Last night some of our family watched the new movie Ramona and Beezus, which is based on the books by Beverly Cleary. This author was one of the first I ever really took note of in grade school. I still feel a certain familiarity with her as though she were a personal friend, and it’s probably been over forty years since I read one of her books (learn more about her at here). We liked the movie very much, and it was rated G. I’ve been thinking about how such books shape young lives.  Nine-year-old Ramona’s view of the world on Klickitat Street in Portland had to have affected me as a quiet, timid beginning reader on my own small, rural street in Centerville. Her antics brought laughter back then as well as now, but most importantly a certain understanding that all can still be right with the world despite lots of well-intentioned things going wrong. I’m so glad we became acquainted early on!