleary respects the children she writes about, and she wants us to see all children as intelligent, thoughtful, rational humans deserving of respect from everyone. I could not agree more.
I will also forever love Cleary for her funny subtle Moby-Dick homage in Ramona and Her Mother. Ramona’s mother is reading Moby-Dick with her book club. There are several small instances of connection, but by far my favorite is Ramona’s encounter with the toothpaste:
That squirt really did make Ramona feel better. She squeezed again. Another satisfying squirt. She felt even better. This was more fun than finger painting or modeling turtles out of clay. Suddenly Ramona no longer cared what anyone thought. She squeezed and squirted, squeezed and squirted…
Compare this with—well I was going to say “one of my favorite passages from Moby-Dick” but honestly every passage in Moby-Dick is a favorite. Anyway, compare:
Squeeze! squeeze! squeeze! all the morning long; I squeezed that sperm till I myself almost melted into it; I squeezed that sperm till a strange sort of insanity came over me; and I found myself unwittingly squeezing my co-laborers’ hands in it, mistaking their hands for the gentle globules. Such an abounding, affectionate, friendly, loving feeling did this avocation beget; that at last I was continually squeezing their hands, and looking up into their eyes sentimentally; as much as to say,—Oh! my dear fellow beings, why should we longer cherish any social acerbities, or know the slightest ill-humor or envy!
Tell me I’m wrong.
December 7, 2017
I always loved the Ramona books when I was a kid so when I found this collection on sale, I didn't hesitate.
Reading through the series with my sons I was pleased to find they were all just as funny as I remembered ... if maybe just a bit dated. This time through, I was able to appreciate how well Ramona is written -- yes, there are silly, sitcom-esque misunderstandings and squabbles, but things always seem 'fair'. Even when throwing a childish tantrum, Ramona always has a reason, justified or not; she is always thinking and she has real life emotions. And Ramona's supporting cast feel just as real; her older sister dealing with friends and school; her father grouchily attempting to stop smoking and dealing with an unsatisfying job; her mother shifting from a homemaker to a 'liberated' woman, working to help support the family -- all these extra details make the story that much richer.
Reading the series all at once also makes her process of growing up more clear; learning how to get along with her sister, her parents, figuring out her teachers and struggling with classroom behavior -- it really is a joy to watch her grow from a pesky toddler scribbling in library books to a 'zero-teen' year old being trusted to watch her baby sister on her own.
For their part, my kids seemed to really enjoy the stories as well -- insisting we start the next book immediately after finishing the last.
Reading through the series with my sons I was pleased to find they were all just as funny as I remembered ... if maybe just a bit dated. This time through, I was able to appreciate how well Ramona is written -- yes, there are silly, sitcom-esque misunderstandings and squabbles, but things always seem 'fair'. Even when throwing a childish tantrum, Ramona always has a reason, justified or not; she is always thinking and she has real life emotions. And Ramona's supporting cast feel just as real; her older sister dealing with friends and school; her father grouchily attempting to stop smoking and dealing with an unsatisfying job; her mother shifting from a homemaker to a 'liberated' woman, working to help support the family -- all these extra details make the story that much richer.
Reading the series all at once also makes her process of growing up more clear; learning how to get along with her sister, her parents, figuring out her teachers and struggling with classroom behavior -- it really is a joy to watch her grow from a pesky toddler scribbling in library books to a 'zero-teen' year old being trusted to watch her baby sister on her own.
For their part, my kids seemed to really enjoy the stories as well -- insisting we start the next book immediately after finishing the last.
April 25, 2021
Inside a 4-year-old's or 10-year-old's head and heart
So, Beverly Cleary died a few weeks ago, and suddenly my news feeds were full of references to Ramona. I love children's literature and know most of the popular works well, so I was dismayed to realize that I had never read any of the Ramona books. This complete collection was available for Kindle, so I got it and read the whole thing from cover to cover.
Well, they're good. *Of course* they're good. People have been loving and praising Ramona for decades. But they weren't quite what I expected. From reading my friends' enthusiasm about Ramona, I expected her to be a kind of wild and crazy kid, a child Lucy Ricardo. (For those too young to remember, Lucy Ricardo was the central character of the TV show I Love Lucy, played by Lucille Ball. I'm guess even the young folks will have heard of I Love Lucy -- if not, google it.)
But she's not. Ramona is a very ordinary kid. Yes, she has a lot of imagination, and yes, she's not superenthusiastic about traditional girl's play, and yes, she gets in trouble with her teachers and parents at times. But all of that is quite ordinary. And that's what makes Ramona great. She is believable and relatable. You cannot imagine yourself as Lucy Ricardo, probably. But you can imagine yourself as Ramona, or her sister Beezus (nickname for Beatrice) or her parents. It's a real look at the inside of a 4-year-old's or 10-year-old's head and heart.
So, Beverly Cleary died a few weeks ago, and suddenly my news feeds were full of references to Ramona. I love children's literature and know most of the popular works well, so I was dismayed to realize that I had never read any of the Ramona books. This complete collection was available for Kindle, so I got it and read the whole thing from cover to cover.
Well, they're good. *Of course* they're good. People have been loving and praising Ramona for decades. But they weren't quite what I expected. From reading my friends' enthusiasm about Ramona, I expected her to be a kind of wild and crazy kid, a child Lucy Ricardo. (For those too young to remember, Lucy Ricardo was the central character of the TV show I Love Lucy, played by Lucille Ball. I'm guess even the young folks will have heard of I Love Lucy -- if not, google it.)
But she's not. Ramona is a very ordinary kid. Yes, she has a lot of imagination, and yes, she's not superenthusiastic about traditional girl's play, and yes, she gets in trouble with her teachers and parents at times. But all of that is quite ordinary. And that's what makes Ramona great. She is believable and relatable. You cannot imagine yourself as Lucy Ricardo, probably. But you can imagine yourself as Ramona, or her sister Beezus (nickname for Beatrice) or her parents. It's a real look at the inside of a 4-year-old's or 10-year-old's head and heart.
February 2, 2018
The book I read in this collection is ¨ Ramona the pest: Look Out Kindergarten!" by Beverly Cleary. The main characters in the story are Ramona, Beezus, Davy, Mary. the setting takes place at home, school . In the beginning of the story Ramona goes to kindergarten for the first time and she is very excited and she was skipping and singing then her sister dropped her in kindergarten and she like the teacher because she was cute and nice. Next the teacher gave her a seat and she said that she had a present but it she meant that she was going to change seats then a boy comes late and Ramona starts to like him but he does not like her. You will have to read this book to see what happens by the end.
I like this book because it tells me how Ramona goes to school for the first time and to gives me more details.
I recommend this book because i like when it tells me what is happening in the story and it can be a lot funny.
I like this book because it tells me how Ramona goes to school for the first time and to gives me more details.
I recommend this book because i like when it tells me what is happening in the story and it can be a lot funny.
March 22, 2018
My daughter and I are currently re-reading this series, and though we haven't quite finished yet, I'm writing my review because we are both enjoying it so much! I loved these books when I was a kid, and they are so much fun to read aloud as an adult. Each book has me laughing and sometimes even crying. My daughter loves them just as much, asking for more and more, and today she summed up what is so good about them when she said, "The way she describes it makes you feel like you're Ramona." Cleary is a talented author and I love sharing her books with my daughter.
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