An Old Favorite

Like so many people, I have fond memories of Ramona from my elementary school days.  I remember feeling a kinship with Ramona who always tries so hard, but never manages to do anything quite right - and of course, Beezus, her perfect sister who was always there to remind Ramona of how far she still had to go.  A few months ago, I started reading the series out loud to my five-year-old twin girls.  They immediately identified with Ramona, while I found in my old age that I had a little more sympathy for Beezus's exasperation over all of Ramona's antics!  But, as the series progressed, I grew to love Ramona again.  Cleary is just a master at capturing what it feels like to be a kid - to feel at times like the world is against you, and all the small things that can cause a world of anxiety - and in the next moment to feel so contented with a good friend, a sympathetic parent, or an understanding teacher.  We worked our way through the whole series with the girls asking for "just one more chapter!" each night.  It's safe to say that these classics withstand the test of time!

• Beezus & Ramona
• Ramona the Pest
• Ramona the Brave
• Ramona and Her Father
• Ramona and Her Mother
• Ramona Quimby, Age 8
• Ramona Forever
• Ramona's World

Children's Book Pick of the Week!

The Lemon Sisters by Andrea Cheng - lately my girls have been starting to pick out their own simple chapter books and graphic novels to read on their own, and  I keep choosing the chapter books to read to them before bedtime.  For a few months, I've really overlooked just picking out books at random from the children's picture book collection at the library.  So, last week I sat down in front of the A-C section and picked out 10 books that just looked good.  Then we sat down and read them - and it was a wonderful reminder that even as the kids get older, they still appreciate a good little story with wonderful illustrations.  I absolutely LOVED this book.  It's the story of an elderly woman who lives alone in her house - one winter morning she looks out her window and sees three sisters playing in the snow.  They remind her of her childhood days with her own two sisters.  As the little girls play, the older woman reminisces.  I teared up a bit at the end!  This is a beautiful story about siblings, the joy of childhood, and the challenges of growing older - but also the happiness in sharing memories.  I also appreciate any story where young children and older people learn lessons from each other.  We happened to read this on a summer day, but I think I'll be borrowing it again once the weather starts turning a bit colder.