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westernstephanie's review against another edition
3.0
I read the Ramona books when I was a kid, and was curious to see how they hold up. This one was written in 1979 and in some ways it shows. But both kids (ages 7 & 4) enjoyed it.
caseyhitchcock81's review against another edition
4.0
I can't remember enought to write about it. I'm sorry, I was eight.
steph1529's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
agloe's review against another edition
4.0
Once again Ramona is going through the same things as Melanie, who has threatened to run away a couple times lately.
We liked it a lot.
We liked it a lot.
melissad1975's review against another edition
5.0
I just love Ramona and the whole Quimby family. Ramona is such a realistic kid and the family's dynamics are so genuine, funny, and loving. I first read this book when I was about Ramona's age ("7 1/2 right now") and decades later it still makes me laugh and feel warm and fuzzy inside. Beverly Cleary was such a special writer. I can't wait to give this series to my niece some day.
vanessakm's review against another edition
4.0
Beezus looked over her shoulder. “Is that toothpaste?” she asked in disbelief.
Ramona scowled because she did not know what else to do.
“Mother!”
.....
“Get a spoon and a jar from the kitchen,” directed Mrs Quimby, “and scoop up the toothpaste.” Then she said to Beezus, “She can use it herself, and the rest of us can use a fresh tube.”
Somehow Ramona felt sad knowing she was about to be excluded from the family tube of toothpaste for a long time. And she wished her mother would not speak to Beezus as if she were not in the room.
“Ramona,” said her mother, “don’t you ever let me catch you squeezing out a whole tube of toothpaste again.”
“I won’t,” promised Ramona, and as she went off to the kitchen for a jar and a spoon she felt unexpectedly cheerful. She had done something she had always wanted to do. Of course she would never squeeze out a whole tube of toothpaste again. She had done it once. She did not need to do it again.
This is the fifth book in the Ramona series, and is a bookend to the previous book, [b:Ramona and Her Father|91247|Ramona and Her Father (Ramona, #4)|Beverly Cleary|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1408925643l/91247._SY75_.jpg|708860]. Although it was published two years later, it picks up a few weeks after the last book left off. When last we saw the Quimby’s, the girls had just been in the Christmas pageant and her father was due to begin a new job at the grocery after being out of work for months. Ramona is still in 2nd grade, Beezus is in 7th.
(And Cleary finally makes open references about the story being set in Portland, Oregon.)
It’s now New Year’s and the Quimby’s are throwing a neighborhood brunch. While Beezus helps her mother serve food and hangs out with the adults, Ramona is relegated to the indignity of babysitting her friend Howie’s (bratty) sister, Willa Jean, in the kitchen. Two outcomes of this brunch will affect Ramona for the rest of the book: someone compares Willa Jean to a younger Ramona (how very dare they) and Ramona's mother tells a guest she’d never get by without Beezus.
Wait!! What about Ramona? Doesn’t her mother need her?
Ramona is a bright and creative girl, but as we’ve seen before, that also makes her an anxious one. And so as the family weathers trials and comical misadventures of various types—Beezus’ disastrous trip to a student hairdresser, Ramona and Howie having their checkers games constantly interrupted by Willa Jean (not for nothing, exactly like Ramona once did to Beezus and Henry), Ramona’s father hating his new job—Ramona is concerned that maybe her mom doesn’t love her as much as she does her perfect older sister.
This is where Cleary is brilliant at getting into the heads of her young protagonists. When Ramona tries and fails to make a pair of pants for her stuffed elephant and throws a tantrum, it’s not really about the pants. It’s about wanting to bond with her mother through sewing and failing on that task, while Beezus and Mrs. Quimby have a friendly, harmonious time (again!) hemming one of her skirts.
Sometimes you get so frustrated when you can’t express yourself, you just have to give in to that urge to squeeze a plump, fresh tube of toothpaste. And NOT from the bottom.
Everything is resolved of course, although there are always loose ends because Cleary’s world is a sweet but realistic one. Mr. Quimby will be quitting his job and going back to school and I’m sure there will be more to come on that in the next book.
I’ve been off work for a few months for surgery, and for whatever reason concentrating on books is difficult (and I’m soooooo tired of television.) I’ve enjoyed revisiting this series with adult eyes and observing how well and thoughtfully Cleary pulls these stories off.
Ramona scowled because she did not know what else to do.
“Mother!”
.....
