SuitabookChildren responding to adult hardship
Ramona interprets her father’s worry after losing his job as a change in his ability to love her, and tries to make things better.
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Book details
Beverly Cleary - Author
A child’s determined efforts to repair a worried family lead into questions about love, money, adult pressures and the limits of a child’s responsibility.
Lately Ramona had the terrible feeling that she was the only happy member of the Quimby family. Since her father lost his job, he seemed too worried to love her anymore. Ramona's mother and big sister Beezus had become awfully busy and and grouchy. Even Picky-picky, the family cat, was grumpy. He didn't like her new cheaper food and had eaten the Quimby's Halloween jack-o'-lantern instead. Ramona tried everything she could to make things better. With Beezus's help she launched a campaign to stop her father from smoking so much, but he didn't seem to appreciate it. Ramona also tried to act adorable, like kids in TV commercials. Mr. Quimby said the boy who sang the Whopperburger jingle made a million dollars year! Ramona wanted to make a million dollars, too, because then her father would surely be fun again. ---------- Also included in: - [The Trouble with Ramona and Beezus](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL17377136W)
Book Brief
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Sign in for personalised guidanceA child’s determined efforts to repair a worried family lead into questions about love, money, adult pressures and the limits of a child’s responsibility.
Ramona interprets her father’s worry after losing his job as a change in his ability to love her, and tries to make things better.
Ramona decides that making a million dollars, inspired by a television jingle performer, might make her father fun again.
Ramona and Beezus campaign to stop their father smoking so much, while he does not seem to appreciate their effort.
Pay attention to how the story balances Ramona’s earnest attempts with the adults’ reactions. It may help to distinguish caring about a family problem from being responsible for solving it.
This is a grounded book brief while Suitabook strengthens the analysis: the current material supports only a cautious reading; another book-specific source is still needed.
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