Ramona Forever

Ramona is growing up. The book takes place some months after the events of Ramona Quimby, Age 8. She and Beezus manage to convince their parents to let them stay home alone together after school for one week to see how it goes. One day, they get into a fight because Beezus mistakenly thinks Ramona is insulting her about her adolescent skin disorders. Ramona then goes to ride her bike with Howie, but she falls off and scrapes her knee. The next day, they find their cat, Picky-Picky, dead in the basement. They forgive each other for the fight. Then they hold their dear pet's funeral and burial on their own. Their parents then decide they are responsible enough to take care of themselves. Ramona is especially happy not to have to go to the Kemps' house after school anymore because she no longer has to deal with Howie's bratty younger sister, Willa Jean, his nagging grandmother whom Ramona feels singles her out and makes her watch Willa Jean so she can watch her favorite soap opera on TV or their house which according to Beezus "smells like old soup." She also isn't too fond of Howie's "rich" Uncle Hobart who has arrived from Saudi Arabia. He's the kind of man who thinks it's funny to tease kids. Because of this, Ramona doesn't like him. When Willa Jean breaks the accordion that Uncle Hobart gave her, Mrs. Kemp makes Ramona sit in a kitchen chair in the corner for not watching the little girl properly.

There are more changes coming for the Quimby family. Mr. Quimby is almost finished with college and everyone hopes he'll get a teaching job in the area. Money has been tight in the Quimby home since Mr. Quimby lost his job. That is a terrible problem because Mrs. Quimby is pregnant with their third child. When Mrs. Quimby tells the girls months before that she's having a baby, there are mixed feelings. Beezus thinks it will be wonderful to have a new sibling around to take care of, but Ramona realizes she won't be the youngest anymore. She's not sure how she feels about being the middle child.

In June, Mr. Quimby finds work at last in one of the Shop-Rite supermarkets in Portland, where the family lives. He doesn't especially enjoy his work. For this reason, Ramona is concerned for her father's happiness. In the end, though, Mr. Quimby completes college, gets a job at the supermarket, and he is satisfied with this arrangement.

The season of summer rolls around and something else changes: Aunt Bea and Uncle Hobart get engaged. Beezus and Ramona are to be maids of honor at their wedding. They have two weeks to plan the wedding. When the event is held, Ramona enjoys it very much. At one point, Ramona sees that the lost wedding ring is on Aunt Bea's heel and saves the day. Ramona and Beezus's shoes are too small, so they attach them to the car that the newlyweds will be given away in. Just a day after the joyful event, Mrs. Quimby has the baby, who is a girl and is named Roberta Day Quimby. Ramona is upset and angry because she is a few years too young to visit the maternity ward, but later, she realizes that she's "winning at growing up". Ramona also knows, however, that she'll be Ramona Forever, no matter how big or challenging the coming changes are. [1]

Kirkus Reviews gave the book a starred review, for "books of remarkable merit", saying, "It's a measure of Cleary's talent and acumen that the Quimbys are as credible in the mid-1980s as they were in the mid-1950s."[2]

• Ramona Quimby - The novel's protagonist, who is 8 years old and in the third grade.
• Beatrice "Beezus" Quimby - Ramona's older sister, who is 13 years old and in the seventh grade.
• Robert Quimby - Ramona and Beezus' father.
• Dorothy Quimby - Ramona and Beezus' mother.
• Howard "Howie" Kemp - Ramona's friend since nursery school in Beezus and Ramona.
• Aunt Beatrice "Aunt Bea" - The girls' aunt and Dorothy's sister. First introduced in Beezus and Ramona. A fourth-grade teacher.
• Hobart Kemp - Howie's rich uncle who marries Aunt Bea and becomes the girls' uncle in the ninth chapter.
• Willa Jean Kemp - Howie's messy little sister.
• Picky Picky - The Quimbys' cat who dies at the age of 10 in the fourth chapter.
• Roberta Quimby - The girls' new baby sister who is born in the last chapter.

Ramona and Beezus: a movie starring Joey King as Ramona and Selena Gomez as Beezus. It was released on July 23, 2010.[3] Although it jumps from book to book, the plot mainly focuses on this book.

Audio Formats: The book is available in cassette, CD and eAudiobok from Random House/Listening Library; VHs tape from Atlantis Films/Ramona Productions;[4]

Print/English: Braille available from Dell, large print books through Dell, and e-Books through HarperCollins;[4]

Print/Worldwide: As of 2010, 109 editions of the book had been published in 9 languages.[5]

• The World of Beverly Cleary