Ramona Forever

Title: Ramona Forever
Author: Beverley Cleary
Series: Ramona Quimby series, book 7
Major Themes: Babies, Weddings
Synopsis: Ramona is learning to get along with Beezus as they work together to avoid having to stay with friends after school and to help their aunt and mother.

My children love the Ramona books, as well as the Henry Huggins books, also by Beverley Cleary. Ramona Forever was the favorite read-aloud over the past couple of weeks. I like it better than I liked the last one, Ramona the Pest. Ramona is now growing up somewhat, and learning to get along with her family much better.

Things have changed in the Quimby family. Mr. Quimby lost his job, so he is now going to school to be a teacher, and working part-time in a frozen-food warehouse. To keep the family going, Mrs. Quimby is also working, so the girls can’t just go straight home from school anymore. Ramona has to go home from school with Howie so his grandmother can watch her, and Beezus comes there later until their mother comes home from work in the evening. Howie and Ramona are excited that Howie’s rich uncle will be coming for a visit—but what a disappointment when he shows up and is much different than they expected. Things go so wrong the first day he is there that Ramona declares she will not go back to the Kemp’s after school again.

Mr. and Mrs. Quimby decide that the girls can try staying home alone after school until their mother comes home, and see if they can get along. When they have a big argument the second day, what will happen? Their father tells them not to worry their mother, so when, the next day, they find that something has gone wrong with Picky-picky the cat, can they make up their quarrel so she won’t be upset? And what is wrong with Mother, anyway? Her waistline seems to be growing. And those mysterious conversations with Aunt Bea—what is going on?

As I said, I liked this book a lot better than the last. Ramona is definitely changing for the better. There were squabbles, but they were resolved quickly. The whole family was pulling together for their mutual good.

WARNING: In chapter 3, Ramona calls Beezus a name. Several times throughout the book, Howie’s uncle says that Ramona is Howie’s girlfriend.

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Related posts:

Seventeen-Ounce Miracle Ramona the Pest A Midwife in Amish Country The Eye of Adoption