Ramona and Her Mother
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40 free Ramona and Her Mother trivia questions with answers — literature quiz, new questions added Oct 2026.
Ramona and Her Mother is the Ramona story about feeling left out. Both parents are working, big sister Beezus seems to be the grown-up favourite, and Ramona is sure nobody would miss her if she vanished. Beverly Cleary turns small household disasters into some of the funniest and most honest chapters of the series. This quiz follows the book from the brunch that opens it to the reconciliation that closes it: the sewing project that ends in tears, the dinner that never got cooked, the great hair argument and the secret Ramona takes to school. A handful of questions step outside the story to cover the author, the prize the book won and its screen versions. It suits readers who have just finished the novel, teachers and parents looking for comprehension questions for a class or a bedtime read, and grown-ups who met Ramona long ago and want to see how much has stuck.
30 of 40 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01In Ramona and Her Mother, what does Ramona squeeze into the bathroom sink after a sewing project goes wrong?
Toothpaste
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.
Q 02In Ramona and Her Mother, which new gift does Ramona wear to school hidden under her clothes?
Pajamas
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.
Q 03In Ramona and Her Mother, what does Ramona give a pesky little guest to play with at the family brunch?
A box of tissues
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.
Q 04In Ramona and Her Mother, which appliance is left unplugged all day, leaving the Quimbys without dinner?
The slow cooker
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.
Q 05In Ramona and Her Mother, how does Mrs. Quimby quietly stop Ramona from running away from home?
She overpacks the suitcase
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.
Q 06In Ramona and Her Mother, which hairstyle does Ramona get on the day Beezus's haircut goes wrong?
A pixie cut
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.
Q 07During the quarrel in Ramona and Her Mother, what does Mrs. Quimby swat her husband with?
A spatula
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.
Q 08At the brunch in Ramona and Her Mother, which small neighbor is Ramona told to keep out of the way?
Willa Jean
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.
Q 09The brunch in Ramona and Her Mother celebrates Mr. Quimby landing a job at what kind of business?
A supermarket
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.
Q 10In Ramona and Her Mother, which fear keeps Ramona and Beezus awake after the ruined dinner?
A divorce
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.
Q 11In Ramona and Her Mother, which teacher keeps Ramona's secret after she overheats in class?
Mrs. Rudge
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.
Q 12In Ramona and Her Mother, which school subject makes Ramona doubt that her teacher likes her?
Spelling
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.
Q 13In Ramona and Her Mother, where does Beezus go for a haircut after refusing to let her mother do it?
A hairdressing academy
Q 21In Ramona and Her Mother, why does Ramona's father dread Wednesdays more than any other day at work?
He must memorize new prices
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.
Q 22In Ramona and Her Mother, what does Ramona spill over a friend while testing their homemade boat?
Laundry bluing
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.
Q 23On which holiday do the Quimbys throw the brunch that opens Ramona and Her Mother?
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.
Q 14In Ramona and Her Mother, how does Beezus pay for a professional haircut instead of a free one at home?
Saved allowance
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.
Q 15In Ramona and Her Mother, a brand-new gift thrills Ramona because her clothes are usually what?
Hand-me-downs
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.
Q 16At the end of Ramona and Her Mother, what makes Ramona so furious that she decides to run away?
A call from her teacher
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.
Q 17By the end of Ramona and Her Mother, what has Mr. Quimby decided to do about a job he hates?
Go back to college
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.
Q 18In Ramona and Her Mother, what does Mrs. Quimby hurriedly cook when the planned dinner is ruined?
Pancakes
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.
Q 19In Ramona and Her Mother, which friend's grandmother looks after Ramona after school?
Howie Kemp
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.
Q 20In Ramona and Her Mother, what does Ramona try to sew for Ella Funt, her stuffed elephant?
A pair of pants
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.
New Year's Day
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.
Q 24In Ramona and Her Mother, the Quimbys share their house with Picky-Picky, who is what kind of pet?
A cat
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.
Q 25In Ramona and Her Mother, the Quimbys live on which real road, named after a Native American tribe?
Klickitat Street
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.
Q 26A statue of Ramona stands in a sculpture garden in which city, the setting of Ramona and Her Mother?
Portland
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.
Q 27In Ramona and Her Mother, where does Mrs. Quimby have a full-time job?
A doctor's office
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.
Q 28In Ramona and Her Mother, what is the real first name of Beezus, nicknamed by a toddler Ramona?
Beatrice
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.
Q 29Ramona and Her Mother finds Ramona midway through which school year, the same as in the previous book?
Second grade
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.
Q 30Which major American prize did Ramona and Her Mother win in a category for children's paperbacks?
National Book Award
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.