Ramona Forever is a book I read in grade school and decided to purchase for my own daughter when she got old enough to read the text. It was written by Beverly Cleary in 1984, and was suppose to be the last book in the Ramona series. Another book did follow, however, in 1999.

The book has grown in popularity over the years, and was the basis for the movie Ramona and Beezus starring Selena Gomez and Joey King. This film was released in 2010.

Ramona Quimby is a fun-loving third grader who is excited for her friend Howie who has a rich uncle that is coming to visit. Her parents and older sister Beezus don’t seem to be as thrilled, however. Strangely, Ramona’s Aunt Bea is intrigued and the conversation continues about Howie, his uncle, and his family.

Another aspect of the book is the fact that Mr. Quimby loses his job, and must look for a teaching position elsewhere. Ramona isn’t sure if the family will have to move or not. In addition to worry about that, Ramona ends up losing her precious cat.

Toward the end of the book, Ramona and Beezus find out that their mother is expecting a baby. She has a girl that is named Roberta at the end of the book. Also in a surprising twist, Howie’s Uncle asks Aunt Bea to marry him. She says yes, and they plan a wedding to take place only two weeks later.

I highly recommend this book for children between the ages of seven and twelve. After completing the book, you may want to rent the movie for your child. It can be both educational and fun to compare the book and the movie to see what was changed, and what remained the same.