Ramona and Her Father

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Ramona and Her Father
RamonaAndHerFather.jpg
First edition cover with the Newbery Honor
Author Beverly Cleary
IllustratorAlan Tiegreen
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series Ramona
Genre Children's novel
Publisher William Morrow [1]
Publication date
1977
Media typePrint
Pages186 pp
ISBN 0-688-22114-9
OCLC 28448197
Preceded by Ramona the Brave  
Followed by Ramona and Her Mother  

Ramona and Her Father is the fourth book in Beverly Cleary's popular Ramona Quimby series. In this humorous children's novel, Mr. Quimby loses his job and Ramona thinks up ways to earn money and help her family out. Published in 1977, Ramona and Her Father was a Newbery Honor Book.

Contents

Plot summary

Ramona is in Glenwood School and all is going well until one day her father comes home and announces he has lost his job. The Quimbys must now cope with the breadwinner searching for another job, filling out job applications and collecting unemployment insurance. Mrs. Quimby goes to work full-time, but things are still very tight for the family. Mr. Quimby sinks into depression and Mrs. Quimby tells the children that they must not do anything that would further upset their dad.

Ramona wants to help, so she crosses almost everything off her wish list for Christmas. Then she adds one more item – a happy family - hoping that her wish comes true. The Quimbys are also dealing with the family's temperamental car, Beezus' problems with her creative writing class, and Ramona's efforts to get her father to stop smoking. One day when Ramona worries about the family, Mr. Quimby reassures her the Quimbys will always be together and strong, no matter what happens.

That Christmas Beezus and Ramona participate in their church's Christmas pageant. Beezus is to be the Virgin Mary and Ramona decides that she and her friends Howie and Davy should be sheep. Unfortunately, her Mother doesn't have time to sew a costume so Ramona has to wear a pair of old pajamas, which she hates. In the end, the sheep steal the show and Ramona and her family share a wonderful night together.

Reception

Ramona and Her Father was a 1978 Newbery Honor book. Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review for "books of remarkable merit", citing Cleary's ability to accurately convey the concerns of children, including Ramona's feelings about her father's smoking. [2] Scholastic's review also pointed out Cleary's ability to portray children's troubles, saying, "Cleary has a perfect instinct for expressing the mixed emotions that inform children's actions" [3] Children's Literature agreed, "Beverly Cleary's books are always funny and insightful." [4] In 2012 it was ranked number 94 on a list of the top 100 children's novels published by School Library Journal . [5]

Characters

Awards and nominations

Adaptation

In 1978, the same year the book became a Newbery Honor Book, Random House recorded a dramatization of the book. Narrated by John Stratton, the dramatization featured Sarah Jessica Parker as Ramona, Keith Charles as Father, Karen Dehle as Mother, Kathy Gene as Beezus, Gian Carlo as Howie, Eleanor Phelps as Mrs. Swink and Denise Moses as a girl in the Christmas pageant.

Editions

Audio Formats: Ramona and Her Father is available in cassette, CD and eAudiobook from Random House/Listening Library. [8]

Print/English: The first edition of the book was illustrated by Alan Tiegreen, the current edition by Tracy Dockray. Large print books are published ABC-CLIO, 1988, and e-Books by Palatine, IL: Novel Units, 1992; [8]

Print/Worldwide: As of 2010, 121 editions of Ramona and Her Father had been published in 11 languages. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverly Cleary</span> American writer (1916–2021)

Beverly Atlee Cleary was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction. One of America's most successful authors, 91 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide since her first book was published in 1950. Some of her best known characters are Ramona Quimby and Beezus Quimby, Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, and Ralph S. Mouse.

<i>Ramona</i> (novel series) Novel series by Beverly Cleary

The Ramona books are a series of eight humorous children's novels by Beverly Cleary that center on Ramona Quimby, her family and friends. The first book, Beezus and Ramona, appeared in 1955. The final book, Ramona's World, was published in 1999. Two books in the series were named Newbery Honor books, Ramona and Her Father and Ramona Quimby, Age 8. Ramona and Her Mother received the National Book Award. Sometimes known as the Beezus and Ramona series, as of 2012, the books were being marketed by HarperCollins as "The Complete Ramona Collection".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Huggins</span> Fictional character

Henry Huggins is a character appearing in a series of children's literature novels by Beverly Cleary, illustrated by Louis Darling, and first appearing in Henry Huggins. He is a young boy living on Klickitat Street in Portland, Oregon. In the novels, he is in elementary school. The novels take place in the 1950s, which is when Cleary wrote most of the books. The books describe adventures that he experiences in his neighborhood and his interactions with other neighborhood children. He has a dog named Ribsy and a part-time job doing a paper route in North Portland.

<i>Ramona the Pest</i> 1968 novel by Beverly Cleary

Ramona the Pest, by Beverly Cleary, is the second book of the Ramona series and the first to focus on Ramona Quimby as the protagonist. This children's book chronicles the adventures of Ramona's first few months at kindergarten. The book's title is derived from the characterization of Ramona as a "pest" by many, including her older sister Beatrice, known as "Beezus." Ramona the Pest was first published in 1968 and featured illustrations by Louis Darling. Other illustrators have since updated Ramona the Pest, including Alan Tiegreen, Tracy Dockray, and Jacqueline Rogers.

