Ramona and Her Father

Beverly Cleary's story about a child's struggle with adult issues is remarkably well done. The child's voice is very honest and believable. Ramona is honestly concerned about her parents, but she is also naturally self-centered, which makes it difficult for her to accept that her mother has not

sewn a good sheep costume for her, despite knowing that her mother has to work late every night and her family doesn't have extra money to spend on material. Still, she struggles against her selfishness and honestly tries to help her family. The final scene at the Christmas pageant is very moving, as Ramona learns to be happy and content in spite of herself.

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LibraryThing member foggidawn

Ramona's father is out of work, which means he's spending a lot more time at home. Unfortunately, it also means he's feeling a bit more irritable and dejected. But life continues for the Quimby family, and Ramona is always working on something, whether it's finding a way to have a real part in the

church nativity play, or launching a campaign to get her father to stop smoking.

This is one of my favorite books in the series. The whole thing is just so warm and comforting, like a long hug. It's also a perfect book to read in the fall, as it's set around Halloween through Christmas time.

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LibraryThing member kwillis

A touching book about how kids can help and support their parents through hard times. A great depiction of the power of family love and perseverence.

LibraryThing member Marse

This is one of the only books I've read for children that address the distress that children feel when there are money worries in the family, and manages to do it with a sense of humor. Ramona's father loses his job, and money is tight. Her mother goes to work full-time, but barely makes enough and

everyone is stressed out. Ramona, who is about 6 or 7 now, is also unhappy, but not because of a lack of money, but because everyone is grouchy and just not themselves because of it. Cleary is wonderful at depicting the thoughts processes of young kids without getting mired in psychological explanation. Excellent!

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LibraryThing member NadineC.Keels

Ramona Quimby wishes her family would perk up. Her cat refuses to eat, her older sister is going through a moody and defiant phase, and her parents worry a lot these days, since her father just lost his job. But if Ramona sets her mind to it, maybe she can find a way to help her father through this

rough patch in Ramona and Her Father by author Beverly Cleary.

Just as I remembered from childhood, I found this to be one of the darker Ramona books (although back then, "sadder" is the word I likely would've used.) It's certainly a serious situation for Ramona here, with her family being even more strapped for cash than usual, and her father putting his lungs in danger with cigarettes. (Wow--I'd forgotten all about Ramona's mission against her father's smoking habit! My, does that lead to some parts that prick my heart in a whole new way, now that I can better appreciate how Mr. Quimby must feel.)

But there's still patented Ramona humor and fun in the read, with a heroine whose feelings about things like eating out at Whopperburger are so on point. Plus, seeing how an imperfect Mr. Quimby is a good man who loves and gets a kick out of his daughter makes this a winner of a tale.

Oh--and did I mention this book's delightfully Christmassy ending?

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LibraryThing member mlgonzales

For Ramona second grade is not turning out the way it should. Her dad has lost his job, her mom has found a full-time job, and her big sister Beezus has "reached a difficult age." Self-determined, Ramona decides to take charge. She practices TV commercials in hopes of earning a million dollars, but

only ends up insulting her teacher and getting into a big mess with some burrs. Then she tries to make her father stop smoking. Mr. Quimby manages to hold up under all these strains, but the challenge is on for the whole family to prove their strengths. One of many of Ramonas adventures captured within this book.
Ramona has a half-sister or a relative that lives in my house. Her name is Kaitlyn. The similarities are soo striking that it scared me sometimes, while reading this book. In an effort to help me stop smoking, which it has been 2 years now, Kaitlyn wrote me little mesages, 'smoking kills people.' etc... Also drew me pictures of people, especially me with black lungs and a black mouth. The name of the picture was called MOMMIES DEATH....LOL. I got the point.
In the classroom, I would have children decorate a mask of themselves. Then share the differences or similarities. ALso, I would have the children share what their families are like. Also bring in pictures to share. Include into this a web of each families characteristics.

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LibraryThing member ptroche

This book is about a little girl, Ramona, whose father loses his job. After that the whole family struggles. Her mother has to work more, her sister is stressed and mean to her, and the cat wont eat. They family is close to being with no money. Ramona decides she is going to help her dad be happy,

and she wants to help him quit smoking. She tries to learn more about her father and have a better relationship with him. And then one phone call changes everything.

