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    Ramona the Pest
    Ramona the Pest
    Ramona the Pest
    Audiobook2 hours

    Ramona the Pest

    Written by Beverly Cleary

    Narrated by Stockard Channing

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Newbery Medal-winning author Beverly Cleary expertly depicts the trials and triumphs of growing up through a relatable heroine who isn't afraid to be exactly who she is.

    Ramona Quimby is excited to start kindergarten. No longer does she have to watch her older sister, Beezus, ride the bus to school with all the big kids. She's finally old enough to take the bus too!

    Then she gets into trouble for pulling her classmate's boingy curls during recess. Even worse, her crush rejects her in front of everyone. Beezus says Ramona needs to quit being a pest, but how can she stop if she never was trying to be one in the first place?

    The classic Ramona books continue to make young readers laugh in recognition and pleasure. They're perfect for independent and shared reading, at home or in the classroom.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 5, 2010
    ISBN9780062060211
    Author

    Beverly Cleary

    Beverly Cleary is one of America's most beloved authors. As a child, she struggled with reading and writing. But by third grade, after spending much time in her public library in Portland, Oregon, she found her skills had greatly improved. Before long, her school librarian was saying that she should write children's books when she grew up. Instead she became a librarian. When a young boy asked her, "Where are the books about kids like us?" she remembered her teacher's encouragement and was inspired to write the books she'd longed to read but couldn't find when she was younger. She based her funny stories on her own neighborhood experiences and the sort of children she knew. And so, the Klickitat Street gang was born! Mrs. Cleary's books have earned her many prestigious awards, including the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, presented to her in recognition of her lasting contribution to children's literature. Dear Mr. Henshaw won the Newbery Medal, and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. Her characters, including Beezus and Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Ralph, the motorcycle-riding mouse, have delighted children for generations.

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    Reviews for Ramona the Pest

