Ramona and Her Mother (Ramona Quimby) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Tracy Dockray (Illustrator) "When will they be her?" asked Ramona Quimby, who was supposed to be dusting the living room but instead was twirling around trying to make..." (more)
Key Phrases: hair argument, pancake turner, Ella Funt, Aunt Beatrice, Ramona Quimby (more...)

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

Product Description

Beverly Cleary has given books to each member of the Quimby household except Mrs. Quimby. Now she gets her turn at last in a story that hits the high and low points of a working mother's life as seen from Ramona's seven-and-a-half-year-old viewpoint.

Inevitably domestic tensions, not without their amusing side, occasionally arise. Mr. and Mrs. Quimby sometimes forget who is to do what, as when the Crock-Pot is not plugged in and dinner remains uncooked. Beezus acquires a ludicrous teased hairdo at the student body shop while Ramona gets a becoming pixie haircut. Ramona, who feels unloved, takes to twitching her nose like a rabbit in a cozy picture book until her teacher becomes concerned that something is making her nervous.

Yet Ramona is wrong. She is loved, and readers will rejoice with her when she discovers the wonderful truth. Few writers today are as skilled as Mrs. Cleary at showing families in the round, and here she is at the peak of her powers.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (September 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038070952X
• ISBN-13: 978-0380709526
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #40,806 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 5 in The Ramona Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 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.

2 of 2 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 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!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

"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)