Ramona Quimby, Age 8

Customer Reviews

• 3 out of 5
  
  
  by Destinee from Seattle, WA | Oct 5, 2007
  

  It seemed sort of dated to me. It's hard to explain why, but it has something to do with the innocence of the Quimby family. They have some money problems, okay, but everything seemed pretty idealized (particularly Mrs. Quimby making three wholesome meals every day--compared to my childhood that seemed straight out of the 1950s). It's not that the book is overly sweet, it's just that it doesn't have any bite. I was kind of bored reading it. There were two funny parts that stood out to me: When Ramona came up with "I can't believe I read the whole thing!" and when she busted the raw egg on her head. But the overall experience of reading the book wasn't very satisfying. Especially after reading Bud Not Buddy, I'm thinking, Stop whining, Ramona, at least you have parents. In Reader Response terms, I think within the larger context of my personal reading life, Ramona Quimby, Age 8 doesn't seem like an important book.

  
  
   2 people found this review helpful
  
  

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• 3 out of 5
  
  
  by allie from Ithaca, NY | Mar 25, 2009
  

  Here Ramona cracks a raw egg on her head, throws up in front of her whole first-grade class, and then learns about being part of a family or something. I once vomited in front of my whole 11th-grade class. Some of us really have it rough, Ramona.

  
  
   4 people found this review helpful
  
  

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• 5 out of 5
  
  
  by Lindsey from The United States | Apr 24, 2009
  

  The main character in this book is Ramona Quimby who is eight years old and starting the third grade. There are many changes that happen in this point in her life. Money is tight for her family because her father decides to go back to school to get his degree in art and become a teacher. Her mother works at a Doctors office during the day so she can't pick ramona up from school so she has to go over to her friend Howie's house. She hates going over there because Howie's little sister Willa Jean is always wanting to play with her and getting her in trouble. School is always a little dificult for Ramona because she is made fun of by her squeaky shoes and when she cracks an egg on her head following a school fad and thinking her mother had hard boiled it and on top of that she thinks her teacher dislikes her.
  
  Oh this book is perfect for younger readers. It is funny, but realistic fiction. Children can really relate to Ramona in this book because she goes through a lot of the same things that kids her age do also. It stresses the importance of sticking together with your family even when the hard times comes. I would definally recommend this book for any person to read. You will just get a kick out of the character Ramona.
  

  
  

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• 4 out of 5
  
  
  by Jonathan from The United States | Jan 31, 2009
  

  Ramona is in 3rd grade. Her teacher's name is Mrs. Whaley. First, Mrs. Whaley said was "It's Whale with a y for a tail." Then, a few days later Ramona and the class got jars. The jars where full of fruit flys. The class had little paper that looked like rectangles. Mrs. Whaley said "put your names on these paper rectangles. Ramona rote, Ramona Quimby, age 8 and fruit flys around it. Then she said, "I am never again to the letter Q." Before, on the bus, Ramona called a little boy called Danny, "yard ape." Later in the school year, Ramona threw up in front of the class (not on purpuse). She went to the nurse. Before that, in the cafateria, Ramona craked a egg too hard and it went into her hair. The part I liked most was when Ramona craked a egg too hard and it went into her hair, the teacher tried to get it off her hair, Ramona tried, too. They both did not get it out. Ramona went to the nurse and the nurse tried to, but the nurse gave up, too! The nurse tried it with cold water. A little luck. The nurse said, "Go home and try it with cold water after school. She did it!

  
  

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• 3 out of 5
  
  
  by Ginger from Bloomington, IN | Jan 24, 2010
  

  I read this because it was referenced in the Series of Unfortunate Events books and because it had a Newbery Stamp on the cover - always my standard for picking books out at the library when I was a bookish and lonely kid. I happily noticed that it's another children's book in which the children take solace in reading books. Children's literature is a self referential lot maybe because authors write from the childhood they knew, huddled up with books to escape the perilous world outside. Back then, when I opened any given book the world seemed so huge and adventurous that it was better experienced through reading than through actually being thrown into it.
  Ah well. I finished in an hour or so in my room late at night while eating toast and jam after finding my adult novel way too boring. I can't say it holds much for the adult reader other than nostalgia for reading as a child, but I'm glad to know it's out there. The illustrations are great too. A Classic.

  
  

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