Ramona Forever [Paperback]

Beverly Cleary (Author), Alan Tiegreen (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Ramona is back! New and old friends alike will rejoice in Beverly Cleary's latest book about spunky Ramona and the whole Quimby family.

From the minute that Howie Kemp's "rich" Uncle Hobart arrives from Saudi Arabia, things are off to a rousing start. There are new beginnings and discoveries and two very special surprises -- one surprise is big and one is very little.

It's a time of change for all the Quimbys; a time of new joys and little sadnesses, too. There are new worries -- Mr Quimby is worried about finding a teaching job, Ramona is worried they may have to move if he does, and Beezus is worried about her teenage complexion.

And through it all Ramona, a grown up third-grader, remains a sometimes pesty, sometimes brave, sometimes blunderful, but always wonderful Ramona -- forever!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Misunderstandings abound in Ramona Quimby's life. Even at the ripe old age of 8, she continues to find herself in trouble when she least expects it. It's a time of many changes: Ramona's friend Howie's rich uncle comes to visit from Saudi Arabia, her mother seems suspiciously fatter, and Aunt Beatrice begins dating a mystery man. It's more important than ever for Ramona and her big sister Beezus to be good, but there are so many opportunities to mess up!

Beverly Cleary has somehow managed to remember the intricate workings of a young girl's mind and heart. With several dozen children's books and many awards under her belt, she is one of America's most beloved authors. Winner of the Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw, as well as the Newbery Honor for Ramona and Her Father and Ramona Quimby, Age 8, Cleary balances raucously funny childhood adventures with poignantly real circumstances and emotions. Alan Tiegreen's clever line drawings have faithfully accompanied many of Cleary's books over the years. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

In Newbery Medalist Cleary's seventh book about the Quimbys, eight-year-old Ramona and the whole family are caught up in momentous events. Beezus and Ramona share sorrows and help each other instead of tiffing when their dear cat dies. They worry about the consequences if their aunt marries a man they're not sure they like, about Mr. Quimby's new job taking them to a distant town. Most of all, Ramona wonders about her status when Mrs. Quimby has a new baby. PW correctly predicted that the "gently humorous story, with Tiegreen's drawings emphasizing the main happenings," would be another of the author's bestsellers.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Avon Camelot (August 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380709600
• ISBN-13: 978-0380709601
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Family Life > Siblings

More About the Author

Beverly Cleary's birthday, April 12th, is celebrated across the country on D.E.A.R. Day, with activities related to the Drop Everything and Read Program. One of the most popular and honored authors of all time, Beverly Cleary has won the Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw, and both Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. She makes her home in coastal California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compare and Contrast Ramona and Beatrice, May 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Ramona Forever (Ramona Quimby) (Paperback)

We are the students of Mrs. Chaya's Fourth Grade Class, and we would like to say that we enjoyed the book tremendously. We compared and contrasted Ramona and her sister, Beatrice, and we realized that as Ramona is growing up, differences with her sister are lessening. Both are finding more in common, such as sharing the loss of Picky-Picky,disliking Uncle Hobart, and worrying about their mother. Being together after school allowed the girls to work out their differences such as the name-calling episode where Ramona calls Beazus , PizzaFace!!! This misunderstanding happens close to the time of the cat's death but also serves as a stressbuster for both. The sisters come to realize they really do care about one another. Being in a wedding together also makes everyong realize that the girls are growing up and on the way to being lifelong friends. A new baby sister is born giving the girls another reason to be united.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most heartfelt of the Ramona series, August 14, 2002

By 

M. Hind "daria_m" (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ramona Forever (Paperback)

Beverly Cleary has always had a grasp on family dynamics when writing her beloved children's books. In this installment, Ramona Quimby and company face major changes. They include the kinds of situations that are commonplace in many households today (and will probably still be common in the future): getting along with siblings, life/death, friendship, financial problems, etc. All of these issues are seen from a child's point of view, making the story poignant but not quite as heavy as adult or teenage drama.
In all of these books, Ramona is the little girl with the big imagination who would do anything to make sure her family is happy and stays together. Here, she continues to grow and learn. And readers can certainly relate to her, whether she's in confusion or triumph. A child can learn from Ramona's adventures whereas an adult can reflect on their own childhoods and remember when they could be innocent and wide-eyed.
I thought this book would be the last in the Ramona series, not because Beverly Cleary took so long to write the next one (called "Ramona's World"), but because I felt some sort of resolution with this book. If Mrs. Cleary had never written another book about Ramona, I would probably have been satisfied with this conclusion. But Ramona still has room to grow, so I'll happily be along for the ride.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I think 3rd graders would like this book., April 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ramona Forever (Paperback)

I think 3rd graders would like this book because Ramona is in 3rd grade. She and Beezus find out that their motheris going to have a baby. Then they found out their aunt was getting married. They were so surprised. They didn't know what to say. Then one day a lettercame for their father. It said he could teach at school but it was too far away. So he got a job at the market.