Author: Beverly Cleary
Title: Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Illustrator: Alan Tiegreen
Genre: Chapter Book
Subgenre: Realistic Fiction
Theme: The importance of family
Primary and Secondary Characters: Ramona Quimby, Beezus (sister), Mrs. Quimby, Mr. Quimby, Yard Ape (classmate), Mrs. Whaley (teacher)
Awards: Newbery Honor Book, IRA/CBC Children's Choice, Buckeye Children’s Book Award (Ohio), Garden State Children's Book Award (New Jersey), Charlie May Simon Book Award (Arkansas), ALA Notable Children’s Book, Horn Book Fanfare, Horn Book Fanfare, Parents' Choice Gold Award, Parents' Choice Gold Award
Publishing Company: Harper Trophy
Date of Publication: 2001
Brief Summary and How to Use With Students:
Ramona Quimby , age 8, is now a second grader with a lot of responsibilities. With her dad in school and her mom working it is up to her to do her job to keep her family in order. Ramona also faces heart break at school when she overhears her teacher call her a nuisance.
This is a great read for students in grade three to five. Beverly Cleary does a wonderful job of addressing the challenges and worries young children face. It is also packed full of life lessons and humor and reminds me as a future teacher to treat my students with respect and to be understanding. A good class project would be to read this book to your class and have them then advertise the book to another class trying to convince them to read it.
