Ramona and Her Mother [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Beverly Cleary (Author), Stockard Channing (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 2003 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

How come nobody ever calls me my mother's girl? thinks Ramona. How come Willa Jean gets to tear through a box of tissues, make a dreadful mess, disrupt Mrs. Quimby's brunch, and still be the center of attention–and her grandmother's pet?

When Ramona finally has her mother to herself, her plan to make slakcs for her stuffed elephant goes all wrong, and Ramona is not pleased. When Ramona satisfies a lifelong urge to squeeze all the toothpaste out of a new economy-sized tube, Mother is not pleased. All Ramona really wants is to twitch her nose and be her mother's little rabbit, warm and snug and loved like all the bears and bunnies in the books her mother used to read her at bedtime. Ramona may not be as small as Willa Jean anymore, but that doesn't mean she isn't her mother's girl!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

At 7 and a half, with working parents and a sister at "a difficult age," Ramona Quimby tries hard to do her part to keep family peace. Usually, however, 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 (under her clothes, of course), 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. Not a chance. Ramona Quimby is nothing if not lovable.

Beverly Cleary's gift for understanding the tangle of thoughts and emotions in a child's mind and heart is remarkable. Luckily, in addition to being empathic, witty, and astute, Cleary is also prolific. She has created over two dozen children's books, and been presented with many awards, including the Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw, as well as the Newbery Honor for Ramona and Her Father and for Ramona Quimby, Age 8. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Beverly Cleary enjoyed reading as a child, but all the stories were about rich English children with ponies and nannies. Her ambition became to write about the sort of children she grew up with, in stories that said something important while retaining humor, sympathy, and a deep sense of reality. She has published over 30 award-winning books.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Listening Library; Unabridged edition (April 22, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807210307
• ISBN-13: 978-0807210307
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.8 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,176,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ramona's struggle for her Mother., March 10, 2003

By 

S. K. Leggate "Sunni" (Fernley, NV United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ramona and her Mother (Ramona Quimby) (Paperback)

At 7 and a half Ramona Quimby tries hard to contribute to keeping the family peace. Usually, she ends up being the cause of every uproar and incident in the house despite her efforts. One could never say Ramona's life is dull. She's always up to something from dying herself blue, watching while her young neighbor flings Kleenex around the house, squeezing an entire tube of toothpaste into the bathroom sink, to wearing her soft new pajamas to school one day. All she wants is her Mother's attention and recognition as she struggles for a place in her mother's heart, as she has begun to worry that she might be unlovable.

Beverly Cleary's undeniable gift for understanding the web of thoughts and emotions scrambling around in a child's mind and heart is remarkable. Luckilyher novels will be around for a long time yet to come.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It is a great book, December 1, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Ramona and Her Mother (Ramona Quimby) (Paperback)

This book was really good. I really liked it when Ramona
squirted out the whole tube of toothpaste. Ramona is a fun
girl. I like Ramona so much that if she were a real person,
I would be her best friend. I think that everybody should
read this book and other Ramona books, they are just wonderful!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner from Beverly Cleary, May 21, 2008

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Ramona and Her Mother (Ramona Quimby) (Paperback)

"Ramona And Her Mother" is a later entry in the Ramona & Beezus series, and yet it is also one of the finest books of its kind, another in a long line of great books by the masterful Beverly Cleary.

First pubished in 1979, the book finds the gauzy comfort of the Eisenhower era (when the first Henry Huggins and Beezus books were written) replaced by the strain and worry of the recessionary 'Seventies. Ramona's dad, who recently lost his job, has found new work at a local supermarket, but he doesn't like the position, and having both parents out working full-time places new strains on the family. Ramona, who is now seven years old, is no longer an overt brat, but there's a lot going on in her little head, as she struggles with the demands that come with growing up. She is envious of her teenage older sister, who she sees as a goodie-goodie and as her parent's favorite. Her relationship with her mom seems to be up in the air as well, and her parents, both tired from long days at work, have started to argue, which worries the kids. Of course, Cleary finds the silver lining, and while young readers may both recognize their own families (and become anxious for exactly the same reasons as Ramona does) Cleary magically produces happy endings that still do not deny the hardships and imperfections of life. If you've enjoyed Ramona's earlier adventures, you will not be disappointed with this funny, quick volume. (ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)