Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Title: "Ramona Quimby, age 8"
Author: Beverly Cleary
Illustrator: Jacqueline Rogers
Publisher: Harper Collins
Published: 1981 (First publication), 2016 (most recent publication)
Pages: 208
Being in a new school is challenging for anyone. Not only is Ramona Quimby the new kid, she's also facing some big changes at home. Her mom has returned to work and her dad is going back to school. You'll meet big sister Beezus, Mrs. Kemp the babysitter, and many more interesting and humorous characters. This chapter book takes you through many adventures Ramona faces as she tries to make new friends and navigate her new world. While some people mistake her actions for mischief, she really does have a good heart. This Newberry Honor Book is sure to delight a multitude of readers. It is also a series, so you can continue reading to find out more about Ramona and her family.
This series was a favorite of mine as a child, and I read each one repeatedly. Young children will relate to how Ramona is feeling, as the challenges she faces are timeless to us all at this age.
Illustrations in this book are simple black and white drawings, found throughout the chapters. They add the perfect window into Ramona's world to entice young children to continue reading.
Connection to the classroom: This book, and others in this series, would be great for 3rd to 7th grade. You could use this text with a literature unit that focuses on point of view or a character highlight. Let students divide in small groups and choose one character from the story. Each group 
Kelly, Ramona Quimby is a favorite childhood book of mine too! I enjoyed reading through your blog and recalling details in my head. I want to know more about your idea for the book in the classroom! What would you have students do in the group?
ReplyDeleteThese were my FAVORITE books growing up, and your post brought me so much nostalgia! I would like to use this book as a choice for a literature circle to share how lovable this series can be.
ReplyDeleteI love these books! I think this would be a great series to use as a chapter book for the whole class. As the class is reading the book series, many lessons could be taught relating to this book. Point of view and character studies could easily be led and also expanded into writing workshops about developing characters and writing from a specific point of view.
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