Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (Realistic Fiction)

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 was written by Beverly Cleary and published by Scholastic Inc. in 1981. Apart from this one, Cleary has written seven other books about Ramona. This one, however, has won a Newbery Honor Award along with many other acknowledgements. It's most recommended for third grade.

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 is about Ramona going to third grade. She has to make new changes and get through some tough situations. Ramona has to ride the bus for the first time, deal with a bully named Yard Ape, and be babysat after school by her boring teacher!

This book is good realistic fiction for children because it's suitable and highly relatable to kids Ramona's age. Family relationship, friendship, and social reality themes are included in this book. Ramona constantly worries about her family's money problems throughout the story. This is relatable to many kids' families and should be included in books for children, so they know it's a normal thing. The plot and characters are easily convincing. Every kid has a teaser like Yard Ape in their class, and everyone, including me, knows a "Ramona."

I did come across one thing to be aware of when handing this book to a third grader. While reading this book out loud to my younger brother, I found that some of the language used was outdated, and he didn't understand. Cleary used the word "checker" instead of cashier and called the grocery store the "market," but it was written at the beginning of the 80's, so it's understandable.

Other than that, I think Cleary created a typical world for a third grader and made it entertaining enough to draw kids in. Because it's so popular, she's written seven more in this series. I recommend Ramona to every third grader out there.

I think the most enjoyable activity for this book would be to have the students compare themselves to Ramona. First, I'd have them write down all of their ideas in a graphic organizer (Venn Diagram, bubble chart, T-chart); then they'd write the story. They should focus on descriptive details and make sure that when they're describing Ramona, it's an accurate representation from the book. 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.