I can kind of relate to this book because, even though my dad has never been jobless, I always tried to make him quite smoking and to have a better relationship with him. And now he does not smoke and I think that is so much better. And I have a better relationship with him.

I would use this in a classroom with about fifth graders especially during May, when fathers day is coming up and show kids how Ramona made her relationship with her dad better. And if I have kids in my class that struggle with their dad, this book would be great for them.

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LibraryThing member ebrady333

This book is about a little girl, Ramona, whose father loses his job. After that the whole family's moral does down. Her mother has to work more, her sister is stressed and mean to her, and the cat wont eat. They family has close to no money. Ramona decides she is going to make her dad happy again

so they draw pictures and she helps him to quit smoking. Finally one day the phone rings and he get s job and everyone is happy again.

This good was a good childrens chapter book. I also think it would good to read to children in tis time because a lot of children's parents are losing their jobs. This will give them a positive out look on it and they will see that it will be ok.

I would use this in the classroom to show the children that even though we are in an economic slump and their parents might have lost their jobs but everything will be ok. Also in the book Ramona and her dad draw the longest picture ever so I think it would be fun to get a big role of paper and let the students draw a big picture.

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LibraryThing member dgadkins88

This book is about a girl named Ramona. The story tells about her father losing his job, so the family falls on hard times. Ramona's father goes into a state of depression, and he smokes all the time. Ramona and Beezus try to get their father to quit smoking and to help him earn money. She spends

her days reciting various TV commercials, in the hopes of being noticed by a talent scout, when she decides to crown herself with burrs, ending less than successfully. Very good to read to children!

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LibraryThing member bamabreezin4

This book is a nice easy reader that younger elementary school children might like. It deals with parent unemployment, smoking, mild poverty, and appreciation for the things one possesses, all from a child's point of view.

LibraryThing member mdkladke

Beverly Clearly was one of my favorite authors as a child. Ramona's dad loses his job and she is very concerned about him. He is a heavy smoking, so Ramona helps him to quit smoking by drawing pictures. The story turns out happy in the end and Ramona's father finally gets a job. Good book to read

to younger children.

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LibraryThing member af179893

Summary: In this book Ramona’s dad loses his job leaving the family with little to no money. Mrs. Quimby tells the children not to do anything to make the father more upset. Throughout the book the chapters are Ramona trying to find ways to help her dad with his job loss, and with his smoking

habits. She finds out that even though her family is going through this tragedy they can still get through it.
Personal Reaction: I thought this book was a emotional book because I have dealt with a parent losing a job and money being low so to me this book really got to me.
Classroom Extension: I can have the children write in their journal about what their parents do for a living and if they are struggling at home I can have one on one talk with them about it.
I could also have children have an open discussion after reading the book about how they reacted to the book.

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LibraryThing member Ctorm

5Q 4P
After Ramona's father loses his job things begin to change within the Quimby family inciting Ramona to find funny, silly ways to make things better. Ramona's efforts are often comical but her intentions reveal her empathetic spirit. An especially emotional and complex Ramona book in the series

that grapples with a lot of difficult themes that many children encounter.

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LibraryThing member nmhale

An entry in the series about Ramona Quimby that tackles more serious subject matter than some of its predecessors. When Mr. Quimby loses his job, the strain begins to wear on the whole family. Ramona, now seven years old, just wants everything to go back to normal: her dad to quit smoking, her mom

to be happy again, her sister to stop being cross, and her family to go to Whopper Burger for a family night out. Unfortunately, everything she devises to try and help her family ends in comical disaster. Despite all setbacks, Ramona learns that her family is stronger than disaster, and their love better than any amount of money.

Cleary uses her comic touch to deal with the more serious turns in the Quimby household, and offers a story that recognizes big problems in life while still letting us laugh at all those hidden moments of relief that come along, even amidst a crisis. The story's touching moments are all the more poignant because of the humor. The relationship between Ramona and her father is sweet and realistic, and I love Ramona's young and baffled response to what is happening. She may not understand all the ramifications of what is going on, but her heart is clear and true when it comes to her family. I was moved by this story of one family's struggle, and the deep love that sees them through.

