Reviews

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary

emily_m_green's review

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Mark the date on the calendar—my daughter and I read our first real chapter book together! And it was a Ramona book. Does it get any better than that? 

 

Ramona Quimby is probably Beverly Cleary’s, the famed children’s book author’s, best known character. Ramona is precocious, funny, and perhaps the most frustrating younger sibling of all time. As a book character, she is delightful. 

 

Beezus and Ramona is a classic. While it is the first book about Ramona, it is actually attached to her older sister, Beezus’s, point of view. Beezus is nine years old and often straddled with looking after Ramona, who is four years old. Beezus is the neat, sensible sister, and Ramona is the noisy, troublemaking, attention loving sister. Beezus finds that life with Ramona is often unfair, because Ramona always seems to get her way, even when, especially when, she does not deserve it. 

 

Take, for example, in the opening scene, when Ramona is riding her tricycle indoors and playing the harmonica, making Beezus absolutely wild—the only way to get her to stop is to do what Ramona wants to do. How will Beezus be able to put up with her exasperating sister? 

 

Each new chapter is a new adventure, and through each one, the reader sees not just Ramona’s wackiness, but also Beezus’s resilience. 

 

Would I teach this book? Given the opportunity, absolutely! I have loved Beverly Cleary’s writing since I was very young and am happy for the opportunity to read it to children or use it in a children’s literature course. Cleary’s sense of humor and imagination in Beezus and Ramona  is just as brilliant now as it was when it was first published, nearly seventy years ago. 

gracepizza40's review against another edition

2.0

The book was okay. The constant reprimanding (saying that you can't or are not supposed to do this is confusing and discouraging) and the uneducated statements about the full American history bogged it down. I like that Beverly Cleary made books showing the average kids' perspective, though today it's a little outdated. If you approach Ramona's scenes in a calmer, understanding way instead of being exasperated and reacting, the situation will be less frustrating to deal with. I think by the end of the stories everything was resolved, but the dialogue had some flaws.

dblue236's review

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing 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? No

5.0

 Beverly Cleary was my first favorite author as a child, and to this day I enjoy picking up one of her books occasionally and re-reading it. They definitely feel very dated now, but they still bring back the kind of nostalgia I have a really hard time finding almost anywhere else any more. 

wombat_88's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing 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? No

5.0

nackereia's review

emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Ramona Quimby Series was one of my favorites growing up. As a kid, I identified and empathized so strongly with poor, neglected Ramona who no one gave any attention to/the time of day to. I honestly don't know that I have ever read the whole series. I certainly don't recall reading this first book.

In reading this book as an adult, I cannot help but empathize with Beatrice. She just wants peace and quiet, and she has a rambunctious, imaginative, loud, four year old sister! 

celtic_oracle's review against another edition

4.0

I somehow managed to miss reading this Ramona book when I was growing up, so it was great to experience it for the first time right alongside Mini-Me. I’m thrilled that she wants to continue the series.

mehsi's review against another edition

1.0

I needed to read this one for a Copycat Challenge for my group. And man, did I hate this book.

Ramona is one of the most annoying, aggravating, stupid, idiotic characters I have ever seen (and I read a lot). I truly hated her, I don't care that she is 4 or 3 or 5 for all I care, she was a total horrendous kid. Doing whatever she wanted, and otherwise tantrum. She loved punishments (at one time in the story they decided not to give her any), she loved ruining, wrecking and destroying things, no matter if they are her property or not (that library book, that poor thing). The parents are pretty strict, but I think in in many of the cases they could (and should) be way more stricter.
I hated her a lot, and that was already at page 1 or 2. I can't imagine how she will be later. I am sure she will be a total nightmare. Poor parents.

Then we have Beezus, another character that I didn't like. Only I had different reasons for her. She was just so darned negative. I cannot draw because boohoohohoho I have no imagination. Ramona this, Ramona that, boahhoahoho. And sure at times she was justified to cry and be negative, but a lot of times I was just thinking she could be a bit more positive.

The book is done in short stories. Which at times annoyed me, I wasn't expected a short story book, I was expected a long running story.

All in all, I won't be reading this series. I will in fact be avoiding it.

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

mkduds's review against another edition

3.0

Read to my kids. This book holds up pretty well considering it’s nearly 70 years old! It made for good discussions about sending kids to their rooms and whether that makes sense and what to do with your emotions. 

hacky's review

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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

5.0

labunnywtf's review against another edition

5.0

I don't know if Stockard Channing has children, or how many, but I do know that she is quite obviously a woman who has read to children, and has enjoyed it.

These books are *truly* wonderful in her voice. These are books I've enjoyed since childhood, and hearing them read in Rizzo's voice is just too good to be true.

I'm very sad that I'm now on the second-to-last Ramona audio book available from the library. :( Boo.