Book #122: Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary

I am really loving reading these Ramona books with Dane. And he keeps loving them too! I really enjoyed Ramona the Pest and this one, since they are from Ramona's perspective and since she is so full of personality, and yet so like an Everyman for five- and six-year-olds. In this book, Ramona faces first grade, with a new and somewhat staid older teacher, Mrs. Griggs, and figures out how to be brave in the face of her overactive imagination in the dark of her new room and other fears, like huge dogs. I actually teared up while reading one part--that's how realistic this book is with regards to kids this age and their emotions (in my opinion). There's a part when she tries to shock her parents by saying a bad word, but the bad word she knows is "Guts!" and her parents laugh and she is so embarrassed and angry that she just cries her heart out. I remember that feeling so well--that feeling of being so misunderstood and alone and like nobody loves you. And I was thinking about Dane feeling like that and wanting somebody to not laugh at him--and I know I've done things that have made him feel that way. I think I need to re-read these books every so often to get a glimpse into the mind of kids this age.