Beezus and Ramona

First in the Ramona Quimby middle-grade readers fiction series and revolving around a misbehaving younger child.

NOTE: Beezus and Ramona supports the Common Core standards…if that’s important to you.

My Take
This is a handy tale for those siblings who are the older sister (or brother) and that hate-hate relationship between siblings that turns into funny stories when you’re old enough. Well, actually, I suspect this is more useful to the parents who are dealing with older kids who are angry and/or irritated with younger kids. It’ll give you some ideas on how to deal with it…and with that need for attention.

I’m having a love-hate relationship with Ramona. I love that she’s adventurous and wants to try everything. I hate that she’s so naughty and demanding! Wait’ll you read the bit about the library book!! I wanted to smack her! I did, lol, love how Miss Evans handled it *more laughter*

LOL, yep, been there, tried to figure that out:

”Ramona’s pictures, in fact, were so full of imagination that it took even more imagination to tell what they were."

It’s a series of vignettes with Ramona acting up throughout the events of the day: going to the library, walking down the street, temper tantrums when she doesn’t get her way or no one is paying attention to her, the impromptu “party”, wanting to be read to...from the same story...over and over, and more.

Cleary uses third-person point-of-view from Beezus' perspective, so it's easy to see her points. And one point that struck me was that it is important to try and spread the compliments amongst all the kids! As for Beezus' frustrations in her art class? Yep, I totally identify with that *laughing (NOW)*

In the end, I can see Mother’s point, but Ramona needs a good smack-down!

The Story
Ohh, why does Beezus have to have a sister, especially one with such a wild imagination, a disregard for order, and an appetite for chaos!

Beezus knows she should be responsible and…sigh…love her sister (she knows she ought to). But Ramona makes it so hard, especially when Ramona practically ruins Beezus's birthday party.

The Characters
Ramona Quimby is four years old and a major pain for her nine-year-old sister, Beatrice “Beezus”. Bendix is Ramona’s favorite doll. Ralph is her imaginary green lizard. Mother is Dorothy. Aunt Beatrice Haswell is the fun sister who teaches fourth-grade and drives a convertible. Beezus wants to be just like her!

Henry Huggins lives in the next block and is friends with Beezus. Ribsy is his dog.

Mrs. Wisser is a neighbor who lives down the block while Mrs. Kemp is a neighbor with two children: Willa Jean and Howie. Susan is one of the party guests. Miss Greever is the grown-ups’ librarian. Miss Evans is the children’s. Miss Robbins is the art teacher. Wayne is a naughty boy in Beezus’ art class while Celia is usually quite good. Howie was naughty in the sandbox.

The Cover and Title
The cover has a warm white background with the child actresses pictured on the left side of the cover. Sigh, you can immediately understand Beezus’ frustrations with Ramona when you catch sight of the “paint!” handprints on Beezus’ white V-neck sweater and blue jeans. The title and author’s name (about half the title’s size) are to the right of Beezus’ face in a deep purple using a quirky combination of capital letters and lowercase set all a’jumble.

The title is who the focus is on, Beezus and Ramona.

A couple of years ago, Audible had a great sale. I was able to purchase most of Beverly Cleary’s most popular books for about $4 apiece. I have been reading the Ramona books to my seven-year-old twins, and now that the girls are out of school, we have been listening to some of the books that we haven’t read.

The girls wanted to start with Beezus and Ramona, which takes place before Ramona the Pest. They were very interested to see what Ramona was like before she started Kindergarten. I’d like to point out that Stockard Channing serves as narrator for all of the Ramona books, so that’s kind of neat in a whimsical sort of way.

Beezus and Ramona differs from the other Ramona books because Ramona’s older sister Beezus is the protagonist. Ramona is certainly the one who serves as catalyst, but the focus is on how Ramona’s actions affect Beezus.

Over the course of the book, Ramona writes her name on every page of a library book because she wants to keep it, she interrupts Beezus’ art class, and she even invites the entire preschool class over for a party without telling her mother! Beezus is generally annoyed by Ramona’s actions, and she feels frustrated with herself for being annoyed. Beezus looks at the relationship between her mother and her Aunt Beatrice, and she feels ashamed that she doesn’t have the same rapport with Ramona.

One of the main themes of the Ramona series is Ramona’s struggle to control her behavior. She doesn’t mean to be a “pest”, but it isn’t easy to be good. In this book, Ramona is unrepentantly naughty. She takes pride in her misbehavior- whether it’s eating someone else’s lollipop or bashing her tricycle into the coffee table and ruining the checkers game- Ramona revels in doing what she wants.

I would recommend Beezus and Ramona. My girls enjoyed listening to this book, but from a storytelling perspective, I can see why the focus of the series shifts to Ramona. Beezus is sweet, but she’s rather bland. It is also a huge relief that Ramona gains a little more self-control; there is definitely such a thing as too much naughtiness.

