Ramona Quimby is a pest. So... why do we *love* her? Ramona is an icon who helps kids understand the things we can't control like family dynamics and classroom rules. She also teaches us to speak up and question everything—even grownups. In this episode, we'll talk about the Ramona Quimby series and its legendary author, Beverly Cleary, who herself once struggled with reading. Guests Julie Murphy (Dumplin', Dear Sweet Pea), Rita Williams-Garcia (One Crazy Summer, Clayton Byrd Goes Underground), and Dan Yaccarino (Giant Tess, Five Little Pumpkins) join us to talk about Ramona's bold personality and how her pesky relationships with world around her paved the way for them as authors writing popular children's books in today's climate. They'll also talk about the important intricacies of coming of age books, their own complex characters and why its important to write about ordinary, relatable situations—something Beverly Cleary does so, so well.

To learn more about Ramona Quimby, visit bit.ly/RRRamonaQ

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