Is it possible? Could there really be a Ramona book that makes the reader sympathize with Beezus more than Ramona, the most famous little sister in children's literature?

If so, that is exactly the case in the pages of Beezus and Ramona. Beverly Cleary tells the story in a series of short, semi-related tales of Ramona's mischief and how it affects Beezus as she tries to live her own life. Ramona is wilder and more difficult to control in this book than in any of the others that I've read; she's also younger than in the others, though, having not yet started Kindergarten. Ramona's main personal concerns are less about her friendships with other kids as they are about making sure that she gets what she wants in every situation that she encounters, and that the adults in her life (and Beezus, too) are willing to pay her the attention that she desires.

Overall, Beezus and Ramona is basically typical of most of the literature that Beverly Cleary produced in the 1950s. Beezus's character is formed pretty well, but it would take another book or two for us to really get to know the Ramona that nearly everyone loves, the girl whose mischief never completely fades away even as she grows into a playful, thoughtful girl who anyone would be lucky to have as a friend.

One of the most important points made in the book is found mainly in the final chapter ("Beezus' Birthday"), when Beezus finally admits to her mother and Aunt Beatrice that she doesn't always feel love for Ramona when Ramona does naughty things that affect Beezus. Aunt Beatrice and Beezus's mother assure her, though, that she doesn't always have to feel kindly toward Ramona, that living in the same house all the time with a mischievous little sister is going to wear on one's nerves, and it's okay to feel angry about that. When Beezus realizes that her anger toward Ramona doesn't make her a bad person, she inwardly relaxes, and it even makes it easier for her to tolerate Ramona during those moments when she is not at her best.

My favorite stories about Ramona tend to be the ones from the 1970s and '80s, but this is a fine introductory book about a girl who continues to live on in the hearts and minds of multiple generations of readers, as will probably be the case for many, many years to come. Ramona's shenanigans are as fresh now as they were in 1955, and Beezus and Ramona will continue far into the future to provide laughter and some moments of internal reflection for kids who love to read.