This story of big sister "Beezus" (nickname of Beatrice) and her little sister Ramona's perpetual showing-out attention seeking antics, it set way back when...In a time where if your naughty little sister colored in a library book, Beezus ends up owing $2.50 for the book Ramona defaced--and according to the storyline, "That's a lot of money!" this is back in the '50s...heck, I knew not to color in a book that belonged to the library so I have not idea what the damage fee would be now. Still, the love-hate emotions expressed by Beezus at times when Ramona's mischief just gets to be too much; this is timeless stuff, the subject of sibling rivalry. I don't have a sister and I'm the youngest, so I can't quite relate--but I can laugh! I watch an animated show called "Bob's Burgers" and there is a character on there "Louise" that reminds me so much of Ramona with those rabbit ears, and the way Louise gets combative and stuff! Ramona sees nothing wrong with showing her skinned knee to the passing neighbor ladies, has an imaginary pet lizard named ":Ralph", and sees no harm in taking one single bite out of a big box of apples. She had a lot of chutzpah locking Henry Huggins's dog Ribsy in the bathroom, but then I learned that a nail file can unlock the door if you've misplaced the key. I bet that was the straw that broke the camel's back when Ramona stuck her doll in the birthday cake while it was in the oven! There's a happy ending when the girls' aunt comes over for a visit since it's Beezus's 10th birthday (the aunt that Beezus got named for.) Timeless, enjoyable reading!
Oh and btw: Once you start reading "Ramona the Pest" it's going to be a "Ramona the protagonist" from there on out. This book is the last one to focus more on the feelings of Beezus and Henry Huggins with Ramona as borderline "antagonist"....

Beezus and Ramona Quimby were first introduced in the "Henry Huggins" series, and this is the first book that focuses primarily on them. Some call this the first book in the "Ramona" series. I disagree, since Beezus is the primary character (Ramona didn't really come into her own until "Ramona the Pest"). Still, "Beezus and Ramona" is a highly enjoyable book. Beatrice "Beezus" Quimby is in the fourth grade, and she's constantly irritated by the antics of her four-year-old sister, Ramona. First, Ramona writes in a library book that's checked out on Beezus' card. Then, while Beezus is playing checkers with Henry Huggins, she knocks over the checkerboard with her tricycle, and then she locks Henry's dog Ribsy in the bathroom. Yet in the midst of her irritation, Beezus begins to feel guilty. After all, Ramona is her sister, so isn't she supposed to love her? The closeness of her mother with her sister Beatrice (Beezus' namesake) makes her feel even more guilty. By the time the book ends, she realizes her relationship with Ramona isn't as bad as she thinks.

This is also the book that introduced Ramona's friend, Howie Kemp, and his little sister, Willa Jean. Beezus regards Howie as "the noisiest little boy" she knows, which is markedly different from his character in later books.

This review consists of two parts: 1. My daughter's review (she's 8) and 2. My review (I'm the Mom). These are excerpts - for the full review please visit us at our website.

DAUGHTER SAYS:

What I liked and disliked about it:
I think I'm more like Beezus and my brother is like Ramona (sometimes), but I still like both the girls. Ramona sometimes does bad things that annoy Beezus. I like to read about the funny things that Ramona does like taking one bite out of a bunch of apples and saying "The first bite tastes the best" and inviting lots of kids over for a party without Beezus and their Mom knowing about it. Chapter 5 (The Party at the Quimby's) is my favorite because it's the funniest one. I like Ramona's imaginary pet, a lizard named Ralph. If I was Beezus and I had a sister like Ramona, I would be scared to death that I would always get in trouble - - kind of like how my brother gets me in trouble. I even understand how Beezus can say that sometimes she doesn't love her sister because I'm an older sister too.

The only thing that kind of disturbed me was that the chapters were really long, but I still liked each chapter.

My bottom line:
I recommend this book to the other girls in my class and maybe some boys. I would definitely read more books about Beezus, Ramona, and Henry.

MOM SAYS:

What I liked and disliked about it:
There is a reason that a book written in 1955 is still as well-loved today as it was back then. The book includes strong, likeable characters in Beezus and (even) Ramona, as well as the sympathetic Mom and Aunt Beatrice. The stories may all be centred around Ramona doing something naughty (e.g., scribbling in the library book, knocking down Beezus and Henry's checkerboard), but the consequences are realistic (e.g., pay for the damages, apologize to librarian, and doesn't get the book back; being sent to her room) and the moral of the tale is clear. There is always a lesson to be learned.

It was really fun to read about Ramona's antics which pale in comparison to some of the stunts pulled by characters in other middle grade book series (e.g., Ivy and Bean; Captain Underpants) and which are fairly realistic in terms of the type of trouble a girl of this age would get herself into. I didn't feel uncomfortable with the "bad behaviour" in this book compared to these other books where some seriously nasty, malicious things take place, and where the seriousness of these behaviours is minimized (e.g., throwing worms in someone's face; putting bubble bath in the band's musical instrument).

I love the way Beezus is portrayed and I love her honesty around the ambivalence she feels toward Ramona. Let's face it, who hasn't felt what I will loosely label "hatred" toward their brother or sister at one point or another? Like the time that my brother cut pictures for his school locker out of my well-loved and very worn issue of Parade magazine, my first issue purchased with my own money. Or the time he used a black permanent marker on our wood paneling to make a road for his hot wheels and was successful in blaming me for it.

