NEWS: Ramona the Pest, the Brave, the Movie

CULTURE: Ramona the Pest, the Brave, the Movie

When you learn to read in the United States, and you are one of the lucky children to come from a decent school, there’s a period between the ages of 8–12 where your reading level explodes. Most of the books that shape your conception of other books come from the period of time. And we can thank one author in particular for sketching out this area: Beverly Cleary. Ms. Cleary, author of the Ramona series, is putting the final touches on her next project: the script for a Ramona Quimby movie.

Ms. Cleary celebrates her 90th birthday this year.

Wherever Ramona Quimby is, she’ll always be the first girl that I ever had a crush on. I’ll always think about what it would have been like to live next door to Henry Huggins when I think of those books, and I will always be in the second grade.

awesome! that gave me goosebumps

Anyone else do a doubletake at that part?

What was said in the article was encouraging, but I'm going to be skeptical of this movie. Children's are so sensational and action-packed these days I can't imagine anyone honestly making a movie that's pretty much just slice-of-life. And even if it manages that, I'm still not sure it will play well. This is largely based on the fact that most children in movies can't act very well.

[Edited on May 08, 2006 by TedKoppel]

oh thats so sweet! hooray for Ms Cleary and her clearheaded wisdom.

I have died and returned to my best childhood memories.

I'll always remember that Ramona named her doll "Chevrolet" because she thought that was such a pretty name.

I remember there was a Ramona tv show that ran when I was small, and Sarah Polley played Ramona. Anyone else remember that? I don't recall if it was good or not...

I love that she recommends the library instead of kids buying books. I loved getting new books from the library when I was younger, it was a weekly ritual!

Professional child actors are the creepiest goddamn plastic abominations. Using untrained kids is the way to go.

thats fucking awesome!

[Edited on May 08, 2006 by PointBlank]

I remember how she got the pixie hairdo and everyone told her how cute she was. Just because of that story, I went out and got the same haircut as a kid. I got picked on endlessly by other kids, but I loved it.

Care to vilify?

I'm SHOCKED!!

You're shocked? (SHOCKED!!)

[Edited on May 08, 2006 by SuperNintendo]

It was good! Sarah Polley has been a great actress since day 1, and the rest of the casting was perfect too.

Unfortunately they only made eight episodes, they were never released on DVD, and the VHS versions are long out of print... but if you really want them they do turn up used on eBay and Amazon pretty often.

I'm remembering this now! I remember the episode where she got egg all in her hair at school.

This totally made my day.

Well, that and finishing law school.

please please please dont let dakota fanning end up playing her.

She's a surfboard. I crushed on my mom's friends.

[Edited on May 08, 2006 by Jeff_Fries]

Who can finish law school at a time like this?!

I definitely remember reading those books when I was a kid. Ramona and Encyclopedia Brown, baby.

There was another kid private investigator that really liked pancakes, but the name eludes me.

Ramona Quimby, Defense Attorney.

I think there was some sort of TV show or something based on the books. I remember taking them out of the library when I was little.

This is pretty cool though.

yes, please take redrum fanning out of the casting choices. that would be scuh a downer.