Ramona and Her Father [Paperback]

Beverly Cleary (Author), Tracy Dockray (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

Ramona just wants everyone to be happy. If only her father would smile and joke again, her mother would look less worried, her sister would be cheerful, and Picky-picky would eat his cat-food. But Ramona's father has lost his job, and nobody in the Quimby household is in a very good mood.

Ramona tries to cheer up the family as only Ramona can -- by rehearsing for life as a rich and famous star of television commercials, for instance -- but her best efforts only make things worse. Her sister, Beezus, calls her a, pest, her parents lose patience with her, and her teacher claims she's forgotten her- manners. But when her father admits he wouldn't trade her for a million dollars, Ramona knows everything is going to work out fine in the end.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Second grade is not turning out the way it should for Ramona Quimby. Her dad has lost his job, her mom has found a full-time job, and her big sister Beezus has "reached a difficult age." In her inimitable way, Ramona decides to take charge. She practices TV commercials in hopes of earning a million dollars, but only ends up insulting her teacher and getting into a prickly mess with some burrs. Then she embarks on a campaign to make her father stop smoking. Mr. Quimby manages to hold up under all these strains, but the challenge is on for the whole family to prove their mettle.

Once again, Beverly Cleary proves her own mettle in this touching and hilarious Newbery Honor Book. Beloved author of over two dozen children's books, and recipient of many awards, including another Newbery Honor for Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and a Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw, Cleary's instinct for children's jumbled emotions is flawless. Alan Tiegreen's adroit line drawings perfectly complement Cleary's style; it's hard to imagine one without the other. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

Review

"True, warm-hearted, and funny." -- -- Booklist

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380709163
• ISBN-13: 978-0380709168
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,388 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( C ) > Cleary, Beverly
  • #67 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Family Life > Parents
  • #77 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Family Life > Siblings

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beverly Cleary Gets Serious., May 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Ramona and Her Father (Paperback)

Beverly Cleary wrote some of the funniest books ever written for children with her Henry Huggins/Ramona series. However, her Newbery honor winner "Ramona and Her Father" marks the beginning of Mrs. Cleary's decision to include more serious situations into the lives of her characters to go along with their comic adventures. This book revolves around the very unfunny and realistic situation of Ramona's father losing his job. (Undoubtedly, Mrs. Cleary drew upon her own childhood memories of her father's unemployment during the Depression to tell this story.)

Ramona's life is turned upside down by her father's unemployment. Her father is cranky and depressed, her mother tired from overwork, and older sister Beezus, the funloving tomboy of the Henry Huggins books, is now a temperamental teenager. The book chronicles Ramona's attempts to deal with this difficult situation, and results are touching and very often hilarious. Despite its serious subject matter, the book still retains Mrs. Cleary's comic touch. This is one very funny book! The chapter about Ramona's hope of becoming a TV commericial actor, which she believes will end her family's problems, is one of the funniest Mrs. Cleary ever wrote. If I had to pick one book from the entire Henry Huggins/Ramona series "Ramona and Her Father" would be the one. Ramona's experiences with a difficult family situation are told with humor and candor.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Miss Ramona and Her Father!, May 8, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Ramona and Her Father (Paperback)

Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary

Have you ever thought your father cared about you a lot? Well in Ramona and Her Father, her father loses his job, and starts smoking! Ramona's family is acting mad. But Ramona's father is acting nice to her, most of the time. Find out what happens in Ramona and Her Father.

I liked this book a lot, because Ramona went through all the trouble just to make her family happy.

I think Beverly Cleary wanted to share that even though you are upset with your family you still love them. I think the author wanted to teach us that no family is perfect.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ramona and Her Father, January 14, 2000

By 

Kira (U.S.A) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ramona and Her Father (Library Binding)

Ramona and Her Father is a great book. I especially liked the part when Ramona got burrs in her hair. When they tried to get the burrs out they couldn't. I think that this book is good because it's full of adventures.