I'm sure we all have stories we can share of these types of moments and this is what Clearly does so beautifully in describing how Beezus comes to realize that her relationship with Ramona mirrors the relationship between her mother and her aunt - one fraught with delight and challenges, but nonetheless firmly grounded in love. This is the lesson that I've learned in my life and the one I teach my children - while it is perfectly normal to be angry with a loved one, it does not diminish in the slightest the love that you have for one another.

My bottom line:
I really like these characters and the stories. Beezus and Ramona are imperfect but so charming. They are characters who make mistakes, who experience a gamut of emotions (i.e., anger, happiness, sadness, jealousy), and who in the end accept and love each other. I would highly recommend this book and others by Beverly Cleary. Cleary writes books with strong female, male, and/or animal characters (e.g., Ramona, Henry, Ribsy, Beezus, Ralph, Maggie, and others) therefore there is a series that would be appropriate for either girls or boys. Because the chapters are quite long, I would recommend these books for 7+ years.

I reread Beezus and Ramona (1955) by Beverly Cleary 5★♥

So... I felt that this book was an ode to older sisters (or siblings). I'm the oldest of 3 girls in my family. I have a nickname just like Beezus (for Beatrice). My middle sister couldn't say my name when she was young, so naturally she just called me Shell. And it's stuck. And now her daughter calls me Shell. But my sisters would also always say "Shell-did-it." No matter what happened, my sisters always pointed the finger at me. But that was because I was a bit like both Beezus and Ramona when I was at that young mischief age.

Beezus and Ramona is through Beezus Quimbly's point of view, which is different than all the other books in this series. Beatrice is almost 10 years old and Ramona is 4. I read this book, along with some others, when I was about 10 years old and I remember feeling glad to have found a character like Beatrice.

Now that I've reread this book (and within one day), I could relate a lot to all the various mischief that Ramona got into because of my 3 year old niece... Whenever my niece is doing something and we ask what she's doing, the answer is "Nothiiinng..." which of course, has us curious and hopeful that she isn't doing something she's not supposed to. As far as the book Beezus and Ramona goes, this kindle version has 6 chapters with some nice black/ white pen drawings, along with a chapter sample of the book Ramona The Pest. They're all little short stories of some of Ramona's various mishaps that irritates her older sister, Beezus. Reading six mishaps in one day was actually quite fun. I laughed at a bit of the comedy. And smiled because it made me think of either my sisters or my nieces.

This was a fun reread and a good book series about siblings and Ramona Quimbly and her over imagination. I liked Beatrice "Beezus" when I first read this. Now I just love all the characters.

I loved reading about Ramona as she got older and feeling like I knew her after a while. Ms. Cleary is a wonderful writer, especially for little girls to read. In this book, I thought Ramona's silly mischief--like taking a bite out of every apple because "the first bite is the best"--was sort of lighthearted nonsense, and I very much sympathized with Beezus (which I guess isn't surprising because I am an eldest child). What's special about Cleary's writing is how authentic the situations are. You never feel like she's deliberately coming up with ridiculous, unlikely things for the children to do just so she can write a wacky book. She really gets inside the heads of children and I kept feeling like she was writing about things that happened to her or people she knew because they just had that realistic feeling. Unlike a lot of children's books for this age group, you don't feel like Cleary is calculating what will make you laugh or deliberately constructing a plot. It's entirely character-driven and that's why I fell in love.

BEEZUS & RAMONA

Beatrice "Beezus" Quimby is often at sword's points with her 4-year-old sister, Ramona. The fourth grader has a full plate with homework, peers and watching her delightfully high spirited sister, Ramona.

Ramona is a delightful, strong character and not a tiresome "girly-girl" cliche. She is daring and fearless and has a mind of her own. I could always relate to Ramona and she was one of the very first female characters I really loved.

Ramona loves books about construction equipment, despite Beezus' sexist misperception that "girls aren't supposed to be interested in machinery;" loves all kinds of machinery, insists that her name is written with a series of scribbled i's and t's because she saw Beezus writing her name "Beatrice" in script and liked the way the i's and t's looked; she had wonderfully original expressions such as her eyes were "brown and white," she throws a party without permission and she has the police escort her home on one occasion.

My favorite part was when Ramona accidentally ruined Beezus' birthday cake. She placed a rubber doll in Beezus' cake while it was still in the oven. Her explanation? She was pretending to be the witch in "Hansel & Gretel." I laughed until I cried at that part. It was hilarious!

Luckily, the girls' Aunt Beatrice saves the day by buying Beezus a birthday cake. She regales the girls with stories about how she was a "Ramona" to their mother, her older sister.

This is truly a classic that I still love. Ramona was my first favorite fictional female protagonist. She was bright and high spirited and I could relate to that. I still love Ramona.

RAMONA THE PEST

Whirlwind Ramona barrels into kindergarten, just as this delightul, irrepressible high spirited child has barreled into the hearts of her readers. I have loved this book since I was a child.

Ramona is a delightful, strong character and not a tiresome "girly-girl" cliche. She is daring and fearless and has a mind of her own. I could always relate to Ramona and she was one of the very first female characters I really loved. She also has high reasoning abilities; when told to leave for school "at a quarter past 8," she waits until 8:25 because "a quarter is .25c." That shows high intelligence.

