Ramona Quimby: Where is she now?

Elizabeth Allen's new movie, Ramona and Beezus, which follows the misadventures of Beverly Cleary's beloved Ramona Quimby, got us thinking about Ramona. What would she be like as an adult? If you loved Ramona as much as we did, you probably enjoy reading about smart, quirky characters who get themselves into trouble not matter how hard they try (or perhaps because they try so hard!) Characters, both strangely eccentric and very ordinary, reign supreme under the deft pens of the authors listed below. Families form the foundation of the stories, and all the characters revolve around their roles within the circle of the family. Many, but not all, of the protagonists are women, and humor is an important element of the story. We hope you will find these titles just as enjoyable as you did the Cleary books, back when we were kids...
Ponder heart by Eudora Welty.
Practical magic by Alice Hoffman.
Virtous woman by Kaye Gibbons.
Patty Jane's house of curl by Lorna Landvik.
Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver.
New mercies by Sandra Dallas.