From: Susan Lempke <slempke>
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 09:31:36 -0500

I was thinking it was time for me to speak up for the two ends of Cleary's work not yet touched upon, because although I love Ramona best, as a teen, I loved her teen books, and as preschoolers, my sons both found her twin books extremely engrossing.

Cleary's memory for the feelings of childhood stayed with her to an incredible degree. Her books about Janet and Jimmy (The Real Hole, Janet's Thing-a-ma-jigs, etc.) and the ones for teens (Fifteen, Jean and Johnny, Sister of the Bride) all show Cleary's amazing knack for recalling the specific detail that brings back feelings. That's why it doesn't seem to matter how old?shioned the books seem now--they still ring true.

I forget which one of the teen books it was--maybe Fifteen-where the heroine and friend go shopping for dinner, trying to spend every penny precisely and not go over. That was my favorite part--it's been twenty-five years since I read it, but I believe they ended up with pork chops!

  --Susan Dove Lempke
Received on Thu 10 Aug 2000 09:31:36 AM CDT