Ramona, now 5, is a "big kid" now. She and her friend Howie Kemp are in kindergarten and they love their teacher, Ms. Binney. Ramona is still wonderfully expressive, and very funny. She names her doll Chevrolet, she lends Howie her battered stuffed bunny for show and tell, she pulls her nemesis Susan's long ringlets to see them "SPROING!" I love the part where Ramona draws a house with a smoky chimney because the "chimney is stopped up with Santa Claus." I laughed so hard at that part!

Ramona's hair pulling has gotten her into big trouble. A parent conference is scheduled and Ramona has been suspended. Luckily for all, Ramona's kindergarten status has been reinstated and the lovable, Dutch-bobbed moppet is once again bringing many smiles to faces of all ages. I still love this one. It is very funny.

Beverly Cleary is one of America's most beloved children's authors, and Ramona Quimby is one of her most beloved characters. Ramona and her family and friends are poised to please a new generation of readers in spiffy new paperback reprints.
"Beezus and Ramona" introduces irrepressible four-year-old Ramona through the eyes of her often exasperated big sister, Beatrice. Ramona rides her tricycle in the house, plays her harmonica over and over on two notes that sound like "oh, dear," and leads an imaginary lizard around on a string. When Ramona plays with her fingerpaints in the front yard, she wipes her hands on the neighbor's cat.
No wonder Beatrice is at times frustrated with the little sister who can't even say her name right, pronouncing it "Beezus." Yet Ramona has an endearing side, too, that tempers Ramona's exasperation with affection.
All told, there are eight Ramona books, plus six more about Beezus's friend Henry Huggins and his dog, Ribsy. In a separate series, Ralph Mouse rides a toy motorcycle into amazing miniature adventures.
Today's young readers will be tickled with these characters' harmless yet hysterical exploits, just as their parents and grandparents have been for half a century. New illustrations and cover art give these old favorites a fresh and modern look.

I read my daughter Beverly Cleary's Ramona the Pest last year, when she was in kindergarten (because in that book Ramona is also a kindergartner) and she instantly pronounced it her favorite chapter book of all time.
We've since been reading all the Ramona books, but we skipped this one for awhile. It's the first in the series, and takes place when Ramona is four years old. I knew from reviews that if focused more on Ramona's older, more serious sister, Beezus, and wasn't a "real" Ramona Quimby book. I somehow thought it would not be as funny as the others.
I was wrong. Ramona is even more exuberant in this book than in any of the others we've read, and her antics are hilarious. Seeing everything through the eyes of her serious sister does not make it one bit less funny.
But this is not just a funny book. It deals gently and honestly with the difficulty Beezus has in loving her sometimes exasperating little sister. Beezus and Ramona is more than forty years old, but I donÕt think anyone has ever come close to Beverly Cleary's ability to capture and sympathize with children's feelings. Cleary brings everything around to a happy, but entirely believable ending in this warm, wise book.
My daughter says this is her second favorite Ramona book (after Ramona the Pest), but so far it's my very favorite.

Beatrice "Beezus" Quimby is often at sword's poits with her 4-year-old sister, Ramona. The fourth grader has a full plate with homework, peers and watching her delightfully high spirited sister, Ramona.
Ramona loves books about construction equipment, loves all kinds of machinery, insists that her name is written with a series of scribbled i's and t's because she saw Beezus writing her name "Beatrice" in script and liked the way the i's and t's looked; she had wonderfully original expressions such as her eyes were "brown and white," she throws a party without permission and she has the police escort her home on one occasion.
My favorite part was when Ramona accidentally ruined Beezus' birthday cake. She placed a rubber doll in Beezus' cake while it was still in the oven. Her explanation? She was pretending to be the witch in "Hansel & Gretel." I laughed until I cried at that part. It was hilarious!
Luckily, the girls' Aunt Beatrice saves the day by buying Beezus a birthday cake. She regales the girls with stories about how she was a "Ramona" to their mother, her older sister.
This is truly a classic that I still love. Ramona was my first favorite fictional female protagonist. She was bright and high spirited and I could relate to that. I still love Ramona.

My first grader became interested in the Ramona series of books by Beverly Cleary after watching Ramona and Beezus the movie. Anyway, since she was already reading chapter books such as the Ivy and Bean series as well as the Judy Moody series of books, I decided she was ready for the Ramona books.

The stories are captivating and my daughter found the stories easy to relate to. They are fun and engaging, and realistically depict children in all types of situations. This book contains the following chapters:
Beezus and Her Little Sister
Beezus and Her Imagination
Ramona and Ribsy
Ramona and The Apples
A Party at the Quimbys'
Beezus' Birthday

Note: The chapters are slightly longer in this book, about 30 plus pages per chapter. My daughter managed to read half a chapter a night, but she enjoyed the story and did not find it tedious.

Four year old Ramona is always messing stuff up and driving her nine year old big sister Beezus crazy. This book was published in 1955 and has stood the test of time. I remember reading Ramona books when I was little and loving them so I was thrilled when my six year old son wanted to read this book. He loved it. He can relate to Beezus because he has a four year old little brother who can be pretty ornery just like Ramona. I can relate to Ramona's mother feeling exasperated and not knowing what to do with her at times! This was a really fun book to read together - my son was literally laughing out loud. In addition to being entertaining, this book has a very nice message about how it's okay to not always feel loving toward your younger sibling when they are driving you crazy and offers hope for the older sibling that things will get better as the younger sibling gets older. I highly recommend this book.

