Ramona the Brave / Ramona Quimby, Age 8

Ramona Quimby #3,6

by Beverly Cleary, Stockard Channing (Read by)

Ramona the Brave
The summer before first grade sure isn't an easy one for Ramona. She’s worried about starting school and it doesn’t help that so many other changes are going on in the Quimby house. And when Ramona finally takes her place in her new classroom, she realizes that first grade is not for cowards.

Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Now that Ramona is eight, she can go to a new school with a new teacher and ride the bus all by herself. But after school, Ramona has to stay with Mrs. Kemp and be nice to bratty Willa Jean. Back at home, Mr. Quimby’s going to college and Mrs. Quimby’s going to work. All the Quimbys have to adjust, and Ramona gets her chance to prove that she's "big enough for her family to depend on."

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Realistic Fiction

Audio CD

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Beverly Atlee Cleary was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction. One of America's most successful authors, 91 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide since her first book was published in 1950. Some of her best known characters are Ramona Quimby and Beezus Quimby, Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, and Ralph S. Mouse.
The majority of Cleary's books are set in the Grant Park neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, where she was raised, and she has been credited as one of the first authors of children's literature to figure emotional realism in the narratives of her characters, often children in middle-class families. Her first children's book was Henry Huggins after a question from a kid when Cleary was a librarian. Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother and the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. For her lifetime contributions to American literature, she received the National Medal of Arts, recognition as a Library of Congress Living Legend, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the Association for Library Service to Children. The Beverly Cleary School, a public school in Portland, was named after her, and several statues of her most famous characters were erected in Grant Park in 1995. Cleary died on March 25, 2021, at the age of 104.

Reviews

[Sophia Ewing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grow up reading Romona books and they are still funny! Would recommend for children.

[Ch_beverlyatwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This CD version was so enjoyable to listen to. Ms. Channing's reading was so well done. I think that I liked it better than if I read the book myself. The story is a classic that any children age 7, 8, or 9 would like to hear and compare their own lives. Writing book reports, throwing up at school, worrying about one's parents' loving or not loving each other, "Yard Ape" boy classmate being annoying, etc. are just a few of the difficulties that Ramona faces. Big sister, Beasus, is not comforting most of the time. I look forward to reading some of the other adventures of Ramona, and even better, I'll look for them of CD.

[Maggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up with these, and they are still a treasure to me.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ramona the Brave is great book! Its a good starter chapter book. This series was personally one of my favorites growing up.

[Krezyl Millete · Rating 2 out of 5]

FUN AND CURIOUS

[CH_Emily Scholnik · Rating 5 out of 5]

These were a lot of fun to listen to in the car on my long commute to and from work, especially with Stockard Channing reading them! She performs the voices of Ramona and Beezus so perfectly. I would laugh out loud when she would scream in Ramona's voice. Hysterical! Great review Beverly, it made me go out and get the audio!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must admit that I have gone back to my childhood with this one, but they are still some of my favorite stories. I listened to Ramona the Brave, read by Stockard Channing (go Rizzo!), and it was as entertaining as I remembered it to be.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

These were so much fun to listen to in the car on my way to and from work, etc. especially with Stockard Channing reading them! She performs the voices of Ramona and Beezus brilliantly. I would laugh out loud when she would scream in Ramona's voice. Too funny.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I was channeling Mrs. Bartlet the entire time, the New York Times Book Review was on the money about Stockard Channing as narrator. And I also highly recommend Ribsy, read by Neil Patrick Harris.

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun with the kids. We all enjoyed it.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

these books were fun to read because i could interact with them because i was her age at the time and we had a lot in common