Customer Reviews

Runaway Ralph

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ralph S. Mouse is tired of being told what to do. He's annoyed with his younger siblings. So, what's a young mouse with a motorcycle going to do? Why, take off on an adventure of the open road. With a "Pb--pb--p--p--p" Ralph heads downhill toward Happy Acres Camp to seek the company of boys his "age" and PBJ sandwiches. But the adventure isn't what he expected. He doesn't like the smells of gasoline or the dust and wind that whips his face, and when he finally gets to the camp, he finds that things aren't quite what he anticipates. There is a cat to avoid, a problem kid who sings songs about torturing helpless animals, and he gets caught in a cage. How will Ralph get back to safety, will anyone find the motorcycle he's hidden in the shrubbery? And how will he ever get up the hill that he came down? Anybody who enjoys adventure, or has ever run away from home ( I got as far as our boat when I was 5), will love the excitement of going on this adventure with Ralph.

"Runaway Ralph," by Beverly Cleary, tells a story about Ralph, a mouse who lives with his family in a hotel. Ralph finds himself in conflict with both the nagging older generation of mice and the annoying younger group; he longs for "a life of speed and danger and excitement." So he sets off on his mouse-sized motorcycle and has an adventure in which he encounters many new people, animals, and situations.

"Ralph" is a fun adventure story that is filled with humor and suspense. Cleary includes well-written characters and many clever details as Ralph's journey progresses. An important aspect of the novel is Ralph's ability to talk to both other animals (of various species) and certain humans. This fantasy element of the book, similar to the communication in the classic story "Charlotte's Web," is skillfully handled by Cleary.

Ralph is a great character. Despite his personal flaws, his essential courage and resourcefulness make him admirable. I see Ralph as a questing hero in the mold of such classic characters as Homer's Odysseus or Cervantes' Don Quixote. Finally, for an interesting companion text to "Ralph," try Felice Holman's powerful novel "Slake's Limbo."

This is an absolutey adorable book to read to your little ones! Mine loved it! It has quite a bit of adventure in it for one little mouse.

After many years, this book still brings back warm memories from my childhood. It's one of those books which children can relate to. The "big problems" which Ralph encounters as a young mouse causes him to just want to get away from it all. This decision embarks our fellow mouse on a great adventure in which he learns the importance of family values.

I strongly recommend this book. I'm just recently married and plan to buy it in the near future for my hopefully upcoming family!

The story explains how Ralph runs away because he does not want to be bossed around by his mother or uncle Lester. Ralph lives at the Mountain View Inn. He must get down the steps so he can run away. After he runs away he rides his motorcycle to happy acres where he has to get passed a dog named Sam. After passing the dog he gets caught by a boy name Garf. Ralph gets put into a cage and must convince Garf to let him go. Ralph realizes that he misses and needs his family. Ralph escapes from the cage and convices Garf to take him back home.

The first challenge of Ralph is to get down the stairs at the Mountain View Inn. Ralph slides down the side ramp into prikley bushes. His motorcycle gets stuck with his crash helmet and Ralph lands on the ground.

Next, Ralph rides away on his motorcycle. He find a place called Happy Acres camp and stops to get his favorite meal peanut butter and jelly sandwitches. He meets Sam the dog who does not let Ralph inside Happy Acres Camp. So Ralph has to get by Sam by driving his Motorcycle into the bushes. Ralph hides in a gopher hole and Sam finnally gives up when it is lunch time. Ralph escapes from the gopher hole and goes into a bamboo clump to stay. Some cats find him and try to catch him. A boy named Garf catches him with a butterfly net before he is eaten by the cats.

Garf puts Ralph into a cage, Ralph must escape from the cage and get back home. Ra[ph is not having any fun and is uncomfortable in the cage. He misses his mom and uncle Lester alot. Ralph gets very hungry. Ralph makes friends with a hamster and they talk. Garf feeds Ralph nuts and seeds everyday but Ralph is still unhappy and lonley because Garf never lets Ralph out of the cage.

In conclusion, "Runaway Ralph" by Beverly Cleary tells a story about Ralph the mouse and his difficult journey away from home and back again. Ralph meets new friends and has many adventures but he misses his home and family very much and decides to return to them. My opinion of this book by Beverly Cleary is that it was very exciting and enjoyable to read much like her other book which I have read, The Mouse on a Motorcyle. I even enjoyed the movie. I plan on reading her other Newbery winner book Dear Mr. Henshaw because I saw the play in second grade and I liked it too.

I liked Runaway Ralph because it is very exciting. Also I liked it because it has to deal with motorcycles. It also tells you at the end what happens.

I think the worst part of this book is the ending because it was so very good. I think the ending was to normal also. He went home and lived happly ever after.

I like how you painted a mental picture will he is waiting under the clock to ride his motorcycle. He makes a mental picture also of a mouse an a motorcycle. The conflick is when Ralph wants to ride and has to share.

Runaway Ralph is a totally awesome book to read, and I encourage you to read it too! This book is filled with laughs and a mouse and his motorcycle that are out of their minds for adventure. Ralph (the mouse) lives in an inn called Mountain View Inn and has to deal with his timid mom and uncle and many little bratty cousins. Finally, he decides he has had enough and escapes on his motorcycle to Camp Happy Acres. However,Camp Happy Acres is not what he expects. He finds himself caught in a butterfly net by a guy named Garf and put in a cage. Perhaps home isn't such a bad place to be. Will Ralph find a way to get back home on his motorcycle if he runs out of fule? Well, it's up to you to find out. So don't wait any longer start reading now!

...Runaway Ralph is about a mouse who runs away from home with his motorcycle and ends up in happy acres camp. Personally I think Beverly Cleary (the author) is trying to tell how bad it is to runaway from home. The book is so good I rate it a 5 out of 5.My favorite part is when Ralph is trying to escape from a cat and knocks almost everything in the craft center down. As you can see Runaway Ralph is a really good book.

Imagine sitting under a huge grandfather clock at a motel until the strike of nine o'clock. Thats's exactly what Ralph did that night. Ralph is the only big mouse besides Uncle Lester, and he is adventurous. All of his other relatives are little, annoying brats that wants a ride on his red motorcycle. So he runs away to Happy Acres camp where he meets a kid named Garf. Garf is a kid who likes to be alone. Garf is also adventurous. This is a very adventurous and exciting and cool book. This book is for all ages. If you like adventurous books,this is your kind of book. I'm sure you will like the part when chum fills up his mouth with sun flower seeds. If you like Judy Blumes writing then you will like this book. This book is right for you!! By William Smithwick

Runaway Ralph is a pleasant journey provided by Cleary. There is both high action in the encounters with Catso and time for thinking in the introspection provided by Chum the gerbil. The only shortcoming is that I was looking for a little more solid of a change in Garfs character; he starts off as a loner and I expected Ralph and him, through their bonding, would each learn to appreciate their peers more. Nonetheless an entertaining read.