This is the beginning of the Ramona Quimby series. From my childhood I have memories of teachers reading to us about the little girl who likes to do things her way. This book introduces the character of Ramona at the age of four and of course her sister Beatrice (Beezus), their parents and Henry Huggins.
Cleary's writing has two clear advantages. 1) She creates real characters that children can relate to and make the mistakes and feel the same way they do. 2) The language she uses can be understood by all while still posing a slight challenge to be read individually. The only problem with the book is that it was written nearly 50 years ago and is slightly out of date. However, updated illustrations, Cleary's habit of using only fictitious names and r4eality based plots have helped to keep the book relevant to today's readers.
Why 4 stars?:
While it is not the best in the series it is the one that began the Ramona Series. Due to its age it has been dated to a point, but maintains its appeal to today's readers. The writing is appropriate and interesting to elementary school readers and will hopefully keep them interested in reading.

Its a really funny and exciting book. My favorite character is Ramona because she doesn't care what other people think, she just goes for it. Beezus on the other hand is very, how do I say this, well, I 'm not really sure how to explain it, she is not really a free spirit like Ramona.But I like them both. I would definitely recommend this book.

Written by a 9 year old

Nine-year-old Beezus Quimby has her hands full with her little sister, Ramona who is always making trouble and somehow getting all the her parents attention. Every big sister can relate to the trials and tribulations Beezus must endure. Old enough to be expected to take responsibility for her little sister, yet young enough to be mortified by every embarrassing this that Ramona does. Beezus knows she's supposed to love and like Ramona no matter what, but she isn't sure she can do that anymore.

Beverly Cleary has written a ton of children's books that have managed to withstand the test of time for generations.She has won numerous awards including the Newbery Medal. Two of her other books also in the Ramona series, were also named Newbery Honor winners. I am always amazed by Ms. Cleary's novels, and have no doubt that they have a wonderful impact on children. ...

The book, Beezus and Ramona is great. Read it now. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate it an 8 because big kids, like Beezus, should know that little kids can pests. Little kids, like Ramona, can do naughty things. Little kids should learn from their mistakes. It may take a few times, but one day they will learn.
Ramona is one crazy girl. She does pretty silly and extreme things. She is always causing trouble. My favorite character is Beezus because she is more civilized than Ramona. Beezus doesn't do things that could get her into trouble. Although Beezus is my favorite character, my favorite part is when Ramona breaks the eggs. I thought that was pretty funny. My other favorite part is when Beezus reads 202 Things to Do On a Rainy Afternoon.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has a younger brother or sister.
(...)

Do you have a younger sibling, cousin, or friend who annoys you with temper tantrums and embarrassing behavior? Even if you don't, you will still be able to
enjoy Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary. This book is about a 9-year-old girl named Beezus and her little sister, Ramona, who live in an apartment with their dad and mom. Beezus does not always like Ramona, and because of that, she thinks she is a bad sister. But with the help of her aunt, she resolves her problem.

I would recommend Beezus and Ramona to anyone who likes entertaining books about family relationships. This is a great book, so read it!

Beezus and Ramona is a character driven chapter book that focuses on Beatrice (nicknamed "Beezus") Quimby, the 9-year-old sister of 4-year-old Ramona Quimby. The book is essentially a series of vignettes depicting the relationship between the two sisters, in which Ramona's mischief features prominently. The book is different from the other books in the Ramona series in that Beezus is the protagonist instead of Ramona. Thus, the book is essentially a portrait of a young sibling relationship--especially its challenges--from the perspective of an older sibling.

Since this chapter book is character- and relationship-driven, the plot is minimal. However, the vignettes do develop the central theme of Beezus's struggle to feel love for her sister. Beezus--the quintessential conscientious bookish first-born child, concerned about doing things right--worries over her periodic anger and resentment toward Ramona--the classic misbehaving baby of the family who always seems to get her way and wreck things for her sister.

Throughout the book, Cleary subtly paints an alternative picture of sisterhood in the happy relationship between Beezus's mother and her sister Beatrice (the aunt after whom Beezus was named). Beezus adores her Aunt Beatrice--she's a young, pretty, jovial schoolteacher that drives a yellow convertible; what's not to love?

The book culminates with Beezus's 10th birthday dinner, which Aunt Beatrice attends. A dinner conversation between Mrs. Quimby and Aunt Beatrice, in which they recall (with laughter) the sibling rivalry of their youth, helps Beezus re-envision her relationship with the exasperating Ramona. Beezus realizes that she doesn't always have to feel love toward her little sister, and she gains hope for a happier sister-relationship when they both get older. After all, if Aunt Beatrice was once a frustrating little sister, then there must be hope for Ramona too!

The subjective appeal of Beezus and Ramona lies chiefly in the humor of Ramona's antics. From the reader's perspective, Ramona's clever mischief is hilarious. For example, once when Beezus is looking after Ramona while their mother is out, Beezus finds Ramona sitting in the basement by a big box of apples, eating one bite out of each apple and then tossing it aside. When her big sister orders her to stop at once, Ramona coolly explains, "But the first bite tastes best..." (104). Then, to try to evade trouble with her sister, Ramona claims that she just wants to "share" the apples with her sister. Sharing is good, right? Classic! This chapter book is filled with similarly sharp, hilarious episodes that reflect Cleary's acute insight into young children.

