Author | Beverly Cleary |
---|---|
Cover artist | Louis Darling |
Language | English |
Series | Ramona (novel series) |
Genre | Children's novel |
Publisher | William Morrow |
Publication date | 1968 |
Publication place | United States |
Media type | Print (Paperback) Hardback |
Pages | 211 |
Preceded by | Beezus and Ramona-1955 |
Followed by | Ramona the Brave-1975 |
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. [1]
Ramona Quimby is excited because she is starting kindergarten. She is a year older than in Beezus and Ramona and trouble still seems to follow her. Although Ramona does not mean to be a pest, she still manages to create trouble without trying to. Miss Binney is her teacher, and Ramona likes her a lot, especially when she praises Ramona's interesting drawing and nice fat letter 'Q's. There's a girl in her class named Susan with long, springy curls. Ramona really wants to pull on one of those curls and watch it bounce back and forth, but when she finally does she gets sent to the bench until recess is over. Another new person in her class is Davy. Ramona chases him at recess, trying to catch and kiss him, which she finally manages to accomplish when she participates in the Halloween parade when she is "the baddest witch in the world."
Ramona tries to do her best in kindergarten but it isn't easy, especially during seat work, when she has to sit quietly and keep her eyes on her own work. She's just too interested in seeing what everyone else is doing. Still, kindergarten is going well until the day the substitute teacher arrives. Ramona won't go to class without Miss Binney, so she hides behind the trash cans with Ribsy the dog. When Beezus finds her and takes her to the principal's office Ramona is forced to go to class anyway.
Then one day, Susan calls Ramona a "pest", Ramona retaliates by pulling Susan's curls, and Miss Binney sends her home until she can behave herself. Ramona decides that Miss Binney doesn't like her any more, and she refuses to go back. Nothing anyone says to her can change her mind until she gets a letter from Miss Binney returning the tooth she lost at school the day she was suspended and Ramona decides Miss Binney must like her and is happy to return to kindergarten.
Kirkus Reviews praised the book. "Ramona's going to school. . . who needs a review? … The conjunction of belly laugh and basal emotion puts this on a par with the best in the series." [2] Common Sense Media writes that "the sparkling writing style and humorous story line are both engaging and highly appealing." [3] Choosing Books for Kids says that in Ramona the Pest "Cleary rings true and touches sixes and sevens feelings and funny bones." It includes the book on its list of Ten Books Every Six- and Seven-Year-Old Should Know. [4]
Other reviewers noted that the appeal of the book is not limited any particular age group. "Ramona's determination to be chosen as the wake-up fairy at nap time on her first day of kindergarten… contains levels of humour for older children, from the faintly ludicrous physical situation through to the ironic implications as to what is going on in Ramona's mind; and it brings a smile to the face of all those teachers who have encountered a Ramona." [5] Recommending the book for beginning readers, Great Books for Girls calls it, "A popular read-aloud for younger children, too." [6] Reviewer Anita Silvey praises Cleary's ability to write books "that can be enjoyed by even the youngest readers yet are so sharply observed that readers of all ages respond to the material." [7] And according to author and children's book reviewer Rob Reid, "Her year in kindergarten makes one of the funniest books on the market." [8]
In 2012 it was ranked number 24 on a list of the top 100 children's novels published by School Library Journal . [9]
Audio Formats: Ramona the Pest is available in cassette, CD and eAudiobook from HarperCollins Audio, 2010; Audiobook on CD from Princeton, N.J.: Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, 2008. [10]
Print/English: Large print books through American Printing House for the Blind, braille editions available at Seedlings Braille Books for Children, and e-Books through HarperCollins e-books. [10]
Print/Worldwide: As of 2010, 140 editions of Ramona the Pest had been published in 9 languages. [11]
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.
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".
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.
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, succeeding the late Louis Darling.
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.
Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary is the fifth book of the popular Ramona series. The book won the 1981 National Book Award.
Ellen Tebbits is a 1951 children's novel written by Beverly Cleary. It is Cleary's second published book, following Henry Huggins. This humorous realistic fiction story tells the adventures of young Ellen and the new girl in her school, Austine Allen.
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.
Ramona Forever is a humorous children's novel written by Beverly Cleary. The seventh book in the Ramona Quimby series, continues the story of Ramona, her older sister, Beezus, and their family. They are finally old enough to stay home together, and they work hard to get along. Mrs. Quimby is expecting a baby and Aunt Bea gets engaged in a book that sees Ramona coping with growing up. It was originally published in 1984.
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.
Susan Kushner is a fictional character in the Ramona series of novels by Beverly Cleary.
Ramona's World is the eighth and final 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 book Cleary published before her death in 2021.
Tracy Dockray is an American artist. She illustrated the current HarperCollins editions of Beverly Cleary's children's novels.
Ramona is a Canadian children's television series which followed the life of eight-year-old title character Ramona Quimby. It was based on the Ramona book series 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.
Ramona and Beezus is a 2010 American family adventure comedy drama film adaptation based on the Ramona series of novels written by Beverly Cleary. It was directed by Elizabeth Allen, co-produced by Dune Entertainment, Di Novi Pictures, and Walden Media, written by Laurie Craig and Nick Pustay, and produced by Denise Di Novi and Alison Greenspan with music by Mark Mothersbaugh. The film stars Joey King and Selena Gomez. Though the film's title is derived from Beezus and Ramona, the first of Cleary's Ramona books, the plot is mostly based on the sequels Ramona Forever and Ramona's World.
Louis Darling, Jr. was an American illustrator, writer, and environmentalist, best known for illustrating the Henry Huggins series and other children's books written by Beverly Cleary. He and his wife Lois provided illustrations for the first edition of Silent Spring.
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.
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.
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