This review consists of two parts: 1. My daughter's review (she's 8) and 2. My review (I'm the Mom). These are excerpts - for the full review please visit us at www.motherdaughterbookreviews.comDAUGHTER SAYS:What I liked and disliked about it: I think I’m more like Beezus and my brother is like Ramona (sometimes), but I still like both the girls. Ramona sometimes does bad things that annoy Beezus. I like to read about the funny things that Ramona does like taking one bite out of a bunch of apples and saying “The first bite tastes the best” and inviting lots of kids over for a party without Beezus and their Mom knowing about it. Chapter 5 (The Party at the Quimby’s) is my favorite because it’s the funniest one. I like Ramona’s imaginary pet, a lizard named Ralph. If I was Beezus and I had a sister like Ramona, I would be scared to death that I would always get in trouble – - kind of like how my brother gets me in trouble. I even understand how Beezus can say that sometimes she doesn’t love her sister because I’m an older sister too.The only thing that kind of disturbed me was that the chapters were really long, but I still liked each chapter.My bottom line: I recommend this book to the other girls in my class and maybe some boys. I would definitely read more books about Beezus, Ramona, and Henry.MOM SAYS:What I liked and disliked about it: There is a reason that a book written in 1955 is still as well-loved today as it was back then. The book includes strong, likeable characters in Beezus and (even) Ramona, as well as the sympathetic Mom and Aunt Beatrice. The stories may all be centred around Ramona doing something naughty (e.g., scribbling in the library book, knocking down Beezus and Henry’s checkerboard), but the consequences are realistic (e.g., pay for the damages, apologize to librarian, and doesn’t get the book back; being sent to her room) and the moral of the tale is clear. There is always a lesson to be learned.It was really fun to read about Ramona’s antics which pale in comparison to some of the stunts pulled by characters in other middle grade book series (e.g., Ivy and Bean; Captain Underpants) and which are fairly realistic in terms of the type of trouble a girl of this age would get herself into. I didn’t feel uncomfortable with the “bad behaviour” in this book compared to these other books where some seriously nasty, malicious things take place, and where the seriousness of these behaviours is minimized (e.g., throwing worms in someone’s face; putting bubble bath in the band’s musical instrument).I love the way Beezus is portrayed and I love her honesty around the ambivalence she feels toward Ramona. Let’s face it, who hasn’t felt what I will loosely label “hatred” toward their brother or sister at one point or another? Like the time that my brother cut pictures for his school locker out of my well-loved and very worn issue of Parade magazine, my first issue purchased with my own money. Or the time he used a black permanent marker on our wood paneling to make a road for his hot wheels and was successful in blaming me for it.I’m sure we all have stories we can share of these types of moments and this is what Clearly does so beautifully in describing how Beezus comes to realize that her relationship with Ramona mirrors the relationship between her mother and her aunt – one fraught with delight and challenges, but nonetheless firmly grounded in love. This is the lesson that I’ve learned in my life and the one I teach my children – while it is perfectly normal to be angry with a loved one, it does not diminish in the slightest the love that you have for one another.My bottom line: I really like these characters and the stories. Beezus and Ramona are imperfect but so charming. They are characters who make mistakes, who experience a gamut of emotions (i.e., anger, happiness, sadness, jealousy), and who in the end accept and love each other. I would highly recommend this book and others by Beverly Cleary. Cleary writes books with strong female, male, and/or animal characters (e.g., Ramona, Henry, Ribsy, Beezus, Ralph, Maggie, and others) therefore there is a series that would be appropriate for either girls or boys. Because the chapters are quite long, I would recommend these books for 7+ years.
Saya sudah pernah menonton film Ramona and Beezus ini. Filmnya bagus. Si Ramona itu lucu, menggemaskan sekaligus menjengkelkan. Pas nemu bukunya, saya jadi penasaran pengen baca. Ternyata isi bukunya ini beda banget sama filmnya. Cek per cek di internet, memang hanya judulnya yang sama. Filmnya lebih mengacu ke sekuelnya buku ini. Trus isi bukunya kayak apa? Hmmm...semacam perkenalan siapa Ramona dan Beezus. Beezus ini kakaknya Ramona (yang berumur 4 tahun). Bagi Beezus, Ramona itu anak yang sering membuatnya kesal. Ada aja tingkah Ramona yang membuatnya hampir marah. Kenapa hampir? Karena sebenarnya dia sayang sama Ramona. Apa saja kenakalan Ramona? Dia mencoret-coret buku yang dipinjam Beezus dari perpustakaan, mengganggu Beezus bermain, mengundang teman-temannya untuk mengadakan pesta di rumah tanpa sepengetahuan orang tuanya, dan puncaknya dia merusak kue ulang tahun Beezus.Saat Beezus curhat ke tante dan ibunya, ibunya malah bercerita kalau dulu dia juga merasakan hal yang sama saat adiknya masih kecil. Beezus yang tadinya kuatir dia akan membenci adiknya, akhirnya paham hanya waktu yang akan membuat Ramona berubah.Kisah si Ramona ini saya habiskan sambil menunggu penelitian saya di Lab. Sekali duduk dan selesai. Ceritanya singkat tapi menyenangkan.
What do You think about Beezus And Ramona (2000)?
My own once-annoying little sister ran her first 5K this morning and texted me afterward to tell me she had done it, how happy and accomplished she was feeling. This is the perfect book to read on a day when I am thinking about her, since we certainly weren't always the sort of friends we are now. I can't believe this book has been around since the 50's (aside from the fact that 9-year old Beezus spends her time playing checkers and making potholders). Its wisdom is contemporary and, dare I say it, healthy: You won't always love your family members in every moment. It's OK to admit that.These books are good stuff.
—rachel
مادر به آرامی فر اجاق را خاموش کرد، دستگیره ای برداشت، عروسک نیم سوخته و بقیه کیک را از داخل فر بیرون آوردبئاتریس خشمگین گفت: رامونا جرالدین کوییم بی! تو... وحشتناکی! جدا وحشتناکی ببین چه به روز کیک تولدم آوردی!؟رامونا اعتراض کرد: خودت به من گفتی خیال کنم گرتل هستم! خب...مگر گرتل ، جادوگره را توی آتش هل نداد؟خواهر کوچیکم عاشق مجموعه راموناست . من برای پیدا کردن راز این همه علاقه، به قفسه کتاباش دستبرد زدم و نه تنها پشیمون نیستم بلکه میخوام این کار رو واسه بقیه جلدهای رامونا هم تکرار کنم.شیطنت ها و خوشمزگی های رامونا خنده به لباتون میاره.
—FeReSHte
Beezus and Ramona have been characters in some of Cleary's earlier books about Henry Huggins. Now they get a whole book of their own.It is a story of a nine-year-old girl whose biggest problem is her younger sister, four-year-old Ramona. I could relate to Beezus because I had a younger sister who was quite different from Ramona but who still made me crazy sometimes.To put it mildly, Ramona has a lot of energy, a strong will and something adults call imagination. Beezus is often called upon to watch her little sister and has to take her out in the neighborhood. She has to read to Ramona and take her to the library. She has to take her along to the recreation center, where Ramona is supposed to stay on the playground while Beezus has art class. She has to babysit her while their mother does errands. None of these things seem to go well for Beezus.But when Ramona begins to ruin Beezus' birthday, it all becomes too much. Being a good obedient girl, Beezus finds her special day spoiled by the guilty feeling that she just does not love her little sister the way she thinks she should.I never read this when I was nine, but I wish I had. It might have saved me hours of guilt.
—Judy