The book's theme of sibling relationships will also be appealing to children with siblings--especially those with younger siblings, and especially girls. Virtually any child with a younger sibling could probably relate to and identify with Beezus in some way, and so would be interested to find out how Beezus manages to get along with her difficult little sister.

Finally, the feature of the book that makes the sibling relationship so compelling is Cleary's excellent character development. Cleary nails the youngest sibling character with Ramona: just the right combination of funny, mischievous, demanding, manipulative, and exasperating. She has a real knack for the funny logic of a 4-year-old. Ramona is surely a forerunner of contemporary characters like Junie B. Jones (e.g., see Junie B. Jones's First Boxed Set Ever! (Books 1-4)).

Cleary also develops Beezus to a tee. For example, after the encouraging birthday conversation between Mrs. Quimby and Aunt Beatrice (during the course of which Ramona was sent to her room yet again for being disobedient), Cleary describes an interaction between Beezus and her mother thus: " `Mother,' whispered Beezus, happier than she had felt in a long time, `I hope Ramona comes back before we have my birthday cake` " (p. 180). Here we see a realistically softened Beezus, who has new resources with which she can both appreciate and cope with her little sister.

The developmental value of this chapter book lies chiefly in its potential to help children deal with difficult younger siblings. Not only is it helpful that Cleary suggests that anger and exasperation are normal parts of young sibling relationships; her portrayal of Beezus's (albeit limited) patience with Ramona is also a lovely model for struggling older siblings. For example, Beezus often attends to her younger sister of her own accord, reading her favorite book to her, or taking her to the library. Cleary also helpfully shows that Beezus really admires certain qualities in her sister (e.g., her imagination), and thus encourages older siblings to see the positive side of their sometimes annoying younger siblings. Thus, Beezus is an exemplary big sister that children can both identify with and model themselves after.

The book's portrayal of family life is also developmentally valuable. Although the Quimbys are a traditional and somewhat quaint nuclear family (the book was written in the 1950s; what do you expect?), their family dynamics are healthy and functional, which is a breath of fresh air. Mrs. Quimby is a kind, gentle woman who parents with patience and equity, attentive to the special needs of both girls in their particular sibling roles and personalities. On the whole, then, Cleary's portrayal of family life is a charming, helpful example.

Finally, Beezus and Ramona is written at a level that will encourage the reading abilities of intermediate readers. It is an excellent book for children who are ready to graduate from easy chapter books, and could be enjoyable as a read-aloud for kids as young as six.

In sum, I highly recommend Beezus and Ramona.

I loved Beezus and Ramona. Beezus' nature is very much like mine. She is sensible, innocent and kind but the only thing is I do not have a troublesome little sister like Ramona [thank God]. The book made me laugh about the naughty things little Ramona does, like spoiling the game of checkers Beezus and Henry Huggins [Beezus' friend] were playing, locking Henry's dog Risby in the bathroom, eating bits of all the juicy apples in the attic, spoiling two cakes specially made for Beezus' birthday and many more things. I was planning to ask my mother for a little sister but this book saved both me and my mom from a lot of trouble. Thank you Beverly Cleary.

Beverly Cleary is an amazing author and the whole Ramona series is great. This book deals alot with the trials and tribulations of being the older sister. As the younger sister, I was always quick to jump to Ramona's defence, but the older I got, and the more often I read this book, the more I came to see Beezus's point of view. Cleary captures the emotions of the sibling harmony and dis-harmony fantastically. The book is a laugh a minute, and no matter what age you are, you won't be able to put it down.

Beezus and Ramona is a comedy written by Beverly Cleary. Beezus is a 10 year old girl dealing with a mischievous little sister that always wants attention. Ramona is, as I told you, a mischievous little girl that is four years old. The basic plot is that Beezus must deal with a fussy, often annoying Ramona.

The character that I like best is Beezus because she finally decides that she doesn't always have to get along with Ramona, but they should still love each other.

My favorite part is when Ramona locked Beezus's friend's dog in the bathroom. Ramona was mad at the dog because he ate her cookie. Then Ramona had to go to the bathroom, and they had go next door to use their toilet. While they were at the neighbor's house, she told them to use a nail file to unlock the door. So they got the dog out.

They live in the American suburbs in the 1950's. Life is a little different compared to modern times of today. The kids are allowed to do lots of things by themselves, like walk to school alone and stay at the house while their mother runs errands. There are still some things that they do like today, like sisters fighting and celebrating birthdays with family and friends.

I like this book a lot. I would recommend it for ages 7 to 10 because they might understand the story a little better. It is a fun book for sisters, cousins, or friends to read together.

I read this book aloud to my daughters.

Cleary was one of my favourite authors as a child, and I loved the Ramona Quimby series. It was a pleasure to re-read this one with my girls. Ramona is hilarious, and we all laughed out loud at her antics. My girls are nearly the same age as Ramona and Beezus in this book, so it was especially fun for them to read how other sisters their own age relate to each other...and maybe they see that they don't have it so bad :)

We will be reading the rest of the series together.

