Ramona Quimby, Age 8, By Beverly Clearly

            This book follows the life of Ramona Quimby as she begins third grade with high expectations. However, stress quickly builds at school and at home. She accidentally embarrasses herself a few times at school with squeaky shoes and an egg incident. Afterward, she overhears a conversation in which her teacher seems to express how annoying Ramona is. This makes Ramona incredibly self-conscious and hurt as she tries to navigate third grade and resolve this conflict. At home, Ramona’s family goes through a transition as her dad begins school to become an art teacher. Because of this, her dad must work a job while going to school, and her mom must keep working to have sufficient income. Ramona grows worried when she notices her parents feel worried about money for car repairs and other items. However, she grows closer to her sister Beezus when they band together after their parents discipline them. At the end of the book, Ramona and her teacher reconcile and resolve their conflict and the Quimby family grows even closer in the face of adversity when they remember they are a loving family. This book won the Newberry Honor in 1982.

            This book would be ideal in a third-grade classroom. This book can help students continue their transition from picture storybooks to chapter books. This book includes a few illustrations and there are a limited amount of words on each page, so the students do not feel overwhelmed. Ramona deals with a variety of issues like worrying about finances, trying to please the teacher, trying to fit in with the rest of the class, and discovering more of who she is. Because of the wide array of relatable themes, this book could appeal to most students. I would love to use this book to read aloud to the students each day. Then, I would have a discussion question or questions about what they heard. As we read more of the book, a few students could think of a question or observation for the class to discuss. The issues in this book would also inspire creative prompts for students’ daily journals. They could write answers to questions such as, “Have you ever felt like Ramona when she splattered egg on her head? If not, how do you think she felt?” This helps the students make connections to the text and learn to put themselves in the character’s point of view. Because this book is realistic fiction, it is incredibly relatable and versatile in the classroom.