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ebonyutley's review against another edition
3.0
Recently, I’ve been shocked, disappointed, horrified by a re-read of some of my favorite books as a kid. So when I saw Ramona Quimby, Age 8 at the free little library, I had to revisit. I remember loving this book. I really wanted to not hate it as an adult. I am happy to report that I didn’t hate it. I can see why Beverly Cleary won all the awards she did for her children’s books. She was all up in the mind of an 8-year-old.
Most of the book is in Ramona’s mind. Not much actually happens. As an adult that loves plot, at first, I wasn’t sure what kid me saw in this book. Then I realized that Ramona’s anxiety about all the things summed my kid existence. She worries about her parents, her teacher, her friends, her responsibilities, her behavior. Everything that happens in the adult world is internalized by Ramona. Same as me. Well, hell, then and now. I must have found comfort in that familiarity as a child. It must have been nice to know that my worries were shared by my favorite heroine in a story where everything worked out okay in the end. It’s not a fairy tale (which I didn’t dig as a kid) but a slice of everyday life where there are good days and bad days, but everything works out okay.
I also had no memory of how working class the Quimby’s were. Like, no memory. Perhaps, because it seemed so normal. My parents never told me how much money they made. We didn’t spend the night at other people’s houses so I didn’t have anything to compare my existence to. My aunts and uncles lived pretty much like we did. I suppose I would have thought the Quimby’s life was as it should be.
As an adult, I read novels about families with various levels of class privilege, but it doesn’t stand out to me. The author sets the scene and I rock with it. I suppose that the emphasis on a broken car and not enough money to pay the bills or eat at the burger joint stands out now because as a kid no one talked to me about money. Adult me still thinks we should shelter kids from class. Which is ridiculous and also not completely how I grew up if I loved this book. Again, this book is important because the Quimby world is so normal. It’s not a fairy tale, it’s not perfect, it’s not lifestyles of the rich and famous. That banality must be comforting for kids. It must have been for the me I’m remembering through Ramona Quimby, age 8.
Most of the book is in Ramona’s mind. Not much actually happens. As an adult that loves plot, at first, I wasn’t sure what kid me saw in this book. Then I realized that Ramona’s anxiety about all the things summed my kid existence. She worries about her parents, her teacher, her friends, her responsibilities, her behavior. Everything that happens in the adult world is internalized by Ramona. Same as me. Well, hell, then and now. I must have found comfort in that familiarity as a child. It must have been nice to know that my worries were shared by my favorite heroine in a story where everything worked out okay in the end. It’s not a fairy tale (which I didn’t dig as a kid) but a slice of everyday life where there are good days and bad days, but everything works out okay.
I also had no memory of how working class the Quimby’s were. Like, no memory. Perhaps, because it seemed so normal. My parents never told me how much money they made. We didn’t spend the night at other people’s houses so I didn’t have anything to compare my existence to. My aunts and uncles lived pretty much like we did. I suppose I would have thought the Quimby’s life was as it should be.
As an adult, I read novels about families with various levels of class privilege, but it doesn’t stand out to me. The author sets the scene and I rock with it. I suppose that the emphasis on a broken car and not enough money to pay the bills or eat at the burger joint stands out now because as a kid no one talked to me about money. Adult me still thinks we should shelter kids from class. Which is ridiculous and also not completely how I grew up if I loved this book. Again, this book is important because the Quimby world is so normal. It’s not a fairy tale, it’s not perfect, it’s not lifestyles of the rich and famous. That banality must be comforting for kids. It must have been for the me I’m remembering through Ramona Quimby, age 8.
readsewknit's review against another edition
4.0
I found this installment in the Ramona series to be amusing to listen to because my youngest is also an eight-year-old third grader, and my oldest is in junior high.
The family has settled into a routine of sorts, with the dad going back to college to be an art teacher, and the family adjusting accordingly. Ramona suffers through afternoons with Howie, his little sister, and his grandma, and does what she can to convince her parents to let her join into school fads (like hard-boiled eggs packed in lunches, that one can crack on one's forehead in spectacular fashion).
Ramona experiences the horrifying moment if being sick at school in front of her class but survives, and later wows her class with a book report in the vein of a TV commercial.