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LibraryThing member avcr

Mr. Quimby works for a small company that has just been purchased by a larger one; subsequently, is out of a job and must find a new one. Mrs. Quimby gets a full-time job at a Dr. Office, so Ramona and her Father are spending a lot of time together. Financial strain pulls at the heart-strings of

the families fun, but through picky-picky’s cranky response to the cheap cat food he is served, to Mr. Quimby’s smoking that sets Beezus and particularly Ramona on the path to save his life, the family learns that through all types of adjustments, no one is perfect, and they are truly a happy family; funny, sweet, hopeful. Makes one proud to be a former Oregonian!
If You Liked This, Try: Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary, Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary, Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary, Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary, Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary.
Awards: Newbery Hono

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LibraryThing member Miss.Barbara

Favorite author Beverly Cleary has been awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for 40 years of distinguished writing for children, and her best-selling books about Ramona, a well-meaning but often misguided little sister, certainly fall into that category. In this Newbery Honor Book, Ramona is

determined to cheer up her father after he loses his job. She practices TV commercials in hopes of earning a million dollars, but ends up insulting her teacher instead — and getting into a prickly mess with some burrs. Then she embarks on a crusade to make her father stop smoking.

Meanwhile, Mom has gone off to a full-time job, and Ramona's big sister Beezus is rumored to have "reached a difficult age." Ramona has her hands full, to be sure, but her dedication to her family won't fail. Cleary has a perfect instinct for expressing the mixed emotions that inform children's actions, and readers will identify with Ramona even while finding her predicaments hilarious. This may be some readers' first Ramona story, but it won't be their last: Ramona and Her Father is a book that will stay with readers long after they've turned the last page, and will have them rushing to read more of the adventures of this one-of-a-kind kid.

Newbery Honor Book

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LibraryThing member Kira_ValleQuinones

Summary:
This book is about a girl named Ramona. Her father each pay day would bring home treats for the girls. This pay day was not a good day because their father lost his job. Ramona had an idea to become a actor on T.V doing commercials to help her family get money. Ramona has noticed that her

family were all unhappy. She talked to her parents why is everyone she unhappy. Then her father came up this idea for the family to crave a pumpkin. Ramona had come up with her sister Beezus to get there father to quit smoking of course that is going to be a long journey. Ramona and her sister has been cast in a play for Christmas. Beezus was virgin Mary and Ramona was a sheep. Ramona's father gotten a call saying that he has a interview for a new job.

Personal Reaction:
I really enjoyed reading this. I can relate to this book in a way. Because I personally was out a job for a while. I could not spend money like I use too. This book is good for children to learn words.

Classroom Extension:
1. Have to kids write definitions that they did not know.
2. Make chart on what is the same from their lives and different.

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LibraryThing member JaceySteed

habits. She finds out that even though her family is going through this tragedy they can still get through it.

Personal Reaction: I thought this book was a emotional book because I have dealt with a parent losing a job and money being low so to me this book really got to me. Without asking who in the class has dealt with it, just reading it would touch a child!

Classroom Extension: 1.I can have the children write in their journal about what their parents do for a living and if they are struggling at home I can have one on one talk with them about it.

2.I could also have children have an open discussion after reading the book about how they reacted to the book.

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LibraryThing member bibliophile26

Not one of my favorite Ramonas. It centers around Mr. Quimby losing his job and finding another one. I did love Ramona and Beezus's quest to get their father to stop smoking

LibraryThing member mhackman

Ramona's father is laid off and out of work and smoking too much. Ramona devises clever plans to entertain herself and get her father to quit his bad habit.

LibraryThing member hcurrey

Ramona is in second grade, and full of worries. Her dad loses his job, won't quit smoking, and everyone in the family is on edge. Tin-can stilts, drawing with her dad, and trying to make a million dollars keep Ramona smiling (some of the time).

LibraryThing member the1stdaughter

"To start off I need to just say, I'm a huge fan of Beverly Cleary. Her book, Socks was the book that started my reading journey when I was very little. Somehow Cleary manages to capture the heart and mind of whomever she is speaking for in her characters. It's truly astounding! This, I feel, is

exactly why in her years of writing she has accumulated numerous awards (Newbery, Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in '84, and many more) and a devoted following of all ages. Cleary also participates in National Drop Everything And Read Day on April 12th, which also happens to be her birthday. She encourages reading every day, but this event is focused on getting individuals and families to take time and sit down to read together. An amazing author with wonderful books and an ability to reach readers of all ages!

