Madeleine has been very fond of "reading" a chapter from "Ramona the Brave" to me each day. Her chapters are *mostly* made-up off the top of her head and unrelated to the story, although she will occasionally use the pictures as clues to get at least somewhere near the basic plot. As she read to me a few moments ago, I transcribed her version of Chapter One.
"Chapter One."
"Ramona looked in her graveyard. She said, 'Ramona, look around in the graveyard RIGHT NOW. Even though I AM in the graveyard, looking around for FISH. And I don't know if I ardery HAVE fish or not.' Ramona looked around a little bit more and saw CATCHING FISH for humans! And Ramona looked at the fish in the graveyard again, and then said, 'Come here, fish! I wanna CATCH YOU!' Ramona didn't do anything for a second, then Ramona FREEZED. Then, Ramona paused for a second. Then she walked off. Into her bedroom, she goed. She sang a special song that goes like this: I'm off to my bedroom, on the Easter egg hunt day, running here and there and wild and crazy, 'cause it's my birthDAY! So I looked around again but saw nothing but a square. But Emily, her friend, looked around in the graveyard for fish TOO! 'Whoopty doopty, whoopty doopty, we're off to the wizard again!' they yelled."
Madeleine then paused to eat a few corn chips, and resumed a moment later.
MADELEINE: Mom. So this is what it says. Kay. (turning back to the book):
"When this is dark, the taller it gets, the older it gets. Okay. It also says...(flipping pages) on THIS page, it says, 'Ramona, Ramona, what are you doing?' she asked. It's Beezus taking Ramona's book. Ramona yelled, 'OW!' to Beezus. 'You stepped on my foot!' yelled Ramona. Ramona walked away. Then Beezus yelled 'STOP!' Ramona paused. And looked at Beezus."
MADELEINE: (interrupting herself from reading) Mom? Did you know Beezus is a girl?
ME: I did know that.
The reading resumed:
"She looked at Ramona and said, 'STOP. You're my sister. I do NEVER want you to go. Okay? Right?' 'Right,' said Ramona. Beezus paused and looked at Ramona. They didn't do anything. They just walked off. 'RAMONA!' yelled Beezus. 'BEEZUS!' yelled Ramona. Ramona and Beezus looked at each other. They were far, far away from each other. They yelled to each other, each to each. They yelled. 'EEEEACH!' yelled Ramona. 'EEEEACH!' yelled Beezus. 'EEEACH!' yelled Ramona. 'EEEEACH!' yelled Beezus. They kept doing that SAME thing. Ramona clipped off her nails, then ran off to school and BIKED on her bicycle! Then drove all the way home."
MADELEINE: (cheerily) That's the end!
That was one of the most faithful readings of a Ramona book I have EVER heard. What do you all think??
She really likes "paused"!
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