<i>Ramona the Brave</i> Novel by Beverly Cleary

Ramona the Brave is a children's novel written by Beverly Cleary. It is the third book in the Ramona series, and follows Ramona Quimby and her classmates going into first grade. Ramona the Brave was first published in 1975, seven years after Ramona the Pest. It was originally illustrated by Alan Tiegreen.

<i>Ramona and Her Mother</i> 1978 novel by Beverly Cleary

Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary is the fifth book of the popular Ramona series. Mr. Quimby has found another job, though it is one he does not like very much. Ramona finds herself caught between being too young to stay home alone and too old to enjoy playing with pesky Willa Jean. She is trying to grow up, but sometimes it seems like her family is making it harder. Ramona and Her Mother won the 1981 National Book Award.

<i>Ramona Quimby, Age 8</i> 1981 novel by Beverly Cleary

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1981) is a novel by Beverly Cleary in the Ramona series. Ramona Quimby is in the third grade, now at a new school, and making some new friends. With Beezus in Jr. High and Mr. Quimby going back to college, Ramona feels the pressure with everyone counting on her to manage at school by herself and get along with Willa Jean after school every day. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 was named a Newbery Honor book in 1982.

<i>Ramona Forever</i> 1984 childrens novel by Beverly Cleary

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Beatrice Ann "Beezus" Quimby is a character from the Henry Huggins and Ramona series of books by Beverly Cleary. She is the friend of Henry and Mary Jane and the older sister of Ramona and Roberta. Beezus earned her nickname from Ramona, who had a hard time saying "Beatrice" as a toddler. Beezus' real name comes from her Aunt Beatrice, her mother's sister, for whom Beezus has a deep admiration and whom she idolizes.

Ramona Geraldine Quimby is a fictional character in an eponymous series of novels by Beverly Cleary. She starts out in the Henry Huggins series as the pestering younger sister of Henry's new best friend Beatrice, called "Beezus" by Ramona and her family. She was then given a larger role in the novel Beezus and Ramona and became the protagonist of her own book in Ramona the Pest.

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<i>Ramonas World</i> Novel by Beverly Cleary

Ramona's World is the eighth book in the Ramona Quimby series by Beverly Cleary. Ramona and her sister Beezus are growing up. Ramona is in the fourth grade now, and for the first time she has a best girl-friend, Daisy Kidd. At home she tries her best to be a good role model for her baby sister Roberta, but finds baby sitting harder than she expected. Published in 1999, Ramona's World was written fifteen years after its predecessor, Ramona Forever. It was the last published installment in the series, as well as the last book Cleary published before her retirement and her death on March 25, 2021.

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<i>Beezus and Ramona</i> Novel by Beverly Cleary

Beezus and Ramona is a 1955 children's novel written by Beverly Cleary. It is the first of Cleary's books to focus on Ramona Quimby and her sister Beatrice, known as Beezus. Beezus and Ramona is realistic fiction, written from nine-year-old Beezus's point of view, as she struggles to get along with her four-year-old sister. Eventually becoming the first book of the Ramona series, it was originally illustrated by Louis Darling; later editions were illustrated by Alan Tiegreen and then by Tracy Dockray.

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Henry and Beezus is the second book in the Henry Huggins series. This humorous children's novel was written by Beverly Cleary and published in 1952. Henry comes up with many ways to earn money for the new red bicycle he wants, but they all seem to end up with him in trouble. Finally his friend Beezus gives him an idea that actually works.

<i>Henry and the Clubhouse</i> Novel by Beverly Cleary

Henry and the Clubhouse, by Beverly Cleary, is the fifth book in Henry Huggins series. Now that he has the paper route he wanted so badly in the previous book, Henry and the Paper Route, Henry finds that it's harder than he expected. His earnings are going for the clubhouse he and his friends are building. One of the boys insists that it be a "Boys Only" club, and that causes trouble with Henry's friend Beezus Quimby and her little sister Ramona. Henry and the Clubhouse was published in 1962.

References

  1. Ramona and her father. Morrow. 1977. OL   4535759M . Retrieved 2012-12-11.
  2. "Ramona and Her Father". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  3. "Ramona and Her Father". Scholastic. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  4. "Ramona and Her Father". Children's Literature. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  5. Bird, Elizabeth (July 7, 2012). "Top 100 Chapter Book Poll Results". A Fuse #8 Production. Blog. School Library Journal (blog.schoollibraryjournal.com).
  6. "Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present". 30 November 1999.
  7. "Ramona and Her Father: by Beverly Cleary" . Retrieved 2007-01-08.
  8. 1 2 "Formats and Editions". Ramona the Her Father. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
  9. "Editions". Beverly Cleary. Retrieved April 25, 2012.