Beezus and Ramona is a character driven chapter book that focuses on Beatrice (nicknamed "Beezus") Quimby, the 9-year-old sister of 4-year-old Ramona Quimby. The book is essentially a series of vignettes depicting the relationship between the two sisters, in which Ramona's mischief features prominently. The book is different from the other books in the Ramona series in that Beezus is the protagonist instead of Ramona. Thus, the book is essentially a portrait of a young sibling relationship--especially its challenges--from the perspective of an older sibling.

Since this chapter book is character- and relationship-driven, the plot is minimal. However, the vignettes do develop the central theme of Beezus's struggle to feel love for her sister. Beezus--the quintessential conscientious bookish first-born child, concerned about doing things right--worries over her periodic anger and resentment toward Ramona--the classic misbehaving baby of the family who always seems to get her way and wreck things for her sister.

Throughout the book, Cleary subtly paints an alternative picture of sisterhood in the happy relationship between Beezus's mother and her sister Beatrice (the aunt after whom Beezus was named). Beezus adores her Aunt Beatrice--she's a young, pretty, jovial schoolteacher that drives a yellow convertible; what's not to love?

The book culminates with Beezus's 10th birthday dinner, which Aunt Beatrice attends. A dinner conversation between Mrs. Quimby and Aunt Beatrice, in which they recall (with laughter) the sibling rivalry of their youth, helps Beezus re-envision her relationship with the exasperating Ramona. Beezus realizes that she doesn't always have to feel love toward her little sister, and she gains hope for a happier sister-relationship when they both get older. After all, if Aunt Beatrice was once a frustrating little sister, then there must be hope for Ramona too!

The subjective appeal of Beezus and Ramona lies chiefly in the humor of Ramona's antics. From the reader's perspective, Ramona's clever mischief is hilarious. For example, once when Beezus is looking after Ramona while their mother is out, Beezus finds Ramona sitting in the basement by a big box of apples, eating one bite out of each apple and then tossing it aside. When her big sister orders her to stop at once, Ramona coolly explains, "But the first bite tastes best..." (104). Then, to try to evade trouble with her sister, Ramona claims that she just wants to "share" the apples with her sister. Sharing is good, right? Classic! This chapter book is filled with similarly sharp, hilarious episodes that reflect Cleary's acute insight into young children.

The book's theme of sibling relationships will also be appealing to children with siblings--especially those with younger siblings, and especially girls. Virtually any child with a younger sibling could probably relate to and identify with Beezus in some way, and so would be interested to find out how Beezus manages to get along with her difficult little sister.

Finally, the feature of the book that makes the sibling relationship so compelling is Cleary's excellent character development. Cleary nails the youngest sibling character with Ramona: just the right combination of funny, mischievous, demanding, manipulative, and exasperating. She has a real knack for the funny logic of a 4-year-old. Ramona is surely a forerunner of contemporary characters like Junie B. Jones (e.g., see Junie B. Jones's First Boxed Set Ever! (Books 1-4)).

Cleary also develops Beezus to a tee. For example, after the encouraging birthday conversation between Mrs. Quimby and Aunt Beatrice (during the course of which Ramona was sent to her room yet again for being disobedient), Cleary describes an interaction between Beezus and her mother thus: " `Mother,' whispered Beezus, happier than she had felt in a long time, `I hope Ramona comes back before we have my birthday cake` " (p. 180). Here we see a realistically softened Beezus, who has new resources with which she can both appreciate and cope with her little sister.

The developmental value of this chapter book lies chiefly in its potential to help children deal with difficult younger siblings. Not only is it helpful that Cleary suggests that anger and exasperation are normal parts of young sibling relationships; her portrayal of Beezus's (albeit limited) patience with Ramona is also a lovely model for struggling older siblings. For example, Beezus often attends to her younger sister of her own accord, reading her favorite book to her, or taking her to the library. Cleary also helpfully shows that Beezus really admires certain qualities in her sister (e.g., her imagination), and thus encourages older siblings to see the positive side of their sometimes annoying younger siblings. Thus, Beezus is an exemplary big sister that children can both identify with and model themselves after.

The book's portrayal of family life is also developmentally valuable. Although the Quimbys are a traditional and somewhat quaint nuclear family (the book was written in the 1950s; what do you expect?), their family dynamics are healthy and functional, which is a breath of fresh air. Mrs. Quimby is a kind, gentle woman who parents with patience and equity, attentive to the special needs of both girls in their particular sibling roles and personalities. On the whole, then, Cleary's portrayal of family life is a charming, helpful example.

Finally, Beezus and Ramona is written at a level that will encourage the reading abilities of intermediate readers. It is an excellent book for children who are ready to graduate from easy chapter books, and could be enjoyable as a read-aloud for kids as young as six.

In sum, I highly recommend Beezus and Ramona.

Beverly Clearly can bring a family together with love of laughter and "storytime" You could not find a better way to teach reading skills, reflect on predicaments and experience vicariously the adventures and antics of these kids than with her books.

Beezus and Ramona prove that little sisters can be the bain of a growing girl's existence and this is especially true when it comes to these two sisters. Beezus both resents and cherishes her sister, Ramona. Ramona has a unique ability to get into problems that inevitably involve Beezus. This book is fun to read aloud.

