Ramona Wins

I have referred to Julia's "Gallop Time" in many of my previous posts, and those of you who have been to our house have gotten to witness the galloping first-hand.  As Julia has explained, she likes to think about things while she gallops, mostly imagining that she and her friends are a part of whatever particular tv show, movie, book, or song she is currently obsessed with.  (I recently learned that her "thinking" is not limited to galloping.  "Mom, did you know I don't just do my thinking when I'm galloping?  I do my thinking whenever I'm doing ANYTHING fun, like... riding bikes, running around, skipping, galloping, riding the scooter at school...")

Julia's latest craze has been the movie "Ramona and Beezus," which basically combines all of the antics from each Ramona book into one, condensed movie.  During the scene in which Ramona and her neighbor Howie are jumping out of the big hole in Ramona's house (part of construction to put an addition on the house), Julia turned and remarked to me, "Mom, did you know that this part is one of the things I imagine about when I'm galloping?"  She has watched this movie for five days straight, and asked me to begin re-reading (for the third time) the book "Ramona the Pest."  Although Ethan and I have read her every Ramona book, Julia is clearly not aware of Beverly Cleary's legacy.  During her third viewing of the Ramona movie, she suddenly exclaimed, "Hey, Mom, you know those Ramona books?  I think somebody decided to make this movie into a book!"

Other way around, sweetheart.

Yesterday, during her galloping ecstasy, Julia suddenly stopped and said to me, "Mom, I think that there should be a Ramona book called 'Ramona Wins.' Because when I was galloping, I was imagining Ramona having a race with Beezus to get to their house, and Ramona gets there first, so Ramona WINS."  I suggested that perhaps she could author that book, and she quickly abandoned galloping in order to get to work on her sophomore novel.  Since I could not read her swirly, pretend-cursive writing, I had her dictate the story to me.  For those interested in reading the newest Ramona book, see below:

Cover

Chapter 1:
Ramona and Beezus were on their way home from school.
"Beezus, it's funny how we walk home together.  But we DON'T go to the same school!"
"Well, my school is up-abover than your school, Ramona."
"Really?  I never knew that!"
"Yeah!  Some schools have more schools up above it."

Chapter 2
"I've got a great idea, Beezus!  We can race to the house!  Whoever gets there first wins!"
"Okay, Ramona!  That's a great idea!"
"I'm always thinking in my head."
"I know you're always thinking in your head."

 Chapter 3
"I'm almost there!  I'm almost there!  I win!"
"Oh, Ramona, you won.  So... what do you do if you win?"
"Beezus, I know I winned, so that means... a celebration?!?"
"SURE!"


THE END.