Beezus and Ramona (Ramona Quimby Book 1)

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It’s important to note that DRA levels can vary slightly depending on the specific edition or publisher of the book. Language and Vocabulary Kudos, Madam Cleary, for reminding me of the wonders of early independent reading. I will pass along this passion to Neo and anyone else I can.

Mrs. Dorothy Quimby (née Day): Ramona's mother, who works as a bookkeeper for a doctor. She is calm and practical, and much like Beezus in temperament, though she also has a deep and loving bond with Ramona. Grandpa Day: Mrs. Quimby and Aunt Bea's dad, who helps planned Aunt Bea's wedding. His wife Grandma Day died before the first book, so Ramona probably met her, but was young to remember. a b c Silvey, Anita (editor), The Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators, Houghton Mifflin, 2002, pg. 90; Beezus could not help feeling annoyed. Miss Robbins was letting Ramona stay in the class—the one place where she was never allowed to tag along! Miss Robbins would probably like her painting, because it would be so full of imagination. Ramona’s pictures, in fact, were so full of imagination that it took even more imagination to tell what they were.I loved this book when I was a kid and my son loves it now. He thinks Ramona needs a spanking, and I am inclined to almost agree. Perhaps not quite a spanking, but certainly something stronger than, "You may go to your room." I think the mom gets stricter in later books in this series, but she is wishy-washy in this one. Mrs. Pitt: One of Ramona's neighbors who lives in front of the bus stop. She doesn't like kids who throw trash in her yard. Oh how I wish I had encountered Beverly Cleary’s Ramona series as a child. But yes, even though I unfortunately did not experience Beverly Cleary’s work as a young reader, my childhood reading experiences in Germany with Astrid Lindgren (until we moved to Canada in 1976) do actually and in fact remind me very strongly and equally totally fondly of how I am now emotionally and textually feeling and reacting with regard to my perusal of the first series novel, with regard to Beezus and Ramona, towards nine year old Beatrice (Beezus) Quimby and her often fraught with total frustration and annoyance relationship with her rambunctious and demandingly selfish four year old sister Ramona. And yes indeed, that is pretty much a major and total compliment from me towards Beverly Cleary as an author, since Astrid Lindgren is and always has been a personal favourite and I would thus of course only laudably compare Cleary to Lindgren if I thought that what I am reading from her, from Beverly Cleary’s pen is in fact something wonderful and readably delightful, and which Beezus and Ramona most definitely is and for a multitude of reasons. The Ramona books grew out of Cleary's earlier Henry Huggins series and take place in the same neighborhood. In the Henry Huggins books Beezus was one of Henry's friends, and her younger sister Ramona was generally a pest to Henry, Beezus and the other children.

The Lexile score for “Beezus and Ramona” is 780L, which corresponds to an approximate reading level of 3rd-5th grade. Ramona isn’t a special snowflake like Harry Potter nor rich like Sara in A Little Princess nor living in a unique time and place like Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy in the Victorian New England of Little Women. Instead, she’s an ordinary girl, living an ordinary life filled with ordinary frustrations in an ordinary time and place. Her life isn’t that different from yours or mine growing up in 20th-century, suburban America, and that’s why she’s so special—we know her because we are her. Beverly Cleary (April 12, 1916 - March 25, 2021) was the author of over 30 books for young adults and children. Her characters are normal children facing challenges that many of us face growing up, and her stories are liberally laced with humour. Some of her best known and loved characters are Ramona Quimby and her sister Beatrice ("Beezus"), Henry Huggins, and Ralph S. Mouse. Association, Mark Stewart, UW Alumni. "September 2008 Columns Magazine Feature: Beverly Cleary: Kids Like Us". {{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link)RIP Beverly Cleary! My mom was a children’s librarian, too, and her books were a staple around our house. It’d been years since I read one, but to honor Cleary’s death, I thought it worthwhile to visit her most memorable character, Ramona Quimby who lives in Portland, Oregon, with her mother, father, and sister Beezus. Aunt Beatrice Day-Kemp: Mrs. Quimby's sister, who is a teacher, and Beezus' favorite aunt and ideal adult. She marries Hobart Kemp later in the series. She is imaginative and carefree and tells the girls that she was remarkably like Ramona as a child. (Note that the sisters' maiden name was "Haswell" in the book Beezus and Ramona.)

Beverly Cleary was born Beverly Atlee Bunn in McMinnville, Oregon. When she was 6, her family moved to Portland, Oregon, where she went to grammar and high school. She was slow in learning to read, due partly to her dissatisfaction with the books she was required to read and partly to an unpleasant first grade teacher. It wasn't until she was in third grade that she found enjoyment from books, when she started reading The Dutch Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins. Thereafter, she was a frequent visitor to the library, though she rarely found the books she most wanted to read — those about children like herself. I also like that Ramona’s actions have consequences, whereas too frequently in other stories like this the older sibling is instead at fault for not having unlimited, supernatural patience (to take one example, All's Faire in Middle School, a book by my beloved Victoria Jamieson that I didn’t really like for that very reason, amongst others.) Ramona the Brave: Ramona faces fears big and small and proves that she is indeed brave. Journey along with her as she navigates a new school and discovers her inner strength. The Lexile level of “Beezus and Ramona” by Beverly Cleary is approximately 830L. The Lexile level is a measure of text complexity that takes into account both the difficulty of the vocabulary and the sentence structure. A Lexile level of 830L indicates that the book is suitable for readers in the upper elementary grades, typically around grades 3 to 5. Beezus And Ramona Guided Reading Level (GRL) Mrs. Swink: An elderly lady who wears pants suits and calls Ramona "Juanita". Mrs. Swink was also who inspired Ramona and Howie to make tin can stilts in “Ramona and Her Father”Willa Jean Kemp: Howie's bratty little sister, who is frequently thrust on Ramona. People say that she is very like Ramona when she was little; however, Willa Jean does not seem to possess Ramona's imagination. As an older sister, Beezus often finds herself tasked with managing and dealing with her little sister’s quirks and unpredictable behavior. You’ll appreciate Beezus’ patience and understanding as she navigates the challenges that come with being a big sister. The other main thing I noticed was having to correct a few gender role issues. (In one scene Beezus remarks how Ramona is a girl and shouldn't be interested in construction themed books).

Grandma Kemp: Howie's grandmother, who lives in the same house and watches Ramona, Howie, Willa Jean, and sometimes Beezus after school. a b c d "Beverly Cleary Biographical Essay". Educational Book and Media Assoc . Retrieved 2012-04-28. Ultimately, “Beezus and Ramona” offers a heartwarming portrayal of sibling relationships, showing both the challenges and joys of growing up with siblings. Educational lessonsBeezus and Ramona: Beezus, the older sister, tries to have patience with her lively little sister, Ramona. Readers can empathize with their sibling bond and the challenges that come with it. Beezus and Ramona introduces us to Ramona, and as a mother, I feel better just knowing that someone - Beverly Cleary! - seemed to understand what it's like to parent a difficult child like Ramona. It made me feel not so bad about my own kids' misbehavior. :P I like that it highlights the relationship between two sisters - they love each other, of course, but they don't always like each other, and that's okay. Howie Kemp: Ramona's friend who loves building things. He becomes Ramona's cousin in Ramona Forever when his Uncle Hobart marries her Aunt Beatrice. He never gets excited about anything, which really makes Ramona disappointed.