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    Ramona and Her Mother
    Ramona and Her Mother
    Ramona and Her Mother
    Ebook133 pages1 hour

    Ramona and Her Mother

    By Beverly Cleary and Jacqueline Rogers

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    This warm-hearted story of a mother's love for her spirited young daughter is told beautifully by Newbery Medal–winning author Beverly Cleary.

    Ramona Quimby is no longer seven, but not quite eight. She's "seven and a half right now," if you ask her. Not allowed to stay home alone, yet old enough to watch pesky Willa Jean, Ramona wonders when her mother will treat her like her older, more mature sister, Beezus.

    But with her parents' unsettling quarrels and some spelling trouble at school, Ramona wonders if growing up is all it's cracked up to be. No matter what, she'll always be her mother's little girl…right?

     

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 6, 2009
    ISBN9780061972324
    Author

    Beverly Cleary

    Beverly Cleary is one of America's most beloved authors. As a child, she struggled with reading and writing. But by third grade, after spending much time in her public library in Portland, Oregon, she found her skills had greatly improved. Before long, her school librarian was saying that she should write children's books when she grew up. Instead she became a librarian. When a young boy asked her, ""Where are the books about kids like us?"" she remembered her teacher's encouragement and was inspired to write the books she'd longed to read but couldn't find when she was younger. She based her funny stories on her own neighborhood experiences and the sort of children she knew. And so, the Klickitat Street gang was born! Mrs. Cleary's books have earned her many prestigious awards, including the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, presented to her in recognition of her lasting contribution to children's literature. Dear Mr. Henshaw won the Newbery Medal, and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. Her characters, including Beezus and Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Ralph, the motorcycle-riding mouse, have delighted children for generations.

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    Reviews for Ramona and Her Mother

