Tag: Beverly Cleary

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

Ramona Quimby, Age 8

Beverly Cleary (J Fiction)

Ramona has a LOT going on! She’s starting the third grade at a school where NO ONE knows that she’s Beatrice Quimby’s little sister (yay!), she gets to ride the school bus ALL by herself, and she has THE most important responsibility of the family—be nice to Willa Jean at Howie’s grandmother’s house. Sound like a lot to handle? It might be for anybody, but this is Ramona Quimby and if anyone can tackle a challenge and new situations head on, it’s this girl…even though she’s just eight. But between a school bully, an ever-tightening family budget, an unfortunate egg incident at school, and a teacher who thinks she’s a show-off, even Ramona is starting to feel the pressure. Can she find a way to toughen up and pull it together? She has to because her family is depending on her!

Beverly Cleary’s endearing Ramona series continues as our feisty heroine returns and is as lovable, surprising, and formidable as ever. She’s opinionated, clever, resilient, and demands accuracy. She’s a girl who’s fair, loyal, and loves her family. Most importantly, she’s human and serves as an example of what to do (and what not to do) when things don’t go your way. With her unflappable charm, spunk, and candor, she turns an adversary into an unlikely ally, accepts a punishment as a challenge, tackles a boring school assignment with creative flair, and realizes that she’s part of a nice sticking-together family, although they might not be nice all of the time.

What makes Ramona Quimby, Age 8 such a great story is the relatability of its main character. Whether she’s dealing with the humiliation of getting sick at school in front of her classmates, standing up to playground injustice, dealing with the shame of falling out of favor with a teacher, or dealing with overly stressed parents who might be on the verge of falling out of love, Ramona deals with life’s ups and downs as best she can. She takes her responsibility within her family seriously, is hurt when treated unfairly by her parents, and is pragmatic in whose side she takes in a family squabble. She pouts, whines, and agitates, but she’s also curious, kind, and helpful. Ramona is allowed to be a lot of things because she knows that she has a family who loves and supports her unconditionally and this allows her the freedom to explore, challenge, and fail without suffering long-lasting repercussions. And through some tough lessons, our heroine vows to try harder, promises to be dependable, and strives to be more patient in the future. As for today, she’s just Ramona Quimby, age 8, and that’s good enough…for now anyway.

Rating: 5/5

Share Ramona with your class with our study guide: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Study-Guide-Ramona-Quimby-Age-8-by-Beverly-Cleary-12745834

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary (J Fiction)

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

Beverly Cleary (J Fiction)

Ralph is reckless. Ralph is impatient. Ralph is his mother’s greatest worry. Worst of all…RALPH IS BORED! He is a mouse yearning for excitement and danger, and he’s about to get it when young Keith Gridley and his family check into Room 215 at the Mountain View Inn—home to Ralph and his mouse family. When Ralph spies Keith’s beloved diecast motorcycle on the nightstand one day, Ralph HAS to ride it because that red beauty is his one-way ticket to adventure. It also starts a chain reaction that sees Ralph trapped in a wastebasket, narrowly escaping a vacuum cleaner, tangling with a pillowcase, inciting an excitable pooch, and braving the outdoors—all while trying to reclaim the lost motorcycle, win back the trust of a friend, and prove that he CAN be a responsible mouse.

Inspired by real-life events involving a spooky old hotel, a sick little boy, a set of miniature cars, and a little mouse caught in a garden bucket, Beverly Cleary gives young readers another timeless and unforgettable story—one full of heart and the importance of accountability, responsibility, selflessness, and friendship. At the story’s heart is an unlikely friendship between a young boy and a mouse who find commonality over their love of motorcycles. Through Keith, Ralph begins to understand that putting other’s needs first doesn’t mean sacrificing your own wants and in the long run, the benefits received are far richer and more rewarding than imagined.  

This is an ideal classroom or read-aloud book as the lessons learned are worth discovering and discussing. For a young reader to watch Ralph’s evolution from being self-indulgent and reckless to thoughtful and considerate is satisfying to witness and teaches that the only thing more important than being responsible is accepting accountability and making sure that a wrong is made right and trust is restored. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, “The price of greatness is responsibility” and a young mouse with a thirst for speed shows us that greatness isn’t having a shiny red motorcycle, but having someone that believes in you and calls you friend.

Rating: 5/5

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