“Get a spoon and a jar from the kitchen,” directed Mrs Quimby, “and scoop up the toothpaste.” Then she said to Beezus, “She can use it herself, and the rest of us can use a fresh tube.”
Somehow Ramona felt sad knowing she was about to be excluded from the family tube of toothpaste for a long time. And she wished her mother would not speak to Beezus as if she were not in the room.
“Ramona,” said her mother, “don’t you ever let me catch you squeezing out a whole tube of toothpaste again.”
“I won’t,” promised Ramona, and as she went off to the kitchen for a jar and a spoon she felt unexpectedly cheerful. She had done something she had always wanted to do. Of course she would never squeeze out a whole tube of toothpaste again. She had done it once. She did not need to do it again.
This is the fifth book in the Ramona series, and is a bookend to the previous book, [b:Ramona and Her Father|91247|Ramona and Her Father (Ramona, #4)|Beverly Cleary|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1408925643l/91247._SY75_.jpg|708860]. Although it was published two years later, it picks up a few weeks after the last book left off. When last we saw the Quimby’s, the girls had just been in the Christmas pageant and her father was due to begin a new job at the grocery after being out of work for months. Ramona is still in 2nd grade, Beezus is in 7th.
(And Cleary finally makes open references about the story being set in Portland, Oregon.)
It’s now New Year’s and the Quimby’s are throwing a neighborhood brunch. While Beezus helps her mother serve food and hangs out with the adults, Ramona is relegated to the indignity of babysitting her friend Howie’s (bratty) sister, Willa Jean, in the kitchen. Two outcomes of this brunch will affect Ramona for the rest of the book: someone compares Willa Jean to a younger Ramona (how very dare they) and Ramona's mother tells a guest she’d never get by without Beezus.
Wait!! What about Ramona? Doesn’t her mother need her?
Ramona is a bright and creative girl, but as we’ve seen before, that also makes her an anxious one. And so as the family weathers trials and comical misadventures of various types—Beezus’ disastrous trip to a student hairdresser, Ramona and Howie having their checkers games constantly interrupted by Willa Jean (not for nothing, exactly like Ramona once did to Beezus and Henry), Ramona’s father hating his new job—Ramona is concerned that maybe her mom doesn’t love her as much as she does her perfect older sister.
This is where Cleary is brilliant at getting into the heads of her young protagonists. When Ramona tries and fails to make a pair of pants for her stuffed elephant and throws a tantrum, it’s not really about the pants. It’s about wanting to bond with her mother through sewing and failing on that task, while Beezus and Mrs. Quimby have a friendly, harmonious time (again!) hemming one of her skirts.
Sometimes you get so frustrated when you can’t express yourself, you just have to give in to that urge to squeeze a plump, fresh tube of toothpaste. And NOT from the bottom.
Everything is resolved of course, although there are always loose ends because Cleary’s world is a sweet but realistic one. Mr. Quimby will be quitting his job and going back to school and I’m sure there will be more to come on that in the next book.
I’ve been off work for a few months for surgery, and for whatever reason concentrating on books is difficult (and I’m soooooo tired of television.) I’ve enjoyed revisiting this series with adult eyes and observing how well and thoughtfully Cleary pulls these stories off.
crimsoncookie's review against another edition
4.0
Ramona is getting older so fast. We've really loved this series this summer. It's been wonderful for me to see not only Ramona getting older but also the changes that took place in the world while Beverly Cleary was writing them. It's been a joy for me in the middle of drama and uncertainty of 2020 (covid 19, heightened awareness of racial inequity, and the looming presidential election).
I hope one day my future self reads this review and laughs because the world is a little more like Ramona's world again.
I hope one day my future self reads this review and laughs because the world is a little more like Ramona's world again.
argylefire's review against another edition
5.0
Ramona is getting older so fast. We've really loved this series this summer. It's been wonderful for me to see not only Ramona getting older but also the changes that took place in the world while Beverly Cleary was writing them. It's been a joy for me in the middle of drama and uncertainty of 2020 (covid 19, heightened awareness of racial inequity, and the looming presidential election).
I hope one day my future self reads this review and laughs because the world is a little more like Ramona's world again.
I hope one day my future self reads this review and laughs because the world is a little more like Ramona's world again.
reasonandpassion1115's review against another edition
3.0
I read these books as a child and wanted to reread them as an adult to see how they stood out. This one particularly did remind me a little bit of my relationship I had with my mother growing up, though I will say some of the subjects and the way things were written was dated. Still nostalgic.