A sweet story about a sensible girl and her spirited younger sister. Ramona is one of the funniest characters I have ever read about. I have enjoyed watching her grow through the series of books that Beverly Cleary has devoted to her, but I have never tired of reading about what a brat she was when she was little. I first read about Ramona in the Henry Huggins books. Since then I have thought she was as interesting as she was exasperating. When I have children, especially daughters, I will make sure that "Beezus and Ramona" is one of the first books they read.

Four-year-old Ramona could be the worst sister ever. Ramona's big sister Beezus,trys to be patient with Romona. But it's hard NOT being embarrassed by people when Romona's around. And then one time Ramona invited her class to a party without telling anyone in her family. Then in the end, Beezus suddenly relizes that even though sometimes she doesn't always love Ramona they still are sisters. So maybe not every second they love each but they still are sisters.

Beezus has a four-year-old sister named Ramona says,"This little sister is impossible".
And she really is.
Ramona keeps annoying Beezus,and one day,she takes Ramona to the library.
Beezus let's her borrow a book to read and causes trouble.
What will happen?

I remember my daughter loving these books. My granddaughter is 5 and just starting to appreciate chapter books for her bedtime story. While I still love the books, she is too young for 8 year old Beezus having a younger sister who is her age, especially since my granddaughter has a younger sister. I will save it for another year or two before I introduce Beezus and Ramona.

I have read Beezus and Ramona countless times. I find myself in loss of words to describe my admiration for Cleary's imagination and my love for this book. This being the first Cleary book I read, It was a good choice to start off with. I feel for Beesus SO much in the years of Ramona being very young. The humor and inteligance put into this book is off the charts. My favorite parts of "Beezus and Ramona" are when Ramona ruined Beezus's birthday cake twice in one day, when Ramona snuck downstairs and took one bite out of all the apples stored in the Quimby's cellar and when Ramona locked Ribsy in the bathroom. Congratulations Beverly Cleary!

Poor Beezus. This story is mainly focused about her, and how her little sister, Ramona is always messing everything up for her. Beverly Cleary does a wonderful job of describing how horrible little sisters can be. Beezus feels like a terrible person because there are times when she doesn't love Ramona, but is reassured when she finds out that sisters don't have to love each other all the time. This book is a great read for children (especially those with siblings.)

I suggest that every child in elementary school should read this book before their fifth-grade year. We need more spunky, awkward, bratty female characters like Ramona in children's books who show little girls that they don't have to be princesses or beauty queens to be funny, interesting, and awesome.

This was a great book because Ramona and Beezus were great, funny characters. Ramona has such a great imagination but sometimes she takes things too far and gets into trouble. She is very mischievous. Beezus is kind of bossy, and she wants Ramona to stop getting into trouble. Ramona keeps messing things up like when she throws a party but isn't ready. And she destroys a library book, which they then have to pay for. Kids can really understand the trouble Ramona gets into.

I like this book. Ramona does things shes not supposed to do like throwing a party. Another reason is because this book is funny because the dog locked himself in the bathroom. It's a very funny book like when Aunt Beatrice was talking about when she didn't like her sister. She laughed so hard tears came out of her eyes. Ramona is kinda like me. she cries sometimes like me. She has a favorite book like me. Ramona's favorite book was Scoopy and Big Steve The Steam Shovel. P.S. this is my favorite book. It was a little hard was a little hard for a 2nd grader, but I think 2nd graders should read this book. I think you will like it.

You guys will think Beezus and Ramona is the coolest book ever.I think this book is as hilarious as Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing!Once you get get started reading Beezus and Ramona, you'll know it is cool.Some of the ways Ramona gets on Beezus's nerves is kind of comical.If you want to see how humorous this book is,just read it!

...Ramona never takes a day off from bothering her sister, Beezus. Whether she's embarrassing her sister, or locking dogs in the bathroom, Ramona just can't seem to quit. Ramona is always doing something crazy, like baking her doll in Beezus's birthday cake. "Is the witch done, yet?"

My daughter is turning four soon and I recall reading about Ramona when I was little and loved the series. We are to the point that the short books on the shelf just weren't cutting it. My daughter has retained the material over the last few weeks and is ready for Ramona the Pest!

Ive started reading the Ramona stories with my 8 year old god-daughter. As a kid I would read 2 or 3 at a time while i was supposed to clean my room. These helped me deal with Dad in school, a bratty little brother and the bumps and bruises of growing up. Bless the Quimby's, they're classic.

In Beezus and Ramona, Ramona's doll is Bendix, the most beautiful name in the world. I remember in other books, her doll is Chevrolet, the most beautiful name in the world. What gives? Which is it? Did it change? Hmmmm.
Loved these books when I was young, my daughter is now enjoying them.

Pretty good. Although there could have been more to the book than just Ramona did that, Ramona did that and Beezus would go and tell. I feel like there could be more to it, but the book is pretty good.

This book reminded me a little about my own childhood. It shows good examples of how your perspective can change toward another person. I especially like the moral of not having to love a person 100% of the time. Sister love is a wonderful thing, and I am so grateful to have it myself.