Beverly Cleary Author Study: Ramona the Pest

 Illustrations by Louis Darling, though my copy

has a revised cover by JoAnn Scribner.

Ramona's first solo book! After always being the "baby" on the sidelines, Ramona is finally starting kindergarten! She loves her kind teacher, Miss Binney, and has a crush on a classmate, Davy. Ramona gets to participate in a Halloween parade, walk to school on her own, and learns to write her name with a cute cat Q.

I remembered so much of this book, and I wonder if other Ramona fans feel the same. My kindergarten experience was totally different but this one is also part of my memory in a unique way. My favorite parts have always been when Ramona hides behind the garbage cans because she has a substitute teacher and when she loses her new boots in the mud.

Beverly Cleary Author Study: Mitch and Amy

 Illustrations by George Porter, though the cover is by a different artist.

I can't find credit anywhere though the signature on the front looks like

Robes or Rubes.

I remember reading this when I was young and wishing I had a twin. Later, as I grew up, I half hoped I'd have twins that I could name Mitch and Molly (after my favorite American Girl doll). 

I liked the sibling interactions in this book since we haven't seen that much. Beezus and Ramona are the only siblings we've seen (besides the older ones in Cleary's young adult books), and they had a different dynamic due to the age gap.

Mitch and Amy don't seem to get along much, but after they face the same bully alone and then together, they start to realize how important they are to each other. I really liked seeing how the bully issue was handled in the 60s. 

Each situation the twins found themselves in was interesting and often amusing. For a standalone book, the depth of character development is outstanding.