Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,
Reading a story to a child can be one of the best things that an adult can do. To see their happiness as you make their favorite story come to life is a joy to see. And when you are that child that is being read to you tend to hold onto those memories. And when you are an adult facing adult things, it is sometimes wise to shed your grown-up self and just be a kid again.
Beezus and Ramona is written by Beverly Cleary and is published by Harper Collins. This children's classic was first published in 1955, spawning a series of equally hilarious sequels. It tells the story of 9-year-old Beatrice "Beezus" Quimby, and her daily struggles looking after her mischievous four-year-old sister, Ramona. First appearing in 1952's Henry and Beezus, Beatrice Quimby was introduced as Henry Huggins' neighbor. Her story was so well received that she went on to star in many more of Cleary's books.
Beezus and Ramona is a laugh-out-loud hysterical romp that pulls the reader in quickly and never stops tickling the funnybone or pulling on heartstrings. Chapter after chapter we are left to chase after Ramona who writes in library books, locks doggies in bathrooms, and destroys her sister's birthday cake...twice. Ramona is adorable, incorrigible, and never stops making you love her no matter how many times she gets in trouble. Beezus is joined by her parents, Henry Huggins and Ribsy, and her namesake Aunt Beatrice. In the days leading up to her tenth birthday, Beezus must do her best to keep her cool and outsmart her little sister. But sometimes Ramona can be one step ahead of you.
What makes Beezus and Ramona so relevant even sixty-three years later is its heartfelt depiction of sisterhood. Throw in some madcap comedy and the imagination of a four-year-old, and you have a solid story that parents have loved to read to their children decade after decade. And reading this as an adult is just as fun as when I read this book as a kid.
To add to the fun I was fortunate enough to read this book with the narration of Emmy Award-winning actress, Stockard Channing. Channing was charming as she displayed her voice-over talents that included voices for all the characters. But it was her delivery of Ramona Quimby's lines that had me laughing so hard I had to stop reading to catch my breath. I am very pleased to hear that she has narrated the rest of the series, and I look forward to returning to the story of Ramona with Stockard Channing as my storyteller.
If you are looking for a book to read to your child, or if you want to stop adulting for a few hours, then Beezus and Ramona is the book for you. Good old-fashioned storytelling at its best. I gave this wonderful book five stars out of five.
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