Module 2b – Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary

1. Citation- Cleary, Beverly. Ramona Forever. HarperCollins (New York). 2006. c1984.
   
2. Summary – Ramona deals with her fears of her changing household. Her father could possibly take a job in another city, forcing her to move away from all she knows. Her mother is acting weird and, according to her sister, pregnant. She also has to deal with her aunt getting married. In addition to all of this, she is dealing with a lot of normal school and personal emotional turmoil of a young girl.
   
3. Impressions of the Book – I am a big fan of the Ramona series, as her character feels so genuine. Her plight is that of which many children face on a daily basis. The way she is written portrays a real understanding of childhood emotions. The story is common realistic fiction, and students in all walks of life will be able to identify with her.
   
4. Reviews – by Daria M. retrieved from Amazon.com
   

   Beverly Cleary has always had a grasp on family dynamics when writing her beloved children's books. In this installment, Ramona Quimby and company face major changes. They include the kinds of situations that are commonplace in many households today (and will probably still be common in the future): getting along with siblings, life/death, friendship, financial problems, etc. All of these issues are seen from a child's point of view, making the story poignant but not quite as heavy as adult or teenage drama.
   In all of these books, Ramona is the little girl with the big imagination who would do anything to make sure her family is happy and stays together. Here, she continues to grow and learn. And readers can certainly relate to her, whether she's in confusion or triumph. A child can learn from Ramona's adventures whereas an adult can reflect on their own childhoods and remember when they could be innocent and wide-eyed.
   I thought this book would be the last in the Ramona series, not because Beverly Cleary took so long to write the next one (called "Ramona's World"), but because I felt some sort of resolution with this book. If Mrs. Cleary had never written another book about Ramona, I would probably have been satisfied with this conclusion. But Ramona still has room to grow, so I'll happily be along for the ride.
   

5. Use in a library setting – This book would be great to include in an "Author Spotlight". Beverly Cleary has written so many books, that one could create a display highlighting her works.