    4/5

    439 ratings21 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This is the best of the Ramona series so far. Like others in the series, it is episodic, with some chapters laugh out loud funny (the toothpaste episode being the funniest). Cleary paints a believable happy family, in which there is not always perfect harmony, between sisters, between children and parents, or between the two parents themselves. But there is never a doubt in the reader's mind that it is a happy loving family.
    • 5/5
      Sometimes it seems like Ramona Quimby's older sister, Beezus, gets all the attention and privileges in the family. In fact, Mrs. Quimby lets neighbors and friends know she couldn't get along without Beezus, and Ramona feels left out. Yet, a drastic decision Ramona makes will remind her just how her mother feels about her in Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary.What a pleasure to revisit one of my favorites in the Ramona series. (What a double-pleasure to have obtained a copy that even smells like the one I read all those years ago. Oh yes indeed.) Cleary has such an understanding of life through the eyes of a seven-and-a-half-year-old, showing how much those childhood matters matter. Reading chapter books! Feeling carsick. New pajamas! Mom and Dad have a spat. And, yes—practicing one's cursive handwriting!There are dashes of humor that got laughter out of me. But the story (and the Ramona series altogether) doesn't avoid real-life situations that friends and families can find themselves in. And, gee, much like when I recently reread Ramona and Her Father, being able now to understand this story on a greater level from both an adult's and a child's point of view makes it all the more touching.Sure, I may be growing even more sensitive in my adult years, but if a children's book ever got a tear out of me toward the end, this one did. I blame the wonderful illustration that accompanies the scene!Let's see now, I've got two more Ramona books to revisit, and the newer one I've not read before...
    • 5/5
      Ramona never changes and will always be well loved.
    • 4/5
      Ramona is getting older. With each successive book in the series, another year passes, and now the creative and feisty girl is in second grade. She is still creative, her imagination burns just as bright, but she is learning some restraint. When her neighbor calls her Juanita, she doesn't blurt out that her name is actually Ramona. And when Willa Jean disrupts her checker game with Howie, she doesn't make a fuss, but finds something else to play. Unfortunately, their new game involves the bluing and a tub of water, and she and Howie end up with blue clothes and feet. Ramona may be more mature, but she is still only seven years old. When she sews pants for her elephant doll that don't fit right at all, she can't help losing her temper and throwing the doll against the wall. She thinks it is a wonderful idea to wear her new fluffy pajamas under her clothes when she goes to school, until the extra warmth leaches all her energy away.This book is full of funny episodes such as these, but the smaller anecdotes are linked together with a larger plot line about the relationship between Ramona and her mom. Now that Ramona is more observant of others, she is jealous of the close relationship between her mother and Beezus. Everyone always says that Beezus is her mother's girl, but no one makes that comparison between Ramona and her mom. She longs for cozy special times with her mom, but she doesn't have the same domestic skills or grown-up interests as Beezus. Her complicated feelings, which she only half understands, build to a breaking point over a misunderstanding. Ramona declares that no one loves her and she is running away. When her mom comes in to help her pack, and fills her suitcase with so many items that Ramona can't even lift it off the ground, Ramona learns that she has her own special relationship with her mom.Ramona captures the essence of a child, accurately reflecting a young person's thoughts and interests at various ages.Truly, Cleary impresses me with her ability to portray the many stages of childhood, and with the way she shows Ramona slowly maturing as she gets older. The book blends deeper issues of family relationships and self esteem with humor, making the story easy to read and laugh with, but also emotional and touching. I admit, I like the younger Ramona with her crazy antics, but I think her changes are inevitable, and she would be a poor character if she never evolved. She is still a sweet girl, and her domestic adventures very entertaining. As the series progresses, I feel like Ramona is a real girl, growing up in her family. I enjoy tagging along on her journey.
    • 4/5
      This book returns to the hilarity of earlier Ramona books. The first chapter with Willa Jean making a mess with the tissues had me laughing out loud
    • 4/5
      Another wonderful Ramona book by Beverly Cleary. It's a joy to read as an adult and I will reread it. What else can I say?
    • 4/5
      Another classic by Beverly Cleary. As a resident of Portland, OR I find it fun to come across land marks and references to my adopted hometown. Why else would so many childrens stories involve rain? Ramona is a perfect character for boys and girls to relate to with their own ordeals in growing up.
    • 4/5
      Cleary, B., & Tiegreen, A. (1979). Ramona and her mother. New York: Morrow. This is another addition to the delightful Ramona series, this time focusing on Ramona and her relationship with her mother. Although the book was written in 1979, the issues that families deal with is still relevant, especially with economic times being as they are today. The book honestly portrays the realities of life for children today and Ramona's thoughts, wishes for acceptance and love, and frustrations are typical for children in any family. One of Ramona's biggest struggle is with losing time with her mother because her mother has to work. Many children today face the same thing, and even though some of the content in the book is a little dated, the root of this conflict and others surfaces making it easy for the reader to relate.
    • 4/5
      At the age of 7, with working parents and a sister, Ramona Quimby tries hard to do her part to keep family peace. Usually, she ends up behind every uproarious incident in the house. Whether she's dying herself blue, watching while her young neighbor flings Kleenex around the house, or wearing her soft new pajamas to school one day. Ramona's life is never dull. Through it all, she is struggling for a place in her mother's heart, worried that she might be unlovable but there's not a chance. Ramona Quimby is nothing if not lovable.
    • 4/5
      I've read this numerous times, but each time I'm struck with how Ms. Cleary makes Ramona funny without making her out of the ordinary. In fact, part of the humor of Cleary's books is that her kids are so normal - and they are dealing with the typical problems of childhood. Great book in the series. (2009 reading was actually a listen to the audio version starring Stockard Channing.)
    • 4/5
      This is another sweet, charming story about plucky Ramona Quimby and her family. Ramona is growing up, and starting to question her family dynamics, wondering if her mother loves her as much or in the same way as she loves Ramona's older sister Beezus. While Ramona strives to be the perfect daughter, she accidentally causes all sorts of mishaps which make her question her place in her family even more. Beverly Cleary absolutely has a knack for getting in the skin of the young girl and touching on the emotions that so many kids, not just girls, share. I personally love the older Ramona books more, but there's little to criticize in any Beverly Cleary book.
    • 5/5
      sooooooo funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    • 5/5
      The book is a good story of classic Ramona and her wild imagination. This book is more focused on her relationship with her mother. The audio part of the book is different that acutally reading the story, sometimes one forgets how easy it is to imagine yourself what the characters are doing. The audio allows for the added bonus of adding excitment or seriousness to the story.
    • 5/5
      Reading the story reminds me of my childhood, love it!
    • 2/5
      h u u yuu u u u u u u
    • 5/5
      Loved revisiting this old favorite, adored it as much as I did way back when I was seven.There’s such a simplicity to Beverly Cleary’s writing yet it conveys so much truth and heart and makes me laugh, too. Moment after moment this brought back my own childhood, things I felt and experienced were so identifiable in Ramona and her big sister Beezus.There’s nothing all that big about the plot which may not work for every reader but that’s what makes it so real and relatable for me, it’s the everyday stuff, their family not having a lot of money to spare, forgetting to plug in the slow-cooker, heartbreak over a haircut, getting into scrapes, worrying when your parents argue, and longing to indulge in little kid activities even though you know you’re supposed to be more grown up than that. Ramona and her mother offers up plenty of fun moments like the situation where Ramona feels so cozy in her pajamas that it leads to an error in judgment but this book is also a heart-tugger as Ramona aches to be as close to her mother as her sister is, the closing moments, how a rash decision Ramona makes is handled, it epitomizes poignant and feel-good.
    • 5/5
      loved it
    • 5/5
      My family loves Ramona. Both parents and kids can relate!
    • 4/5
      Everyone always says that Beezus is her mother's girl, that her mother couldn't get along without her. Why doesn't anyone say that about Ramona? What will it take for her to be called "her mother's girl?"Another solidly enjoyable entry in the Ramona series. I find that the episodic nature of these means that I have trouble remembering which anecdote belongs to which book -- if, as in the current case, I'm listening to the whole series without taking a lot of breaks between books, sometimes they start to blend together.
    • 4/5
      I am learning so much about my role as a parent through these books. Ramona sees her parents fight and talks about moments where she is ashamed, worried, or angry. Cleary makes all of her emotions feel real and captures the vulnerability of childhood perfectly.
    • 4/5
      Ramona, our favorite 7 and a half year old, is feeling unloved and unnoticed. Obviously, Beezus is the favorite and Ramona can't do anything right. As always, Beverly Clearly lets us get into a child's shoes without condescension or being overly cutsie. Lovely.

