100 Kick-Ass Female Characters: #94
94. Ramona Quimby, as seen in the The Ramona books by Beverly Cleary and the film Ramona and Beezue, portrayed by Joey King
Being the super awesome kid that I was, I despised being outside. I much preferred sitting in the air conditioning and reading books. When my parents finally gave up on getting me to go outside, where I might sweat and get dirty, they admitted defeat. Since they didn't want to be put into the poor house by buying me books every other day, my parents signed me up for this reading group at the public library. As it happened, they were running a competition that summer for who could read the most books, and, being the uber-competitive person I am, I accepted the challenge. In my desperate 7-year-old desire to win the prize (pool tickets and a Dairy Queen coupon), I cleared out every chapter book I could find, including an entire row of Beverly Cleary books.
For those who haven't read them, the Ramona series - Beezus and Ramona, Ramona the Pest, Ramona the Brave, Ramona and Her Father, Ramona and Her Mother, Ramona Quimby Age 8, Ramona Forever, and Ramona's World - follows a little girl named Ramona, her older sister Beezus (Beatrice), her parents, her aunt, her friends, and her teacher. Ramona is a mischievous little girl who always has the best intentions but frequently finds herself in trouble. She is equal parts in awe of her sister and frustrated by her, and she worships her Aunt Bea. The series starts with Ramona starting school and continues on through Ramona's 4th grade year.
What I love about Ramona is how she encapsulates everything awesome and awful about being a kid. On the one hand, she's not self-conscious, she charges into everything with enthusiasm and excitement, and she never allows herself to be told she can't do something. On the other, she is usually in trouble, often finds herself embarrassed, and occasionally doesn't understand why people react the way they do. No matter what, Ramona finds a way to succeed in a situation, no matter how crazy it may be, and she does it without ever hiding how intelligent she is.
And, for a little girl, that is delightfully kick-ass.
Being the super awesome kid that I was, I despised being outside. I much preferred sitting in the air conditioning and reading books. When my parents finally gave up on getting me to go outside, where I might sweat and get dirty, they admitted defeat. Since they didn't want to be put into the poor house by buying me books every other day, my parents signed me up for this reading group at the public library. As it happened, they were running a competition that summer for who could read the most books, and, being the uber-competitive person I am, I accepted the challenge. In my desperate 7-year-old desire to win the prize (pool tickets and a Dairy Queen coupon), I cleared out every chapter book I could find, including an entire row of Beverly Cleary books.
For those who haven't read them, the Ramona series - Beezus and Ramona, Ramona the Pest, Ramona the Brave, Ramona and Her Father, Ramona and Her Mother, Ramona Quimby Age 8, Ramona Forever, and Ramona's World - follows a little girl named Ramona, her older sister Beezus (Beatrice), her parents, her aunt, her friends, and her teacher. Ramona is a mischievous little girl who always has the best intentions but frequently finds herself in trouble. She is equal parts in awe of her sister and frustrated by her, and she worships her Aunt Bea. The series starts with Ramona starting school and continues on through Ramona's 4th grade year.
What I love about Ramona is how she encapsulates everything awesome and awful about being a kid. On the one hand, she's not self-conscious, she charges into everything with enthusiasm and excitement, and she never allows herself to be told she can't do something. On the other, she is usually in trouble, often finds herself embarrassed, and occasionally doesn't understand why people react the way they do. No matter what, Ramona finds a way to succeed in a situation, no matter how crazy it may be, and she does it without ever hiding how intelligent she is.
And, for a little girl, that is delightfully kick-ass.