With Beverly Cleary’s birthday coming up, it makes sense to celebrate some of her most beloved characters. I wrote about her literary impact last year, and how her books about regular working-class families reflected the reality of her readers’ lives. Normal didn’t mean unimportant. Her most famous character, Ramona Quimby, taught young people (and girls especially) that pursuing their imagination was a worthy cause. Being loud and taking up space was also commendable.
Her impact on children’s fiction is large, especially in how many novels for kids there are about determined young people dealing with life’s daily problems and giving themselves to the joys of imagination. Even when the young people in your life have exhausted the stories of Ramona Quimby, they’ll have tons of choices for Ramona-like protagonists in children’s and middle grade fiction. These titles are a few to help kids keep the reading momentum going.
Ramona’s Acolytes
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English (US)