40 Fun Facts About Ramona and Her Mother

In Ramona and Her Mother, what does Ramona squeeze into the bathroom sink after a sewing project goes wrong?

Toothpaste was something Ramona had always wanted to empty in one go, so she squeezed out a brand-new tube. Her mother made her scrape it into a jar and use that while the family shared a fresh tube.

In Ramona and Her Mother, which new gift does Ramona wear to school hidden under her clothes?

Pajamas left Ramona so hot in class that her teacher noticed and let her go and change. Ramona made the teacher promise not to tell anyone what she had been wearing.

In Ramona and Her Mother, what does Ramona give a pesky little guest to play with at the family brunch?

A box of tissues kept the little girl away from Ramona's own toys, but she pulled out every one in front of the guests. The party broke up soon afterwards.

In Ramona and Her Mother, which appliance is left unplugged all day, leaving the Quimbys without dinner?

The slow cooker had been filled that morning, but in the rush out of the door nobody plugged it in. The hungry family had to improvise a meal from what was in the kitchen, and tempers frayed.

In Ramona and Her Mother, how does Mrs. Quimby quietly stop Ramona from running away from home?

She overpacks the suitcase: offering to help, Mrs. Quimby loads it until Ramona cannot lift it. Seeing through the trick, Ramona finally hears that her mother could not manage without her.

In Ramona and Her Mother, which hairstyle does Ramona get on the day Beezus's haircut goes wrong?

A pixie cut won Ramona compliments from all the stylists, while Beezus left with a stiff style she thought far too old for her. Ramona ended up feeling sorry for her sister.

During the quarrel in Ramona and Her Mother, what does Mrs. Quimby swat her husband with?

A spatula landed on Mr. Quimby's backside after he criticised her cooking. Ramona and Beezus had never seen their parents behave like that, and it frightened them.

At the brunch in Ramona and Her Mother, which small neighbor is Ramona told to keep out of the way?

Willa Jean is the little sister of Ramona's friend, and the grown-ups cooed over her at the party. One guest said she was just like a younger Ramona, which Ramona took as an insult.

The brunch in Ramona and Her Mother celebrates Mr. Quimby landing a job at what kind of business?

A supermarket checkout gave Mr. Quimby work again after months of unemployment. The relief did not last: he soon came to dislike the work and began to think about something better.

In Ramona and Her Mother, which fear keeps Ramona and Beezus awake after the ruined dinner?

A divorce was on the sisters' minds because the parents of one of Ramona's friends had split up. At breakfast their parents explained that a spat does not mean a family is breaking apart.

In Ramona and Her Mother, which teacher keeps Ramona's secret after she overheats in class?

Mrs. Rudge promised not to tell, which convinced Ramona that her teacher liked her after all. Until then Ramona had fretted that she was out of favour over her classwork.

In Ramona and Her Mother, which school subject makes Ramona doubt that her teacher likes her?

Spelling tripped Ramona up, and being corrected made her suspect the teacher was against her. One slip turned a sentence about liking something into one about licking it.

In Ramona and Her Mother, where does Beezus go for a haircut after refusing to let her mother do it?

A hairdressing academy let trainees practise on customers at a discount, which suited Beezus's budget. She wanted a real stylist because the other girls in her class no longer had home haircuts.

In Ramona and Her Mother, how does Beezus pay for a professional haircut instead of a free one at home?

Saved allowance covered the bill, and Beezus spent every cent of it. Mrs. Quimby usually trimmed both girls' hair herself to save money, so the outing became a real battle of wills.

In Ramona and Her Mother, a brand-new gift thrills Ramona because her clothes are usually what?

Hand-me-downs from Beezus were all Ramona had known, so something bought just for her felt like proof of her mother's love. She did not want to take it off.

At the end of Ramona and Her Mother, what makes Ramona so furious that she decides to run away?

A call from her teacher, overheard from one end only, convinced Ramona that her secret had been passed on. It had not, but she flew into a temper and announced she was leaving.

By the end of Ramona and Her Mother, what has Mr. Quimby decided to do about a job he hates?

Go back to college is his plan, in the hope of landing better work. It means Mrs. Quimby must keep her own job, and Ramona vows to put up with her after-school arrangements without complaint.

In Ramona and Her Mother, what does Mrs. Quimby hurriedly cook when the planned dinner is ruined?

Pancakes were about all the bare cupboards allowed, and she rushed them. When her husband pointed out they were still runny inside, she tipped them into the trash and the quarrel boiled over.

In Ramona and Her Mother, which friend's grandmother looks after Ramona after school?

Howie Kemp is a neighbor, and his grandmother minds Ramona every afternoon until a parent collects her. Ramona resents being expected to amuse his small sister while she is there.

In Ramona and Her Mother, what does Ramona try to sew for Ella Funt, her stuffed elephant?

