Book Review: Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Timeless humor and wonderful characters

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Classic comedy

As Ramona goes to school

Real characters, too

Read This Book by the Light of Your Dawnzer

Some kids' books are a true delight. They speak to anyone, no matter the age. They entertain. They bring up warm memories. Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary is one such book.

It's finally happened! Ramona Quimby is old enough to attend kindergarten! She can't wait to do big kid stuff like learn to read and participate in show and tell. Parts of school are confusing, like the song about the dawnzer. You know, "Oh say, can you see by the dawnzer lee light." But she is making new friends, like Davey, her first crush, and Susan, whose hair is so curly it just cries out to be tugged. But when things go horribly wrong, will Ramona ever return?

I think my first experience with this book was when I was in junior high school and my mom read it aloud to my family. All four of us loved it then. And I loved it just as much on the reread.

The story is a bit episodic in nature. Each of the first five chapters tells a single story with bit a pieces carrying over from one chapter to the next. The final two chapters are definitely connected. But that doesn't mean that the story isn't enjoyable. I loved every page, laughing several times and smiling throughout.

What absolutely makes this book charming is Ramona. Older people may consider her a pest, but her actions are certainly understandable. I'd call her more excited than a pest, frankly. And she is real. I don't know how Ms. Cleary did it, but she expertly captured a 5 year old here. Every emotion and action rings true for the age. Ramona isn't an adult trapped in a child's body or anything like that. She's a kindergartener who can't help herself when she wants to do something. And she is perfectly honest. Her reaction to being told to share is priceless, for example. Obviously, not all of her behavior is a model for readers. While it is presented in a sympathetic light, it is also rather obvious that this isn't to be emulated.

The other characters are just as great. I especially like how Ms. Cleary created her adults. They are to be respected, but they are kind and understanding. True, they are firm when they have to be. But they aren't needlessly harsh.

The book was originally published in the late 60's, so some of the references might be a little dated. However, I didn't find anything that jumped out to me while I was rereading it.

The book has gone through several editions and illustrators over the years. The edition I borrowed from the library was illustrated by Louis Darling. There are a couple small and one full page pen illustrations per chapter. They are charming and enhance the story.

While this is the first book that Ms. Cleary has dedicated to Ramona, she and several other characters appeared in previous books about Henry Huggins. Honestly, you don't need to have read those books to understand the characters here. They are reintroduced from Ramona's point of view.

Mid to late elementary school students can read this book to themselves with no problems. But it can be equally enjoyed as a read aloud story. Ms. Cleary is a master at writing that absolutely flows off the tongue. As a read aloud, I'd say it can be enjoyed by kids as young as Ramona if shared a chapter at a time.

You really can't go wrong with Ramona the Pest. This book will bring memories flood back to anyone who reads it, no matter how long it has been since they were five.