Ramona and Her Father is a Newbery Honor-award winning book by Beverly Cleary. The story is about a seven-year-old girl named Ramona Quimby. Ramona loves spending time with her father. He buys her gifts and enjoys taking his family out to eat on every payday. However, everything changes when Ramona’s father loses his job. Ramona needs to cope with her family’s financial struggles and her father’s emotional turmoil. Throughout the book, Ramona tries to understand the complexities of adult problems while dealing with her own personal challenges.

This is a short book, but I enjoyed it very much. The characters, and the challenges they go though, are surprisingly realistic. Ramona is particularly likable in this book, as she is in many other Beverly Cleary books. This story is quite enjoyable and I think it could even be considered inspiring. It warns of the dangers of addiction but also teaches how to respond to difficult situations. I appreciate Ramona’s childlike perspective on financial hardship and emotional struggles, and her sincere efforts to make things better for her family.

I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in almost one sitting. I was captivated by the way this book addressed real-life problems from the perspective of an innocent child. Ramona gets into trouble sometimes but she has good intentions. Many things happen in the story that are quite amusing and entertaining, which is typical of Beverly Cleary’s books. This is a charming book and I would definitely recommend it to readers of all ages.

Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.