    4.5/5

    186 ratings47 reviews

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    • 4/5
      In the second book of the Ramona series, Ramona begins kindergarten with much excitement, and while she's eager to learn to read and write and loves her teacher, trouble follows her everywhere. Among her problems are being to told to sit in a seat "for the present" and expecting a gift, the temptation to pull the springy curls on her classmates head, declaring herself on Halloween to be "the baddest witch" and managing to frighten herself, and becoming a kindergarten drop out. Ramona feels ever so true to life with her kid logic and motivations and the book is laugh-out-loud funny.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      The first day of Kindergarten may be the maost exciting day of Ramona's life. For years she has sat watching Beezus go to school and tell of all the fun things that go on there. Now her day has finally come. She loves her class and her teacher, but she hates the fact she is so misunderstood. She finds herself in trouble on a regular basis, but if people would just ask her, she has a perfectly good explanation for what she did. After her teacher tells her not to come back to Kindergarten until she is ready to behave, her life just isn't the same. After receiving a letter from her teacher, she decides things must not be too bad and decides to go back to school.I loved this book. I think Bevery Cleary does a wonderful job writing from a child's point of view.I think this a good book to share with your students about the importance of communication, and that there are two sides to every problem.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Great book for those young readers that like to look back into the silly things they did as a youngster. Ramona is now on center stage and you get to do day by day with her in her kindergarden year.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This story is about Ramona who is in kindergarten and can't seem to stay out of trouble or messes and gets called a pest often. She is very excited to go to kindergarten and goes through the typical kindergarten world of learning and playing. One day she pulls on a classmate, Susan's, curls and gets into trouble because she won;t stop pulling on the curls. So she gets sent home for several days and becomes a "drop out" until a note from her teacher encourages her to come back to school, which makes her feel her teacher really cares about herself. Many students can relate to this story whether they know a "pest" or are the "pest" and it can be fun to discuss how each student may have been a pest in the past.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Cleary, Beverly. Ramon the Pest. Reillustrated edition, 2006. New York, NY. Harper Collins. (1968). Ramona the Pest is a delightful story of Ramona's first few months as kindergartner. This book will be enjoyed by the future kindergartner, as well as 5 to 8 years old children. Ramona's quest to be loved by her teacher, Miss Binney, brings laugh-out- loud moments to even the adult reader. The book is filled with firsts: first day of kindergarten, first time walking to school by herself, first time having a substitute teacher, first time losing a tooth, and the first time getting kicked out of class. Cleary handles each of Ramona's firsts with a sense of humor, allowing readers to connect their potential firsts with Ramona's character. Miss Binney empowers Ramona to believe in herself, without indulging or feeding in to Ramona's pest-like behavior. Being stuck in a mud hole and rescued by Henry the crossing guard, pulling the hair of her classmate, Susan, and being unrecognizable in her witch's mask, Ramona finds herself in predicaments that result in the growth of her character. Cleary's use of humor in each situation is impressive to all who read this book. It's a reminder to all to find the humor in any situation, no matter how scary it can be. Another book from the same decade is Konigsburg, E. L. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Atheneum, 1967.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      In the second book of the Ramona series, Ramona Quimby is far less obnoxious than in "Bezus and Ramona." That's definitely a good thing. Perhaps Mrs. Quimby learned a few good discipline techniques between the first and second volume.Ramona starts kindergarten, and things go well for a while, but inevitably something eventually goes wrong, and Ramona decides she is through with school. Her teacher doesn't love her anymore, so she's not going to return.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I found this book at a second hand shop last night (3/28/12) and bought it as I knew I did not have it in my library. To my surprise, none of it was familiar, and I believe I had not read this book before!As usual, Beverly Cleary captures children's thoughts, feelings and excitement like no one else. I love her books, as an adult!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This book is great for children transitioning from picture books to chapter books. This book is a good book to keep in the classroom for the children to read at any time. I believe that the children will love this book. This is a very humorous book that will keep the children laughing. This book is a very easy book for the children to read.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      As a child, I loved the Ramona books. So, when I saw Ramona the Pest at a used bookstore, I knew I had to buy it and reread one of my favorite books from my childhood. I was surprised at what I remembered! I remember Ramona pulling on Susan's curls and making a "boing" sound and I remember the way that Ramona turned her Qs into little cats! However, I forgot that she really was a pest. For as spunky as she is, Ramona really is a bit of a pain. Sometimes that was distracting. It was hard to empathize with Ramona at times, and as the main character, we should be rooting for her. But, perhaps that is just my age showing. Even though she had her ups and downs, she still was a really lovable character. I can see why so many children love this series and why it has stood up against other children's literature for over 50 years. I'd recommend this to young girls and boys in elementary school whether they are pests or not!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Ramona is my idol. brave little girl who knows what she wants, and doesn't see why it should be any other way.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      It's been quite a while since I read one of Beverly Cleary's books. I forgot how funny they are. I think it's great that her books can make me laugh just as much now as they did 20 years ago. I really like the perspective this book gives on what makes an unruly child act the way he or she does.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Little Ramona Quimby has just started kindergarten, which opens the door to all kinds of new adventures. She learns how to write letters (often like animals), how to play new games, and gets a big lesson in getting along with her peers. All of this is hard on a little girl, but don't tell Ramona that! She thinks she's all grown up now.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I read the Ramona books over and over again when I was a kid. Beverly Cleary wins me over, and so, always, does Ramona.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Not ADHD and not a brat. Just a healthy, lively child who is sometimes impulsive but always means well. Well, ok, in the books that focused on Henry and Beezus she seemed brattier - but then, those were told from their pov and so she would seem that way. And she was younger in them, so she was naturally more self-centered
    • 4/5
      Was lots of fun to revisit this childhood book with my kindergartner. I think I like Ramona more now then I did as a kid.
    • 5/5
      I love this book.it is amazing for kids and adalls
    • 5/5
      Ramona is a very realistic child. She never means to be a pest.
    • 4/5
      I read this when I was in elementary school, and recently read it to my 5 year old, who, like Ramona the Pest, has just started kindergarten. The personality of Ramona is still strong and wonderful. Her insights and annoyance with grown-ups and their tiresome strictures made me snicker, and, I could tell, resonated with my 5yo -- who LOVED the book. Some social sexism mars the book -- I did a fair amount of on-the-fly editing rather than engaging in a discussion of WHY people would say Davy, a little boy, should run track, and not say that about Ramona, the little girl who was chasing him; why boys were crossing guards and not girls; what all the heteronormative role playing is about (Ramona is going to kiss Davy; she wants to marry Davy; she wants to marry Henry Huggins); and so on. But the core of the story is rather delightful, so I'd still recommend the book.And it was so interesting to see how times have changed in other ways too. A 5yo might be left alone in her house, to leave for school, and walk a few blocks, all by herself. She can "duck down" onto the floor of the car -- because the 5yo isn't in a carseat/booster seat. Anyway, I really enjoyed re-visiting Ramona, and recommend it for others too.
