Ramona Quimby is sure fourth grade will be "the best year of her life, so far." She can show off her calluses from swinging on the rings in the park, sit across the aisle from the boy she calls Yard Ape, and enjoy her cheerful new teacher, Mrs. Meacham. Most exciting of all, Ramona has a new best friend, Daisy.

Fourth grade doesn't turn out quite the way Ramona has hoped. Mrs. Meacham wants her to improve her spelling. Ramona also must be a good role model for her baby sister, Roberta. And Mrs. Quimby wants her to spend more time with, the super-perfect Susan. Fourth-grade life isn't always easy, but it's full of adventure, and at the end of it all- a "zeroteenth" birthday to celebrate!

FROM OUR EDITORS

There's never been anyone quite like Ramona Geraldine Quimby! And now, the irresistible, irrepressible star of Beverly Cleary's best-loved and bestselling series is back -- in the paperback version of her first book in 15 years. Now, Ramona is a fourth grader, struggling with her spelling; feuding and flirting with her old nemesis, Yard Ape; and joyfully making her first real girlfriends. She's also dealing with life as a middle child -- coping with her teenage sister, Beezus, and their new baby sister, Roberta -- and simply learning about growing up. But through it all, Ramona remains funny, outspoken, and amazingly real! Ramona's World is out of this world...a book that's definitely worth the wait!

ANNOTATION

Follows the adventures of nine-year-old Ramona at home with big sister Beezus and baby sister Roberta and at school in Mrs. Meacham's class.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

To the delight of Ramona Quimby readers everywhere, Newbery Medal-winning author Beverly Cleary has just made Ramona's world a little bit bigger.

As she starts the fourth grade, Ramona believes that this year will be "the best year of her life, so far." She can show off her calluses from swinging on the rings in the park; the boy she calls Yard Ape sits across the aisle from her; her teacher praises her writing; and she has a new baby sister, Roberta. But best of all, she has a new best friend, Daisy.

Little does Ramona know the challenges her fourth-grade year holds in store. Not only must she improve her rotten spelling, but she must also be a good role model for baby Roberta. And her mother wants her to spend more time with the awful Susan.

Life isn't easy, especially when she is surrounded by perfect spellers and everyone praises her big sister, Beezus, for being responsible. Sometimes Ramona fails, often with hilarious results. But with the support of family and friends, she discovers something reassuring — that being imperfect can be perfectly fine.

01 AZ Young Reader Award Masterlist (Intermed. cat.), 01 Colorado Children's Book Award (Jr. Novel Cat.), 00-01 Young Reader's Choice Award Program Masterlist, and 00-01 Keystone to Reading Book Award Masterlist

00 Children's Choices (IRA/CBC)

SYNOPSIS

As she starts the fourth grade, Ramona believes that this year will be "the best year of her life, so far." She can show off her calluses from swinging on the rings in the park; the boy she calls Yard Ape sits across the aisle from her; her teacher praises her writing; and she has a new baby sister, Roberta. But best of all, she has a new best friend, Daisy.

Little does Ramona know the challenges her fourth-grade year holds in store. Not only must she improve her rotten spelling, but she must also be a good role model for baby Roberta. And her mother wants her to spend more time with the awful Susan.

Life isn't easy, especially when she is surrounded by perfect spellers and everyone praises her big sister, Beezus, for being responsible. Sometimes Ramona fails, often with hilarious results. But with the support of family and friends, she discovers something reassuring -- that being imperfect can be perfectly fine.

FROM THE CRITICS

Horn Book

(Primary, Intermediate) Although it's been fifteen years since Ramona Forever, only two months have passed for the heroine herself, now armed for fourth grade with news of her new baby sister, Roberta. On the one hand, Mrs. Meacham loves Ramona's composition about Roberta; on the other, the teacher corrects Ramona's spelling in front of the whole class. And thus goes Ramona's year, a collection of ups and downs leading to her tenth birthday: "'That's a teenager, sort of,' said Ramona. 'Zeroteen. That's a double-digit number.'" This latest book about Ramona lacks the immediacy and tart style of its predecessors; Cleary here seems intent upon making Ramona (and Beezus) more typical than individualized. Too, passing references to nose-piercing and Velcro seem anachronistic: the sisters are otherwise untouched by life as we know it in the nineties (is Beezus really attending her first boy-girl party in the ninth grade?). While fans may welcome this Ramona redux, it's disappointing to see how innocuous she's become. r.s.

Trudi Miller Rosenblum - Billboard

In this installment, Ramona gains a new baby sister, makes a new best friend, quarrels and then makes up with big sister Beezus, has a slight crush on Yard Ape(her nickname for a boy she's been playing with since kindergarten) and endures the highs and lows of fourth grade. Stockard Channing, who narrated the previous Ramona books, has a good feel for the material, conveying the spunkiness and occasional whininess of this spirted little girl.

Newsweek

Grown-ups...will welcome the return of the mischeviousmelodramatic heroine after a 15-year hiatus...

Publishers Weekly

Cleary's first Ramona novel in 15 years opens as this strong-willed heroine enters fourth grade, determined to find herself a best friend. A new girl at school named Daisy fits the bill perfectly and costars in two of the novel's liveliest scenes: she and Ramona vacuum Daisy's cat, and while the two play a game of make-believe in the attic, Ramona's legs break through the floor and dangle over the dining room table. Though the precocious nine-year-old is on relatively firm ground at school ("By the fourth grade she had learned to put up with teachers"), Ramona resents the emphasis that this year's teacher places on correct spelling, tries to tolerate the seemingly perfect Susan and--very realistically--alternately feuds and flirts with classmate Danny (whom she calls Yard Ape because he "acted like an ape on the playground"). On the home front, Ramona stews over her mother's preoccupation with a new baby and rolls her eyes at how sister Beezus (now a high-schooler) tends to integrate her newly acquired French vocabulary into conversation. A couple minor subplots seem dated (e.g., Beezus takes dancing lessons from her father in preparation for her first boy-girl party, to which she wears a blouse with ruffles), but most of Ramona's triumphs and traumas are timeless and convincingly portrayed. "I am a potential grown-up," declares this spunky protagonist on her 10th birthday, proudly trotting out one of her challenge words in spelling. Fans will hope that Cleary has many more growing pains and pleasures in store for Ramona before this potential is realized. 100,000 first printing. Ages 8-up. (Aug.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature - Sharon Salluzzo

The first day of fourth grade held great promise for nine-year-old Ramona Quimby. She met a new friend, noticed there were no spelling words on the blackboard, and her teacher selected her composition to read aloud. However, spelling words, the bane of Ramona's existence, showed up on the second day. By the end of the day, she disliked her teacher and felt unloved by her mother who was was coddling her crying baby sister Roberta. It looked like a very long school year. We follow Ramona's ups and downs through the year as she and Daisy solidify their friendship. Ramona continues maturing through the story but still maintains her indomitable spirit. While this book can be read independently, it is even more enjoyable if the other "Ramona" books are familiar. Cleary is adept at taking everyday events and making the reader see the humor and delight in simple things. Everyone will want to visit with this old friend. Read all 9 "From The Critics" >