41 pages 1 hour read

Beverly Cleary

Ramona Forever

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1984

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Summary and Study Guide

Overview

Ramona Forever is a children’s chapter book by celebrated American author Beverly Cleary. Published in 1984, the book is the seventh in Cleary’s famous “Ramona” series, following Ramona Quimby as she grows up on Klickitat Street in Portland, Oregon. In Ramona Forever, Ramona insists that she does not need to be babysat by her neighbor, Mrs. Kemp. While she is best friends with Howie Kemp, she believes his grandmother Mrs. Kemp dislikes her, and she is annoyed by the constant teasing from Howie’s Uncle Hobart. Happily, Ramona gets her way, leading her to spend more time at home with her sister Beezus. However, her world is turned upside down by two shocking pieces of news: She will soon become a big sister to a new Quimby baby, and her Aunt Beatrice has decided to marry Uncle Howie. With the help of her loving family and friends, Ramona learns to embrace these big changes in her life. Through these events, the novel explores The Highs and Lows of Growing Up, Children’s Perspectives on Relationships, and The Bond Between Siblings.

This guide refers to the 2009 HarperCollins e-book edition. Citations are to page numbers in this edition.

Plot Summary

Ramona is excited by her best friend Howie Kemp’s news that his rich uncle will visit soon. When Uncle Hobart arrives, however, Ramona is annoyed by his teasing. Things get worse when Ramona’s babysitter Mrs. Kemp punishes her for not supervising Howie’s little sister, Willa Jean. Angry and resentful, Ramona swears never to return to the Kemps’ house.

Ramona tearfully begs her parents to never send her to the Kemps’ house again, and they agree to allow Ramona and her sister Beezus to look after themselves after school, as a one-week trial. Beezus reveals to Ramona that she believes their mother is pregnant: Beezus is happy, but this news worries Ramona. The no-babysitting trial goes well for a few days until Ramona insists on biking with Howie and gets into a spat with Beezus. Although the girls are angry with each other, they try to hide their fight from their parents so they don’t have to go back to the Kemps.

Beezus and Ramona are startled to find their old cat, Picky-picky, dead in his bed. Determined to shield their mother from stress, the girls work together to bury him in the backyard. During this task, they forgive each other for their fight. The girls are excited and nervous when their mother confirms that she is having a baby. The family discusses possible names for the baby, and they decide to refer to the unborn child as “Algie,” rather than “It”. Mr. Quimby reveals that he has been offered a teaching job many miles away in southeastern Oregon, and Ramona worries about having to move and leave her room behind. 

Ramona is shocked by yet another surprise: Her Aunt Beatrice is engaged to marry Howie Kemp’s Uncle Hobart. Ramona is displeased with this news and is rude to Hobart when he comes to dinner. While Ramona doesn’t like Hobart, she is excited at the thought of their wedding, especially at being a bridesmaid. She is also relieved to learn that her family will not be moving after her dad decides to take a management job at the grocery store.

Uncle Hobart takes the children to the mall to buy their wedding outfits and order flowers. Ramona warms up to Hobart slightly when he buys her a pretty pink dress and later treats her to ice cream. The Quimby house becomes a hive of activity when Aunt Beatrice moves in for the few weeks before her wedding. Once married, she will move to Alaska. When the family attends Aunt Bea’s wedding, ring-bearer Howie accidentally loses a wedding ring during the ceremony. Ramona saves the day by crawling under her aunt’s wedding dress and finding the ring. After the wedding, she and Beezus tie their uncomfortable formal shoes to the back of Uncle Hobart’s truck as wedding decorations. 

Ramona is excited when her baby sibling is born and waits impatiently to meet her. When she does, she is amazed by her new sister—Roberta—who makes her reflect on how everyone—babies, kids, and grown-ups—finds life hard sometimes. Ramona feels proud of all the growing up she has done over the past year.