Realistic or Historical Fiction

Ramona Forever

Beverly Cleary

Chapter Book

Ramona Forever is a super cute book that I remember reading when I was young. I remember growing up that I really enjoyed the Ramona series and even at the age of 21 I still do! In this Ramona book, Ramona is an eight year old girl who keeps finding herself in trouble when she least expects to! Ramona has a lot of different things going on in her life right now, her best friend Howie who lives up the street has a rich Uncle Hobart from Saudi Arabia who is coming to visit. When Howie’s uncle does come she does not like him. Ramona’s father is trying to go pack to school to become a teacher so money within the Quimby family is a little tight. Ramona’s Aunt Bea is a teacher at her school and meets Howie’s Uncle Hobart and quickly they become engaged. Uncle Hobart and Aunt Bea have a small wedding and end up moving to Alaska, and now Ramona and Howie are related! And finally, her mother is looking unusually larger and Ramona thinks she may be pregnant. Ramona and her sister, Beezus, are too afraid to ask her mother if she is pregnant until later in the book her mother explains to her that she is pregnant but Ramona will always have a special place in her heart, always! I think students would like to read this book and I would incorporate it in the classroom by giving students the opportunity to read it independently. It would be a great opportunity to let students read the book and have it be part of their reading log or just for pleasure. I would not require the whole class to read the story because although all of what Ramona goes through may be relatable to many students, I would assume girls in the classroom would be more interested than boys. I do think it is a great story and Beverly Cleary is fabulous at making her books both fun and relatable.