A pair of pants proved too tricky to fit an elephant's shape, and Ramona hurled them across the room in frustration. She had been enjoying rare time alone with her mother until Beezus joined in.

In Ramona and Her Mother, why does Ramona's father dread Wednesdays more than any other day at work?

He must memorize new prices every Wednesday, when dozens of them change at once. Even so, he leaves for work that morning singing a joke about it.

In Ramona and Her Mother, what does Ramona spill over a friend while testing their homemade boat?

Laundry bluing, fetched to tint the water in the tub, splashed all over him when the top flew off the bottle. Startled, Ramona lost her balance and landed knee-deep in the blue water.

On which holiday do the Quimbys throw the brunch that opens Ramona and Her Mother?

New Year's Day finds Ramona halfway through the school year, with her father newly back in work. The party is meant as a celebration, but she spends it minding a neighbor's little girl.

In Ramona and Her Mother, the Quimbys share their house with Picky-Picky, who is what kind of pet?

A cat, and an elderly one: Picky-Picky has turned grouchy with age and tends to steer clear of Ramona. She was rough with him when she was very small, and he has not forgotten.

In Ramona and Her Mother, the Quimbys live on which real road, named after a Native American tribe?

Klickitat Street is a real road, and Beverly Cleary grew up close by on another one. She said its name reminded her of the sound of knitting needles.

A statue of Ramona stands in a sculpture garden in which city, the setting of Ramona and Her Mother?

Portland is where Beverly Cleary was raised, and she set most of her stories in its Grant Park neighborhood. The garden in that park also holds statues of two more of her characters.

In Ramona and Her Mother, where does Mrs. Quimby have a full-time job?

A doctor's office keeps Mrs. Quimby busy all day while her husband puts in long hours of his own. With both parents out at work, the whole family has to pitch in to keep the household running.

In Ramona and Her Mother, what is the real first name of Beezus, nicknamed by a toddler Ramona?

Beatrice was too much of a mouthful for a very small Ramona, and her attempt at it stuck for good. The name itself honours a favourite aunt, her mother's sister.

Ramona and Her Mother finds Ramona midway through which school year, the same as in the previous book?

Second grade lasts Ramona two books running: Ramona and Her Father covers the autumn up to Christmas, and this story carries on through the winter into spring.

Which major American prize did Ramona and Her Mother win in a category for children's paperbacks?

National Book Award judges honoured it during the few years when the prizes named separate hardcover and paperback winners. Like this one, almost all the paperback winners were reprints.

On the night of the quarrel in Ramona and Her Mother, which dinner do the Quimbys find still raw?

Stew meat, potatoes and carrots went into the pot before the family left that morning. With the meat still raw and too tough to fry, there was almost nothing else in the house to cook.

Which artist illustrated the first edition of Ramona and Her Mother, as he had the book before it?

Alan Tiegreen took over as Ramona's artist after Louis Darling, who pictured her earliest adventures and died in 1970. Newer editions have been redrawn by other illustrators.

Ramona and Her Mother follows a Newbery Honor book in which Ramona urges her father to quit what?

Smoking worried Ramona so much in Ramona and Her Father that she and Beezus left warning notes all over the house. He was irritated at first, then agreed to stop.

Which future Oscar-winning writer of Women Talking played Ramona as a child in a 1988 TV series?

Sarah Polley starred in all ten episodes, which borrowed this story's haircut battle and the parents' quarrel. She went on to direct films including Away from Her.

Which singer played Beezus opposite Joey King's Ramona in the 2010 film Ramona and Beezus?

Selena Gomez took the big-sister role in a film that hops between several of the books rather than adapting one. Its plot leans most heavily on Ramona Forever.

Which Grease star narrates the audiobook of Ramona and Her Mother, voicing every character?

Stockard Channing, who played Rizzo in Grease, has read the Ramona stories aloud for audio editions. One review praised the personality she gives each member of the Quimby household.

Ramona first appeared as a pesky little sister in which book, Beverly Cleary's first?

Henry Huggins came out in 1950, with Ramona added during a rewrite when Cleary noticed that all her characters were only children. The walk-on part grew into eight books of her own.

The 1988 TV series Ramona, which adapted chapters of Ramona and Her Mother, was made in which country?

Canada produced the ten-part series, which reached American children through PBS. Its episodes include one named for the story's great hair argument.

In Ramona and Her Mother, what makes Mrs. Quimby late to collect Ramona on the day of the basement mishap?

Car trouble held her up: the car was at the garage and the mechanics had not finished with it. The mood on the drive home was tense, though Ramona assumed that a family dinner would soon put things right.

At the brunch in Ramona and Her Mother, which toy belonging to her small guest does Ramona long to cuddle?

A plush bear in the little girl's arms tempts Ramona more than anything else at the party. She feels plain and awkward beside the visitor the grown-ups are fussing over.