Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary

Beezus and Ramona is a 1955 children's novel written by Beverly Cleary. It is the first of Cleary's books to focus on Ramona Quimby and her sister Beatrice, known as Beezus. Beezus and Ramona is realistic fiction, written from nine-year-old Beezus's point of view, as she struggles to get along with her four-year-old sister. Eventually becoming the first book of the Ramona series, it was originally illustrated by Louis Darling.

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Also included in:

- [Best of Ramona](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL20587275W)
- [Trouble with Ramona and Beezus](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL17377136W)

My daughter loves this book - we've re-read it several times now!

I read this long ago as a child, but just listened to the audio version with my kids. I have fond memories of making a diorama of the cake scene in this book for a project in school. :)
My kids loved this book! It's so fun introducing a new generation to Ramona.

Rating: 2.5 leaves out of 5Characters: 2/5 Cover: 3/5Story: 2/5Writing: 3/5Genre: Children, Classic,Contemporary, Realistic Fic.-Contemporary: 5/5-Children: 5/5-Classic: 5/5- Realistic Fic.: 5/5Type: AudiobookWorth?: No!Hated Disliked It Was Okay Liked LovedI hated Ramona on such a spiritual level. She was nothing but a BRAT. A horrid creature, if you will. It is set in, what I believe is, the 50s so of course things were drastically different but this is ridiculous. There were something I was okayish about. Like Ramona did get punished but honestly... it could have been a bit sterner. It seemed like Ramona never learned her lesson because people were way too soft on the brat. Another thing that bothered me was how Beezus had to 1. somewhat raise Ramona. 2. Was told to basically suck it up because the fucking demon child was sooo young. 3. Ramona still got shit even when she didn't deserve it.We need to normalize hating siblings. Who fucking care if she is blood? Second the stupid as fuck aunt who got Ramona a present so she didn't feel left out? After all the shit she did? How trash. If you do this you are horrible. It is equivalent to those HORRIBLE parents who sit back like fucking idiots and watch their demon child blow out someone's birthday candles before them, or hell even at all. Then just laugh. Crawl in a hole and NEVER come back out.

The Ramona Quimby Series was one of my favorites growing up. As a kid, I identified and empathized so strongly with poor, neglected Ramona who no one gave any attention to/the time of day to. I honestly don't know that I have ever read the whole series. I certainly don't recall reading this first book.

In reading this book as an adult, I cannot help but empathize with Beatrice. She just wants peace and quiet, and she has a rambunctious, imaginative, loud, four year old sister!