I just finished “The Mouse and the Motorcycle” by Beverly Cleary. The book is about a young mouse named Ralph. He lives in a hotel with his mother and two younger siblings. He wants to explore the hotel more but his mother will not let him. Then one day a boy name Keith checks in at the hotel and...
Aw, I guess Otis Spofford is alright. This is another book that I have clear memories of reading when I was a kid, but I'm not sure where it fits in in today's society. In this follow-up to Ellen Tebbits, we get to know the troublemaker in Ellen's class, Otis Spofford. Surprisingly - and this is ...
Wow, I didn't think this would happen but I actually loved My Own Two Feet even more than A Girl From Yamhill! And it's very well titled as Beverly is trying very, very hard through the whole book to get out from under her mother's thumb.The book starts just where Yamhill left off, with Beverly h...
This review consists of two parts: 1. My daughter's review (she's 8) and 2. My review (I'm the Mom). These are excerpts - for the full review please visit us at www.motherdaughterbookreviews.comDAUGHTER SAYS:What I liked and disliked about it: I think I’m more like Beezus and my brother is lik...
Ramona the Pest is the first book in the series from Ramona's own point of view. At last readers get the chance to be inside Ramona's head after witnessing all her pesty ways in previous books. Ramona is in kindergarten. And Ramona's teacher isn't the only one who will find her unforgettable. In ...
Dear Mr. Henshaw, by author Beverly Cleary, is a young readers realistic fiction novel that directly addresses the issue of a child who is forced to face the realities of his parents' divorce; probably still somewhat of a taboo theme for a young readers book in 1984.Leigh (pronounced Lee) Botts i...
Goodreads.com's perhaps most respected reviewer, Dr. M of the department of theoretical physics and Pooh-studies, has perhaps written his most eloquent entry on the 1965 science fiction blockbuster, DUNE. M relates how it is the world, rather than the book, which has changed, such that if written...
Beverley Cleary writes about the every day, mundane life of children and somehow makes it interesting. There are no magicians, no elves, no talking animals, no magic treehouses, no princesses – just ordinary kid troubles and concerns. I witness my children relating to these books as they listen ...
Ramona and Her Father is the fourth book in the Ramona series. This wonderful, unforgettable series was written over five decades. The first book, Beezus and Ramona was published in 1955! The fourth book in the series was published in 1975! The last book in the series was published in 1999! Many ...
It's hard to believe that Henry Huggins was once Beverly Cleary's marquee character, given the later explosion of popularity enjoyed by a character spun off from Henry's world, the legendary Ramona Quimby. When Henry and Beezus first saw the light of day in 1952, preteen Henry was star of the sho...
This has been my favorite Henry Huggins book yet. Of course, Henry overlaps with the Ramona series. She’s his pesky little neighbor. And in this book, the two of them certainly clash!Henry obtained a paper route in the last book. In this installment, his after-school job is funding his buildi...
ttSTRIDER Beverly Clearytt “Chariots of Fur”Man’s best friend does it again! Well, it’s been two years since Leigh Botts closed the diary which boys’ writer, Mr. Henshaw, had inspired him to keep. Now he’s taller, more confident, still living in a “shack” with his divo...
This was a very simple, easy, and quick read. I first read this book many years ago when I was quite a bit younger. I remember enjoying it a lot then, and for some reason the part about the “generous pinch of baking powder” always stuck with me. So much so that the other day I added some baking p...
Beverly Cleary is well-known for writing humorous and touching realistic chapter books. Her realistic and sympathetic characters have been indelibly written on many hearts. One of my favorite character creations of hers is Ellen Tebbits, an eight-year-old girl whose life is brightened by her frie...
Having read many of Beverly Cleary's books and having high expectations, this book did not disappoint. In the beginning of the book, Ramona is very excited because Howie's rich uncle is coming to town from Saudi Arabia; however, once he finally comes, Ramona realizes she doesn't like him and that...
Ramona the Brave is the third book in the series. I love it. It has some GREAT moments. "Trouble in the Park" Ramona can't understand why Beezus is angry with HER for standing up to the big, bad bullies at the park who were teasing her (Beezus). Ramona thought that she was loving her sister by sp...
My boys absolutely love Henry Huggins. These books may be over fifty years old, but the world of Klickitat Street still rings true. Families still have dogs. Little sisters are still pests. Neighbor kids still have squabbles. And boys still have dreams.Henry and the Paper Route, ten-year-old...
Double Trouble Mitch and Amy both think being twins is fun, but that doesn't stop them from squabbling. Amy is good at reading. Mitch is a math whiz. Amy likes to play pretend. Mitch would rather skateboard. They never want to watch the same television show. And they always try to get the better ...
I definitely want to give this book two and a half stars, and was very much on the fence as to whether to round that rating up or down. Socks is a nice story with much to offer. I tend to believe that Beverly Cleary came into her best years of empathetic and insightful writing beginning in the 19...
Maggie is happy to go to school and learn new things. But she wishes she didn’t have to learn cursive. She complains to her parents about it, and they tell her not to be contrary; just be a good girl and do as she’s told. This only makes Maggie feel more contrary. Why should she have to learn cur...
This is another of those classics that I never had heard of before and that I missed originally on the Classics challenge at The Midnight Garden when I was the readalong book in March.But wanting to complete the challenge and not fail it, I decided I needed to read a book that wasn't too long, an...
It took me a while to start enjoying this book back in freshman years because I think it had something to do with the fact that it's so...1950's! Jean and Johnny isn't a classic "first love" teen novel. Jean didn't end up with Johnny. The story didn't portray Johnny as Jean's love of her life eit...
Mouse 3 Irwin J. Sneed Elementary School As Ryan hopped down the steps of the school bus, Ralph poked his nose out of his pocket and found himself in a crowd of children, all of them bundled up in hooded parkas or jackets and knit caps. Clouds of vapor came from their mouths as they shouted back ...
Rain no longer fell every day. Lawn mowers whirred through the shaggy winter grass. People went to the park again. Everyone, especially Ramona, felt good. One evening, late in May, the Quimby family was enjoying an unusually quiet dinner. The telephone did not ring. Roberta had been fed and, worn...
Born in McMinnville, Oregon, she lived on a farm in Yamhill until she was six and then moved to Portland. After college, she became a children’s librarian in Yakima, Washington. In 1940, she married Clarence T. Cleary, and they became the parents of twins, now grown. Mrs. Cleary’s books have earn...
It did not take long for the story of her walk behind the screen of gladiolas and delphiniums to spread through Woodmont High. Everyone laughed at the story, but the laughter was friendly. And all because I kept my head up during the whole awful thing, Jane thought, and if I had walked down the s...
I do recall that every day after lunch, we pulled out our composition books, and the teacher, a tense, unhappy woman, sat at her desk dictating numbers in sequence. We translated them into Roman numerals and wrote them down in columns. CLXXXIV, CLXXXV, CLXXXVI, CLXXXVII, CLXXXVIII, CLXIX. We had ...
The Personul Mowse 5 The Personul Mowse Ralph’s life in the cage was never the same after the arrival of the hamster. Chum was picky about his food and fussy about his housekeeping. One corner of his cage had to be his bathroom, another his sleeping quarters, a third the storehouse for the food h...
This time Barbara had hidden the cookie canister in her closet, so Gordy could not find it and eat up all the cookies before Bill brought her home from school on his Vespa. Barbara had been telling Bill about Rosemary and Greg and how they planned to continue school after they were married. “Good...