'One of these days Willa Jean was sure to catch on that was just reading a book, and Ramona wanted to postpone that time as long as possible.'I laughed out loud several times, I was touched along the way, and I'm as hyped as ever to be revisiting this series. The thrill and luxury of going out for dinner at Whopperburger!And the absolute best part of class at school: silent reading! How handy to then be able to pull out something as mature and important as 'Sustained Silent Reading' after school, to avoid playing with that annoying little Willa Jean for too long. The warmth and coziness of a family car ride home on a rainy evening. The anger when some wise guy classmate steals that eraser! The humiliation of getting sick in school. Here, we have the joy of getting a brand new, smooth, pearly pink eraser to start off the school year. With everyone facing collective changes, Ramona wants to be the kind of girl her family can depend on in Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by author Beverly Cleary.Not to say I didn't enjoy this book as a child (I got such a kick out of all the Ramona books), but I'm quite certain I enjoyed this one more, this time around.I can't get over how well the little-things-that-are-big-things are captured in Ramona's stories.

Quimby must go to work every day to keep the family afloat. Quimby has gone back to school to become a teacher, Beezus is starting junior high, and Ramona's going to a new primary school.

Her characters, including Beezus and Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Ralph, the motorcycle-riding mouse, have delighted children for generations. Henshaw won the Newbery Medal, and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. Cleary's books have earned her many prestigious awards, including the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, presented to her in recognition of her lasting contribution to children's literature. And so, the Klickitat Street gang was born! She based her funny stories on her own neighborhood experiences and the sort of children she knew.

When a young boy asked her, 'Where are the books about kids like us?' she remembered her teacher's encouragement and was inspired to write the books she'd longed to read but couldn't find when she was younger. Before long, her school librarian was saying that she should write children's books when she grew up. But by third grade, after spending much time in her public library in Portland, Oregon, she found her skills had greatly improved. As a child, she struggled with reading and writing. Beverly Cleary is one of America's most beloved authors.

Ramona quimby age 8 by beverly cleary