Reader discussion: Ramona

Public reader discussion about Ramona in the WeRead Catalog by Helen Hunt Jackson.

Which is the book that reminds you of your childhood days?

By Heather_Table81

A couple days ago, out of nowhere, I was thinking about that rainy day feeling and remembered the 90s when our school library had all those hardcover Nancy Drew books. I still get this urge to go back and re-read every single one, because borrowing a new one every week was so exciting. I’m in my mid-30s now, and I kind of wish I was younger just so I could feel that same first-time joy of grabbing my favorite book again.

I just watched Ramona and Beezus with my 7 year old daughter.

By happyWindow90

I haven’t watched the movie, and I don’t really plan to. I loved Beezus and Ramona growing up—like, it was one of the first books I read by myself that wasn’t just a super easy reader—so I don’t want to mess up the version of the story I’ve got in my head. I guess if I end up having kids, though, I won’t be able to dodge stuff like that. ;)

What is the most relatable fear or moment that you've read in a book/story that you consider old?

By Prologue_Pink

One thing I really like about older books is that you can tell how the language changed over time, but people themselves don’t seem to change much. I just started A Christmas Carol this year, and it hit me how, even in 2023, the scariest thing I can imagine is some ghost yanking me out of my house just to make me go see people I know so I can hear them trash me behind my back. I feel like stuff like that will probably make sense to people for a long time.

Trying to watch two Ramona films (1916) and (1946). Where to start?

By orangeFinch

I’ve been trying to get to two movie adaptations of Helen Hunt Jackson’s novel, but right now they’re basically out of reach for me, and I could really use some advice. If there are any film preservation folks or lost media people here, how would you even start trying to track them down? 1) The 1916 version, directed by Donald Crisp with Adda Gleason and Monroe Salisbury. I read that it used to be partly lost, but now the Library of Congress supposedly has the full 3-hour print in their records. What’s the process like to access something like that? Can regular people actually view LOC materials, or do you have to wait for copies to get made and end up in private collections? 2) The Mexican film from 1946—Esther Fernandez and Antonio Badú, directed by Victor Urruchúa, produced by Promex S.A., distributed by Filmex S.A. I don’t have much experience searching for Spanish-language releases, so I’m honestly not even sure where to begin. Any pointers on where to look or what steps to take would be super appreciated. Thanks!

Happy 101st birthday to "Beezus and Ramona" author Beverly Cleary, my favorite children and YA author

By Garden

Whenever her name pops up online I get this little jolt of “oh no, did something happen?”—it’s like I’m scared she’s gone. Really relieved to see she’s still here :)

Chapter books like ‘Babysitter’s club’

By cosmosharbor41

I’m trying to find some chapter books for my 8-year-old daughter. She really likes the kind, friendly vibe of books like Babysitter’s Club and Katie the cat sitter, but most of those seem to be graphic novels. Can anyone suggest something with a similar feel but in regular chapter book form? Also, she’s fine with Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but I’d love more books that are just… kinder.

What are some childhood books that really hold up well for adults?

By mellowturtle2006

I probably could’ve thrown this on another site too, but I figured here would get more people chiming in. What are some kids’ books you still think hold up pretty well for adults? I’ll start with Goosebumps. There was always that joke that they were super repetitive, but a few really stand out for me. The Ghost Next Door is one of them. Like, I know R. L. Stine originally did horror for teens, and you can kind of tell in the early Goosebumps stuff—some of those are way darker than what the series turned into later. This one feels especially grim, and weirdly the ghost stuff isn’t even the scariest part. The gang violence angle is what really drives the whole climax. Also it goes for more emotions than just “be scared” or “lol,” which a lot of the later books seem to stick with. You might actually end up tearing up. For something lighter, I’ve gotta say Bunnicula. That series is almost nonstop funny.

Magic realism

By silver_cougar4061

Since One Hundred Years of Solitude is on Netflix (and it’s actually a really solid adaptation so far), I’ve been wanting more magical realism stuff. I’ve already read: - One Hundred Years of Solitude - House of the Spirits (Allende) - Like Water for Chocolate - Beloved + God Help the Child (Toni Morrison) - Olga Tokarczuk’s books They were all pretty good, even if a couple hit harder than the others, but I liked all of them. Any other recs that are similar? Happy New Year everyone :) Edit: sorry—by “Skin” I meant God Help the Child😅 I’m mixing things up from the Polish title (“Skóra” = “Skin”).

Finally finished the Beartown Trilogy - It has been a long journey.

By AcarusBrisk

I’ve read the whole series over the last two years, which feels like forever, but it’s mostly because I get the books from the library and the waiting lists can be brutal. And yep, one of those years was basically just me trying to finish The Winners. I’ll still recommend the series, even if this might sound like I’m ranting a bit. The first two books are honestly what made me stick it out through 672 pages of Fredrik Backman refusing to let go of his characters (which I get). And then somehow he ties everyone’s lives up in the last 30 pages and it’s all like—people end up successful and things sort of work out. The most unbelievable part for me was Maya being a famous singer. Every time her song lyrics came up (and it was sometimes almost an entire page), I’d just skip it. Still, I’ll give him credit: Amat’s ending totally made sense, and it genuinely made me happy. By the end I went from “I really love Backman’s writing style” to “okay, I’m kind of getting tired of it.” That said, there were still some strong parts, and they were depressing in a way I couldn’t ignore—Ramona and Benji’s deaths hit hard since they’re basically the heart of Beartown and they absolutely wrecked me. On the bright side, Peter kind of pushed me to start baking bread, so I guess there’s that. And if I’m ranking the trilogy, it’s pretty straightforward for me just by release order: - Beartown - Us Against You - The Winners