Kiddo’s Corner Reviews: Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
Kiddo’s Corner Reviews is my new feature here at The Overstuffed Bookcase, where my 6-year-old son reviews children’s books! Go here to find out more.
Beezus and Ramona Author: Beverly Cleary
Illustrator: Louis Darling
Series: Ramona Quimby #1
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 1955
Genres: Children, Chapter Book
Pages: 160
Format: Hardback
Source: Borrowed from the library
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Goodreads
Nine-year-old Beezus Quimby has her hands full with her little sister, Ramona. Sure, other people have little sisters that bother them sometimes, but is there anyone in the world like Ramona? Whether she's taking one bite out of every apple in a box or secretly inviting 15 other 4-year-olds to the house for a party, Ramona is always making trouble--and getting all the attention. Every big sister can relate to the trials and tribulations Beezus must endure. Old enough to be expected to take responsibility for her little sister, yet young enough to be mortified by every embarrassing plight the precocious preschooler gets them into, Beezus is constantly struggling with her mixed-up feelings about the exasperating Ramona.
First Thoughts…
I read this book to the Kiddo over several weeks, and we finished it just before writing this review.
Me: So what is this book about?
Kiddo: Beezus and her sister Ramona.
Me: What else?
Kiddo: I don’t know.
Me: Nothing else?
Kiddo: I don’t know.
Me: I think it’s also about how Ramona does all these things that are annoying to her sister.
Kiddo: Yeah. And Beezus doesn’t like her doing all that stuff. She thinks Ramona’s going cray cray. (Laughs)
A Bit More Detail…
Me: So what’s your favorite part?
Kiddo: The happy ending. Where Beezus realizes that Ramona might not like Beezus all the time, either.
Me: So why is that a happy ending?
Kiddo: She realizes stuff and she gets happier. And she realizes Ramona isn’t really going cray cray.
Me: What’s your least favorite part?
Kiddo: When Ramona ruins the first cake that Beezus’s mom makes.
Me: The first cake?
Kiddo: Yeah.
Me: Why don’t you like that part?
Kiddo: Because she’s not really being good when she does that stuff.
Me: Does this book make you think of you and your brother?
Kiddo: Kind of, but not really. [Kiddo 2] isn’t as old as Ramona yet, but he might do some of the stuff she does. But he might not be that bad. He might want to be like me.
Me: Well, you weren’t perfect at Ramona’s age, either. Nobody’s perfect at any age, but definitely not at age 4.
Kiddo: What?
Me: You said [Kiddo 2] might be like you. And I’m saying you weren’t always good when you were 4.
Kiddo: (Gives me a LOOK) But he might be like me when he’s 4. Never mind. That doesn’t really make sense. (Laughs)
Final Thoughts…
Me: Did you like the drawings?
Kiddo: Yes. I think they were really good pictures. And, um, they were really cool, too. And that one drawing reminded me of When Dinosaurs Came With Everything, when the mom put the laundry clothes on the dinosaur’s spikes and said “These spikes come in handy.”
Me: So how many stars would you give this book?
Kiddo: Um, I would give it 60.
Me: 60 stars?
Kiddo: Yes, because the book is really good. I really like it so much.
The Verdict…
Beezus and Ramona gets 60 stars from the Kiddo, but I’m going to convert that to my rating scale and give it 4 stars between the two of us. Beverly Cleary’s books are such classics and I’m loving reading them to my son. They are a bit outdated with some things, but not too much. I can’t wait to read the rest of them to him!
Andrea
Disclaimer: We borrowed a copy of this book from our local library. We were in no way compensated for this review.
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