    • 5/5
      Once of my favorites when I was little. A great book for kids, particularly curious and slightly naughty little girls.
    • 5/5
      I read this book aloud to my daughters.We loved it! Who doesn't love Ramona? I loved reading this series when I was a kid, and I am enjoying reading it again with my girls. We are making great memories snuggling on the couch and laughing together!!We will be continuing on in the series!
    • 5/5
      Beverly Cleary has a real gift. Although her books span a period of decades, they all read as though they were written today. There's a few odd details in some of them, but mostly they rely on good storytelling and... well, very real-seeming children.This is the story of Ramona's kindergarten year. It can be hard to find chapter books that are worth reading to kindergarteners, but this is it - Ramona actually seems like an actual child who is actually, really, truly in kindergarten! When she's told to "sit here for the present" she does, waiting for her present. When she struggles to refrain from pulling perfect Susan's curly "boingy" hair, you can feel how hard it is. And it's easy for all small children to understand why Susan's trying to act like a grown-up is annoying for Ramona.I would really suggest this as a first read-aloud chapter book for a young kid.
    • 5/5
      I like that Ramona likes school a lot!
      Thanks!I love your book.
    • 5/5
      "This is a great day! A great day!" Sings Ramona on the first day of kindergarten. This is laugh-out-loud funny for kids and adults and chronicles the life of imaginative Ramona Quimby. It also speaks to the tender heart of children and helps them learn that they are not alone in their struggle through childhood. We were in the library last week and my four year old was upset about having to share a toy, but all I had to say was, "Are you making a great big noisy fuss?" and he was able to laugh it off. Thank you, Beverly Cleary!
    • 5/5
      Ramona Quimby has started kindergarten and is learning new things each day. Ramona is not only learning how to write her name but is learning life lessons. She is also making new friends. Ramona's reactions to her teacher and peers are so funny. I loved this book as a child and still love it today.I would use this book as a read aloud because it would make students interested in reading more of the ramona books.It's a classic :)
    • 3/5
      This is the story about a girl named Ramona Quimby, who is going off to Kindergarten. She goes through show and tell, recess and all the nomral things. One day a sub comes and she does not like her. SHe hides behind a trash can and eventaully gets caught. Then she wants to drop out of school. This is a hilarious book that kids will love. This also has other books in the series about Ramona. Great book for reading to a class when their is someone who always gets into trouble :) or just for a funny book to any class!!
    • 5/5
      Very funny and interesting I like Ramona she is naughty and I like her character
    • 3/5
      1.) Ramona is a kid that's in the first grade that is viewed as a pest due to her wild child ways and big personality. She drives some of her classmates crazy and at home her older sister bonkers. She seems to annoy her sister often and causes sibling arguements. She has problems in school listening and staying on task, chases a boy at recess because she likes him, and even finds herself getting suspended one day due to her curiousity. This book is a roller coaster of the trouble Rimana seems to get herself into.2.) Ramona reminds me so much of Junie B Jones which is why I love to read about them both although they are two different characters but so much alike. This outgoing girls that does not hold anything back are truly entertaining and seem to be a handful. I enjoy reading about the rambunctious little girl that has you on the seat of your pants to see what she will do next. 3.) Classroom idea would be to do a pros and cons list from the kids to see what good and not so good they see in Romana. How they relate or differ from her no if they think she is truly a pest or misunderstood
    • 3/5
      This is a cute story about a little girl going into the kindergarten. I chose to read this book because my focus student for Holt is on a very low reading level and I was trying to find books that would be an easy read for him. I think this book would be a good level and would be a fun read for him because it is entertaining for students to read about disruptive students.
    • 4/5
      Cleary always delivers solid children's books, with a good message and believable characters and conflicts that are gripping but very domestic. When she writes about Ramona, though, her books really shine. Ramona is such an amazing little person. I like her earliest appearances, when she comes on the stage as a willful and stubborn young girl, who always understands what she is doing even when others think she is being unreasonable, and who is clever and creative and quite a handful.In this book, Ramona enters kindergarten. This is a big moment for Ramona, who wants to grow up as big as Beezus, and has been longing for this day for an eternity, or so it seems to her. Despite minor disappointments - like being forced to walk with Howie and Willa Jean each morning, or being told to wait here for the present, and not realizing that that doesn't mean she gets an actual present for waiting - nothing can dampen her enthusiasm. She loves her teacher, Miss Binney, and is excited for all of the grown-up things they are learning, like writing letters and her name. She has a few mishaps, but she always comes up with witty solutions. Her Halloween mask is scary, but Ramona is even more terrified when she thinks that no one recognizes her and she is completely anonymous. So Ramona makes a sign to name herself as she walks in the Halloween parade. She wants to kiss adorable Davy, but he won't let her. So Ramona chases him around the playground every morning. One day, though, Ramona doesn't know how to solve her problem. Miss Binney catches her pulling Susan's perfectly curled, bouncy hair, and disciplines her. Miss Binney asks Ramona if she can stop pulling Susan's hair. Ramona honestly responds that she can not, so Miss Binney asks her to stay at home until she can behave herself properly. Ramona is a kindergarten drop-out, as she calls herself. Despite pressure from her parents, her sister, and her friends, she refuses to return to school. Until a special letter arrives from Miss Binney, proving that her beloved teacher really does understand her, after all.Ramona is a great depiction of a five year old. She doesn't have the maturity or education to understand everything, but she thinks she does, and views adults with a blend of admiration and contempt. It is hilarious when she scorns the substitute teachers as unintelligent, since she doesn't recognize the letter Q, which Ramona has adorned with kitten ears and tails. She is more than just an irrational but endearing preschooler, now; she is a little girl, on her path to understanding and growing up with plenty of precious misunderstandings along the way. Above all, Ramona is honest and creative. Others may not always understand her, but she understands herself. I absolutely love Ramona, even though I can relate to her mom and think how exasperating it would be to raise Ramona. This is another wonderful Ramona books, that poignantly captures a child growing up in a middle class home with a caring family.
    • 4/5
      I read the book Ramona the Pest. I chose it because Ramona was going to school just like I am in the fall. I am five years old, and I'm going to kindergarten. My favorite parts of this book were when Miss Binney sent the package to Ramona that had her missing tooth and when Ramona lost her tooth right when they were studying the letter T. It made me really nervous when Miss Binney kicked her out of school. I was worried that she was never going to go back. Overall, I think the book is fantastic because it's four stars because guess what? I really like it. I'm going to get the next Ramona book to read soon. --Elliot, age 5