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Ramona the Pest
by
Beverly Cleary
Book Description:
Ramona is off to kindergarten, and it's the greatest day of her life. So why is she sitting on the bench while the rest of the students play the game gray duck? Laughs and minor upsets abound in an enormously popular story starring the one and only Ramona Quimby!
Awards:
Georgia Children’s Book Award
Sequoyah Children's Book Award (Oklahoma)
Nene Award (Hawaii)
Author Biography:
Beverly Cleary was born in McMinnville, Oregon, and, until she was old enough to attend school,
lived on a farm in Yamhill, a town so small it had no library. Her mother arranged with the State Library to have
books sent to Yamhill and acted as librarian in a lodge room upstairs over a bank. There young Beverly learned to
love books. However, when the family moved to Portland, Beverly soon found herself in the grammar school’s low reading
circle, an experience that has given her sympathy for the problems of struggling readers.
By the third grade she had conquered reading and spent much of her childhood either with books or on her way to and
from the public library. Before long her school librarian was suggesting that she should write for boys and girls when
she grew up. The idea appealed to her, and she decided that someday she would write the books she longed to read but was
unable to find on the library shelves, funny stories about her neighborhood and the sort of children she knew. And so Ramona Quimby,
Henry Huggins, Ellen Tebbits, and her other beloved characters were born.
When children ask Mrs. Cleary where she finds her ideas, she replies, "From my own experience and from the world around me."
She included a passage about the D.E.A.R. program in Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (second chapter) because she was inspired by letters she
received from children who participated in "Drop Everything and Read" activities. Their interest and enthusiasm encouraged her to provide
the same experience to Ramona, who enjoys D.E.A.R. time with the rest of her class
Mrs. Cleary's books have earned her many prestigious awards, including the 2003 National Medal of Art from the National Endowment of the
Arts and the 1984 John Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. Her Ramona and Her Father and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 were named 1978 and 1982 Newbery Honor Books, respectively.
Among Mrs. Cleary's other awards are the American Library Association's 1975 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, the Catholic Library Association's 1980 Regina Medal,
and the University of Southern Mississippi's 1982 Silver Medallion, all presented in recognition of her lasting contribution to children's literature. In addition, Mrs. Cleary was the 1984
United States author nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award, a prestigious international award.
Equally important are the more than 35 statewide awards Mrs. Cleary's books have received based on the direct votes of her young readers. In 2000, to honor her invaluable contributions
to children’s literature, Beverly Cleary was named a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress. This witty and warm author is truly an international favorite. Mrs. Cleary's books appear
in over twenty countries in fourteen languages and her characters, including Henry Huggins, Ellen Tebbits, Otis Spofford, and Beezus and Ramona Quimby, as well as Ribsy, Socks, and Ralph S. Mouse,
have delighted children for generations. And her popularity has not diminished. HarperCollins Children’s Books recently announced that the film option for Cleary’s classic book character, Ramona Quimby,
had been sold to Fox 2000 and Denise DiNovi Productions. In addition, Portland, Oregon has proudly created The Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden for Children featuring bronze statues of Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins,
and Ribsy, in the park where Beverly used to play.
Additional Information:
The audio version of the book is available from the Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, so that all children can join in the fun. www.rfbd.org
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Links
“As a parent, I know that reading with your child is an important part of their mental and emotional development,” said Mrs. Blagojevich. “I started this program to encourage parents to read with their children, and I hope our recommended reading list helps parents find books that the whole family can enjoy.”
