"Quite often somebody will say, "What year do your books take place? and the only answer I can give is, in childhood." -Beverly ClearyPerhaps Beverly Cleary was the J.K. Rowling of my generation. Which would make Ramona Quimby the 1960's Harry Potter and Cleary's most popular character.
Beverly Cleary is an extraordinary children's book author and the new movie, Ramona and Beezus, produced by Walden Media (Webb's employers! Go Webb!) is terrifical! Terrifical = a custom word coined by Ramona herself! Aside from language (bad words - er, Ramona says "guts" twice) the show is pretty clean! It's rated "G" (maybe G for guts)!
During childhood I read every Beverly Cleary book, starting with Henry Higgins and Henry's skinny dog, Ribsy. But with the "Ramona" books I found a protagonist I completely identified with. As far as my older sister's were concerned, I probably was Ramona! Ramona the Pest, that is! I was the troublemaker tomboy kid sister with a vivid imagination, quirky behavior, and a predilection for mischief making! Ramona the Pest had nothing on me!
I think Beverly Cleary, 94 years old and living in Carmel, California, will approve of the movie. Walden Media did a great job! The movie does a nice job of capturing Ramona's complexity; she's a nuisance but endearing! Ramona's not just a tagalong little sister or a stubborn meddlesome student, she's also sensitive and tries hard to solve problems.
Beverly Cleary once said that while she was a rather quiet child, she had "Ramona-like thoughts!" I'm afraid I have to concede to Ramona-like thoughts as well as Ramona-like behavior (as a child, that is)!
Side note: The photo of Beverly Cleary reminds me of President Hinckley's wife, Marjorie Pay Hinckley. See the resemblance?
"Problem solving, and I don't mean algebra, seems to be my life's work. Maybe it's everyone's life work." -Beverly Cleary
