Ramona and Her Mother

Ramona wished her mother would quit her job and stay home all day the way she used to. Then maybe she'd have time to notice that Ramona was not a baby anymore. She was seven and a half and quite grown up! If her mother stayed home, Ramona wouldn't have to be dropped off at Howie's grandmother's after school, and she wouldn't have to put up with Howie's little sister Willa Jean. The worst part was when people said that Willa Jean reminded them of Ramona.

But after working all day, both Mr. and Mrs. Quimby were so tired they didn't have much time to notice how grown up Ramona had become. Ramona did get their attention when she did something "not-so-grownup," like squeezing all the toothpaste out of the tube. If only Mrs. Quimby would stay home they could do grown-up things together, as she did with Ramona's sister Beezus...