"Now, on to Ramona and Her Father...It was awarded the Newbery Honor in 1978, which also happens to be the year I was born, but I guess that's besides the point. Even with the book being originally printed in 1978 I found it highly relevant for today's audience, especially considering our current economic climate. In the very beginning of the book Ramona's father loses his job, unfortunately something many families are dealing with now. The story consists of Ramona's reaction to all that occurs because of this dramatic event in her families life. Ramona goes from trying to make a million dollars, to just trying to make everyone in her family happy, to trying to help her father quit smoking, and eventually just trying to keep a positive attitude herself.

"What I most loved about the story was how well it was told from the perspective of an eight year old. As a parent sometimes it can be difficult to step outside of yourself and actually truly see how your child might feel about something. Cleary understands how the impact of the main 'bread-winner' losing their job could affect even the youngest member of a family. It opened my eyes to all sorts of situations and points of view. Ramona was kind and concerned for everyone in the family, but obviously still had very 'typical' child-like moments. A very well written and playful story told from the viewpoint of an eight year old. A must read, especially in these difficult times."

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LibraryThing member fuzzi

Once again the magic of author Beverly Cleary comes alive in "Ramona and Her Father". While I love all the Ramona books, this one was especially good. I don't know how Mrs. Cleary remembers so well what children think, but it comes through loud and clear in her words. Ramona comes home from school

to find the doors locked and her unemployed father missing...

"Ramona was frightened. Tears filled her eyes as she sat down on the cold concrete steps to think. Where could her father be? She thought of her friends at school, Davy and Sharon, who did not have fathers. Where had their fathers gone? Everybody had a father sometime. Where could they go? Ramona's insides tightened with fear. Maybe her father was angry with her. Maybe he had gone away because she had tried to make him stop smoking. She thought she was saving his life, but maybe she was being mean to him. Her mother said she must not annoy her father, because he was worried about being out of work. Maybe she had made him so angry he did not love her anymore. Maybe he had gone away because he did not love her. She thought of all the scary things she had seen on television-houses that had fallen down in earthquakes, people shooting people, big hairy men on motorcycles-and knew she needed her father to keep her safe..."

Another wonderful trip back to childhood, to being seven, thank you Beverly Cleary!

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LibraryThing member TirzahB

summary: Ramona's dad losses his job, and every one is sad her mom has to work a lot more because of this. Ramona sees her day sad about his job and tried to make him feel better. Ramona and her sister come up with a plain to help her father quit smoking, in order to help him. Ramona learns that

even thought her family had a hard time they can all get pass it .

Personal reaction:
I liked this book it had funny parts in it I like how little Ramona get in to stuff even thought she is trying to help.I like the part when Ramona dreams of coming a tv star. I have always liked Beverly Cleary's books my favorite of hers is Ramona the pest.
1. the class can have an open discussion about a time when the felt like their dad or other parent needed their help and what they tried to do to help them.

2.the class can have an open discussion about what we can do if we were in a situation like this.

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LibraryThing member Tytania

Another Ramona re-read for me. Ramona is back in second grade; and her father has lost his job. Ramona faces her usual grade-school trials and tribulations, but this time her troubles are driven mainly by family dynamics. Everyone is short-tempered, and the cat doesn't like the cheap cat food, so

he eats the jack-o-lantern. Beezus fights with the parents, which makes Ramona cry. She's reassured repeatedly that the family will get another pumpkin to carve, but that's not the issue. "Didn't grown-ups think children worried about anything but jack-o-lanterns? Didn't they know children worried about grown-ups?"

It's not all down. Ramona and her friend Howie make coffee-can stilts and delight in stomping all over the sidewalk belting out "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall." It takes them all through the evening through a rain shower, but they make it from 99 down to 1. Huzzah! I love the young Ramona who delights in noise.

And the final episode, where Ramona participates in the church nativity scene dressed in a home-made ragtag sheep costume, is priceless. Ramona Forever!

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