    Book preview

    Ramona and Her Mother - Beverly Cleary

    1

    A PRESENT FOR WILLA JEAN

    "When will they be here?" asked Ramona Quimby, who was supposed to be dusting the living room but instead was twirling around trying to make herself dizzy. She was much too excited to dust.

    In half an hour, cried her mother from the kitchen, where she and Ramona’s big sister Beatrice were opening and closing the refrigerator and oven doors, bumping into one another, forgetting where they had laid the pot holders, finding them and losing the measuring spoons.

    The Quimbys were about to entertain their neighbors at a New Year’s Day brunch to celebrate Mr. Quimby’s finding a job at the ShopRite Market after being out of work for several months. Ramona liked the word brunch, half breakfast and half lunch, and secretly felt the family had cheated because they had eaten their real breakfast earlier. They needed their strength to get ready for the party.

    And Ramona, said Mrs. Quimby as she hastily laid out silverware on the dining-room table, be nice to Willa Jean, will you? Try to keep her out of everyone’s hair.

    Ramona, watch what you’re doing! said Mr. Quimby, who was laying a fire in the fireplace. You almost knocked over the lamp.

    Ramona stopped twirling, staggered from dizziness, and made a face. Willa Jean, the messy little sister of her friend Howie Kemp, was sticky, crumby, into everything, and always had to have her own way.

    And behave yourself, said Mr. Quimby. Willa Jean is company.

    Not my company, thought Ramona, who saw quite enough of Willa Jean when she played at Howie’s house. If Howie can’t come to the brunch because he has a cold, why can’t Willa Jean stay home with their grandmother, too? Ramona asked.

    I really don’t know, said Ramona’s mother. That isn’t the way things worked out. When the Kemps asked if they could bring Willa Jean, I could hardly say no.

    I could, thought Ramona, deciding that since Willa Jean, welcome or not, was coming to the brunch, she had better prepare to defend her possessions. She went to her room, where she swept her best crayons and drawing paper into a drawer and covered them with her pajamas. Her Christmas roller skates and favorite toys, battered stuffed animals that she rarely played with but still loved, went into the corner of her closet. There she hid them under her bathrobe and shut the door tight.

    But what could she find to amuse Willa Jean? If Willa Jean did not have something to play with, she would run tattling to the grown-ups. Ramona hid her toys! Ramona laid a stuffed snake on her bed, then doubted if even Willa Jean could love a stuffed snake.