The family has settled into a routine of sorts, with the dad going back to college to be an art teacher, and the family adjusting accordingly. Ramona suffers through afternoons with Howie, his little sister, and his grandma, and does what she can to convince her parents to let her join into school fads (like hard-boiled eggs packed in lunches, that one can crack on one's forehead in spectacular fashion).
Ramona experiences the horrifying moment if being sick at school in front of her class but survives, and later wows her class with a book report in the vein of a TV commercial.
chelse34's review against another edition
3.0
This wasn't my favorite of the Ramona books, but it was still enjoyable with the egg on the head, getting called a nuisance, and the book report. Ramona is definitely growing up as the books continue.
buffy_garden's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
4.5
It feels bittersweet as Ramona and Beezus grow up, but I continue to love the family and their journeys.
katy82's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it gorwing up and now my daughter and I are reading it together. Brings back a lot of memories.
erinmp's review against another edition
3.0
Ramona Quimby is eight and as feisty as ever. She's now in the third grade and gets to ride the bus to school, which is the most exciting thing to happen to her in a long time. Her father has quit his awful job as a checker and is going to college to learn how to be an art teacher. Her new teacher, Mrs. Whaley, well, Ramona doesn't quite know what to make of her. But she does know that the annoying boy in her class that she has named Yard-Ape, is quite possibly the most annoying boy ever.
I didn't like this one quite as much as the previous Ramona books. She didn't get into many of her predicable crazy antics. I can still see myself in Ramona, though. And reading about her is always a comfort.
I didn't like this one quite as much as the previous Ramona books. She didn't get into many of her predicable crazy antics. I can still see myself in Ramona, though. And reading about her is always a comfort.
librariandest's review against another edition
3.0
My 5yo loves listening to the Ramona books on audio (read by Stockard Channing). I loved these books when I was a kid, too. But imagine my horror when she started calling one of her toys Yard Ape because Ramona says it. In the books, Ramona calls one of her classmates Yard Ape because he teases her. His real name is Danny, but she continues to call him Yard Ape even after they become friends -- like it's an affectionate nickname. In the real world, Yard Ape is a racist slur (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/yard_ape).
So I had a Serious Talk with her about never calling anyone that. Ramona does a lot of things we should never do (e.g. destroying her classmate's art project, sticking burrs in her hair, ruining Beezus's birthday cake), so it was not difficult to convince my daughter that she shouldn't always follow Ramona's example.
Now I'm concerned as a children's librarian that this very popular classic uses a racial slur as a nickname, even though Beverly Cleary intended it in the "unruly child" sense. As I've learned, the impact is more important than the intent.
As far as I know, "yard ape" will not be a familiar insult to most kids today. It wasn't familiar to me, but when I heard the word "ape" I instantly knew I didn't want my kid (or any kid) saying that. I've learned a lot about the problems with monkeys in children's literature from the librarian and blogger Edith Campbell (https://crazyquiltedi.blog/2018/07/20/monkey-business/). The racist associations between primates and Black people are well documented.
So reader beware. All your faves are problematic.
So I had a Serious Talk with her about never calling anyone that. Ramona does a lot of things we should never do (e.g. destroying her classmate's art project, sticking burrs in her hair, ruining Beezus's birthday cake), so it was not difficult to convince my daughter that she shouldn't always follow Ramona's example.
Now I'm concerned as a children's librarian that this very popular classic uses a racial slur as a nickname, even though Beverly Cleary intended it in the "unruly child" sense. As I've learned, the impact is more important than the intent.
As far as I know, "yard ape" will not be a familiar insult to most kids today. It wasn't familiar to me, but when I heard the word "ape" I instantly knew I didn't want my kid (or any kid) saying that. I've learned a lot about the problems with monkeys in children's literature from the librarian and blogger Edith Campbell (https://crazyquiltedi.blog/2018/07/20/monkey-business/). The racist associations between primates and Black people are well documented.
So reader beware. All your faves are problematic.
cvlitt's review against another edition
Unexpectedly funny, it made the kids laugh out loud in pretty much every chapter. I guess being 8 in the '70s is pretty relatable to being 8 now.
duck_rosey's review against another edition
5.0
6/24/18 age 7 - It is where Ramona is a 3rd grader, and she throws up in front of the class, and she says her teacher says she was a super nuisance.