Ramona Remains a Favorite Forever

Ramona Forever, the last Ramona book until the recently published Ramona’s World, picks up where Ramona Quimby, Age 8 left off. Spunky Ramona is still in third grade, but we almost forget she’s attending school because her academic activities are not mentioned at all. The focus here is entirely on her home life, with a bit of her best friend Howie Kemp and his family thrown in. Her older sister Beezus continues to be a perfectionist, but she shows more empathy for Ramona than she has in the past and allows herself some not-so-grown-up moments. Beezus also spends part of the book preoccupied with her complexion, as acne is beginning to set in and she is not one bit happy about it. The girls notice that their mother has been acting strangely and seems to be expanding, and Beezus tells Ramona that a third sibling may be on the way. Meanwhile, their father hopes for a teaching offer as he finishes his degree.

Big changes are in store for Ramona in this book. They begin when an encounter with Howie’s rich, teasing uncle leaves her with the revelation that Howie’s grandmother dislikes her. She has never liked going to Howie’s house after school, but now the thought seems unbearable. Beezus confesses that she, too, feels uncomfortable at the Kemps’ and offers to watch Ramona after school herself. Now both girls must prove they are grown-up enough to handle the responsibility. This resolve is tested when the sisters get into a big fight, but an unexpected tragedy brings them closer together than ever before and proves to their parents that they can handle themselves.

More than the last half of the book is centered around two key events: the marriage of Ramona’s Aunt Beatrice, Beezus’ namesake, and the birth of the newest Quimby. Mrs. Quimby becomes increasingly irritable, and the girls hope the baby will hold off until after the wedding. The wedding is yet another opportunity for Ramona to feel grown-up, and as the plans progress she grows to approve of the groom, despite her initial deep misgivings. When the time finally comes to call him “uncle,” she is happy to award him the title.

While Ramona Quimby, Age 8 dealt largely with various comical mishaps at home and at school, Ramona Forever has a slightly more serious tone. It features major life events that many children her age face; like Ramona, I had to deal with a wedding, a birth, and a family death all in one year, though for me it was second grade instead of third. Most of the kids reading the book probably have experienced at least one of the three or will soon, and can relate to the emotions that accompany such landmark occurrences. Readers can take heart because although her family is undergoing many significant changes, Ramona can deal with whatever comes her way.