Module 2: Ramona Quimby, Age 8

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Summary:
As Ramona Quimby (age 8, naturally) enters third grade she realizes that much of what she knows is about to change. Her father has gone back to school, and her mother is now the bread winner of the family. Ramona will be attending a new school with a new teacher and a whole new set of problems. She meets her first problem on the bus- Danny, the yard ape. After an eraser stealing incident she realizes he might be more of enjoyable challenge than she thinks. Not such an enjoyable challenge for Ramona? Willa Jean, the little sister of the family who watches Ramona after school. Even when she is temporarily distracted with the serious sounding, "Sustained Silent Reading," she eventually catches on to Ramona's schemes and returns to her pestering ways. Ramona's parents don't understand her troubles, and tell her that her most important job is getting along with Willa Jean. To add to her troubles? Ramona overhears her teacher call her a nuisance after a particularly messy egg incident in the cafeteria. As if that wasn't bad enough, Ramona is again embarrassed after throwing up in the middle of class! While recovering the prospect of a fun assignment gives Ramona a way to redeem herself with both her classmates and her teacher, and she even gains patience for Willa Jean in the process.

My Thoughts:
I am not quite sure how I managed to get through elementary school without reading the Ramona books! I loved the story, identified with the characters, and look forward to reading more in the series. My sister always said Ramona reminded me of her, but I never understood- until now. I was a great deal like Ramona growing up. At heart, a sweet kid, but full of too much energy to come across as the most likable kid in the room. Her redeeming qualities at the end of they story give the reader a great first glimpse into a dynamic character. While Ebeneezer may be a better example, this story provides a good first discussion point for the topic. The only bit I didn't thoroughly enjoy was the amount of adult responsibilities given to Ramona. I found myself wishing her parents had not made her deal with adult issues such as finances. She seemed to bear much of the burden on herself, and a young reader my pick up on this behavior.

Their Thoughts:
Excerpt from Booklist Review:
"With a unique combination of humor and sympathy, Cleary details the up-and-down episodes in a characteristic third-grader's life."

My Ideas:
As mentioned previously, I believe this book would be great to open a discussion on dynamic characters. Who they are, what makes them change, and the characteristics of them that we would like to emulate. Also, this book would make a wonderful introduction to the works of Beverly Cleary. With such a wide variety of choices- from Ramona to Mr. Henshaw and beyond, Beverly Cleary is a wonderful author to do an in depth study on in the library. If the time is not available, a large colorful display that helps attract readers to this book and others by Cleary would be a good second option.