    What Ramona needed was a present for Willa Jean, a present wrapped and tied with a good hard knot, a present that would take a long time to unwrap. Next to receiving presents, Ramona liked to give presents, and if she gave Willa Jean a present today, she would not only have the fun of giving, but of knowing the grown-ups would think, Isn’t Ramona kind, isn’t she generous to give Willa Jean a present? And so soon after Christmas, too. They would look at Ramona in her new red-and-green-plaid slacks and red turtleneck sweater and say, Ramona is one of Santa’s helpers, a regular little Christmas elf.

    Ramona smiled at herself in the mirror and was pleased. Two of her most important teeth were only halfway in, which made her look like a jack-o’-lantern, but she did not mind. If she had grown-up teeth, the rest of her face would catch up someday.

    Over her shoulder she saw reflected in the mirror a half-empty box of Kleenex on the floor beside her bed. Kleenex! That was the answer to a present for Willa Jean. She ran into the kitchen, where Beezus was beating muffin batter while her father fried sausages and her mother struggled to unmold a large gelatine salad onto a plate covered with lettuce.

    A present is a good idea, agreed Mrs. Quimby when Ramona asked permission, but a box of Kleenex doesn’t seem like much of a present. She shook the mold. The salad refused to slide out. Her face was flushed and she glanced at the clock on the stove.

    Ramona was insistent. Willa Jean would like it. I know she would. There was no time for explaining what Willa Jean was to do with the Kleenex.

    Mrs. Quimby was having her problems with the stubborn salad. All right, she consented. There’s an extra box in the bathroom cupboard. The salad slid slowly from the mold and rested, green and shimmering, on the lettuce.

    By the time Ramona had wrapped a large box of Kleenex in leftover Christmas paper, the guests had begun to arrive. First came the Hugginses and McCarthys and little Mrs. Swink in a bright-green pants suit. Umbrellas were leaned outside the front door, coats taken into the bedroom, and the usual grown-up remarks exchanged. Happy New Year! Good to see you! We thought we would have to swim over, it’s raining so hard. Do you think this rain will ever stop? Who says it’s raining? This is good old Oregon sunshine! Ramona felt she had heard that joke one million times, and she was only in the second grade.

    Then Mr. Huggins said to Ramona’s father, Congratulations! I hear you have a new job.

    That’s right, said Mr. Quimby. Starts tomorrow.

    Great, said Mr. Huggins, and Ramona silently agreed. Having a father without a job had been hard on the whole family.

    Then Mrs. Swink smiled at Ramona and said, My, Juanita, you’re getting to be a big girl. How old are you? I can’t keep track.

    Should Ramona tell Mrs. Swink her name was not Juanita? No, Mrs. Swink was very old and should be treated with courtesy. Last year Ramona would have spoken up and said, My name is not Juanita, it’s Ramona. Not this year. The room fell silent as Ramona answered, I’m seven and a half right now. She was proud of herself for speaking so politely.

    There was soft laughter from the grown-ups, which embarrassed Ramona. Why did they have to laugh? She was seven and a half right now. She would not be seven and a half forever.

    Then the Grumbies arrived, followed by Howie’s mother and father, the Kemps, and of course Willa Jean. Although Willa Jean was perfectly capable of walking, her father was carrying her so she would not get her little white shoes and socks wet. Willa Jean in turn was carrying a big stuffed bear. When Mr. Kemp set his daughter down, her mother peeled off her coat, one arm at a time so Willa Jean would not have to let go of her bear.

    There stood usually messy Willa Jean in a pink dress with tiny flowers embroidered on the collar. Her curly blond hair, freshly washed, stood out like a halo. Her blue eyes were the color of the plastic handle on Ramona’s toothbrush. When she smiled, she showed her pearly little baby teeth. Willa Jean was not messy at all.

    Ramona in her corduroy slacks and turtleneck sweater suddenly felt big and awkward beside her little guest and embarrassed to have jack-o’-lantern teeth.

    And the things those grown-ups said to Willa Jean! Why, hello there, sweetheart! My, don’t you look like a little angel! Bless your little heart. Did Santa bring you the great big bear? Willa Jean smiled and hugged her bear. Ramona noticed she had lace ruffles sewn to the seat of her underpants.

    What is your bear’s name, dear? asked Mrs. Swink.

    Woger, answered Willa Jean.

    Mrs. Kemp smiled as if Willa Jean had said something clever and explained, She named her bear Roger after the milkman.

    Mrs. Quimby said with amusement, I remember when Ramona named one of her dolls Chevrolet after the car. Everyone laughed.

    She didn’t have to go and tell that, thought Ramona, feeling that her mother had betrayed her by

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