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savoringstories's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
navysoup's review against another edition
4.0
Didn't feel as dated as I thought it might! I loved these books as a kid, and re-visiting Ramona was like being a kid again. Also reminds me of something a co-worker said the other day: kids have adult-sized problems and feelings in child-sized bodies. Ramona is totally one of those kids... Cleary is great at conveying all the emotions that kids have to deal with, and it resonates just as much today as it did 20 years ago.
iamthelizardqueen's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ramona the brave and adorable
aizaksonas's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
3.0
morepagesplease's review against another edition
4.0
My daughter and I have been enjoying reading this series together. I think Cleary has an amazing ability to write from a child's point of view. My daughter really identifies with Ramona and has wholeheartedly enjoyed the series so far.
drcopeland's review against another edition
4.0
Such great kid books...brings back good memories....
librarybrooke's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ikuo1000's review against another edition
5.0
Up until now, we've been reading Ramona books illustrated by Tracy Dockray. I really like her drawings because they do such a great job of conveying the emotions of each character - from elation to concern to anger. Illustrations definitely add to the story, helping Isabelle to put a greater context around the words being read.
Since we're going through the series by borrowing books from the library, we read whatever editions are available. With this book, for the first time, we encountered a different illustrator - Alan Tiegreen. I thought Isabelle might not like the change, but she told me that in school, her teacher reads books illustrated by yet another person, who turned out to be Jacqueline Rogers. This is great! I personally prefer Tracy Dockray's pictures because Alan Tiegreen's drawings look, well, not so cute. :P But they do do an equally good job of bringing the story to life, and I love that Isabelle is seeing different interpretations of the same characters.
In Ramona the Brave, Ramona is in first grade, just like Isabelle! Ramona begins to learn a few things about people and relationships - other people may sometimes behave in ways that belittle you, and some people (like teachers) may misinterpret situations in such a way as to misunderstand you completely. Poor Ramona! I really felt for her in this book. I think every person has some strong memory of being misunderstood as a child.
Interestingly, while I focused on the emotions and the possible take-away lessons, Isabelle said her favorite thing about this book was the brick factory game that Ramona played with Howie. How typical! :) The parent tries to emphasize some worthy lesson, but the child really just wants to enjoy the story. :P
Since we're going through the series by borrowing books from the library, we read whatever editions are available. With this book, for the first time, we encountered a different illustrator - Alan Tiegreen. I thought Isabelle might not like the change, but she told me that in school, her teacher reads books illustrated by yet another person, who turned out to be Jacqueline Rogers. This is great! I personally prefer Tracy Dockray's pictures because Alan Tiegreen's drawings look, well, not so cute. :P But they do do an equally good job of bringing the story to life, and I love that Isabelle is seeing different interpretations of the same characters.
In Ramona the Brave, Ramona is in first grade, just like Isabelle! Ramona begins to learn a few things about people and relationships - other people may sometimes behave in ways that belittle you, and some people (like teachers) may misinterpret situations in such a way as to misunderstand you completely. Poor Ramona! I really felt for her in this book. I think every person has some strong memory of being misunderstood as a child.
Interestingly, while I focused on the emotions and the possible take-away lessons, Isabelle said her favorite thing about this book was the brick factory game that Ramona played with Howie. How typical! :) The parent tries to emphasize some worthy lesson, but the child really just wants to enjoy the story. :P