History Trivia / RamonaQuimby

** Louis Darling, the illustrator of the Ramona books until his death in 1970, drew Ramona with a short, dark haircut with bangs that has been used as a reference by subsequent illustrators even as they changed her wardrobe to more contemporary styles. The original Ramona illustrations are based on childhood photos of Cleary.

* SelfAdaptation: Beverly Cleary had some creative control over the series; she had script approval and the ability to rewrite scripts. [[https://web.archive.org/web/20080513220403/http://www.beverlycleary.com/teaching/talkingwith.html According to this interview]], other studios approached Cleary about adapting the ''Ramona Quimby'' books. She always turned them down because they wouldn't give her script approval rights.

* SelfAdaptation: Beverly Cleary had script approval and the ability to rewrite scripts. [[https://web.archive.org/web/20080513220403/http://www.beverlycleary.com/teaching/talkingwith.html According to this interview]], other studios approached Cleary about adapting Ramona for film or television; she always turned them down because they wouldn't give her script approval rights.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Due to a combination of not being particularly well known and the distribution rights being passed around like a hot potato, the series has not been released on DVD. It can, however, be watched on [=YouTube=].

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Thanks to the first several books being written in the 50s, 60s and 70s, this happens:
** There's a moment where the librarian writes down on a library card what is Mr. Quimby's job. These days, people need to fill out a form and adults need to sign them for their children. Job-status usually isn't mentioned on those.
** Aunt Beatrice and Mrs. Quimby laugh about how they had a feud that was started because Beatrice wrote on every page of Dorothy's autograph album. 2010 readers may need to know an autograph album is exactly what it sounds like: a notebook that collects quotes and sayings from people.
** Mrs. Quimby is a homemaker for a long time until she takes a job out of the house when her husband gets laid off. There's also a bit where Mr. Quimby tells off Ramona for wanting a sheep costume for a Christmas pageant without asking if her mother has the time; Ramona then wishes her dad could sew. In the 2010s, she'd have to balance having a job with housework. Presumably, Ramona would be taught to sew if she wants her sheep costume or Mr. Quimby could do it since all he's doing is smoking and collecting unemployment.

*** In the same decade, the anti-smoking movement started, coinciding with Mr. Quimby's newfound smoking habit due to stress and Ramona's attempt to get him off of it before he gets lung cancer.

!!Trivia for [[Series/RamonaQuimby the TV adaptation]]

** Nerene Virgin, best known as Jodie on ''Series/TodaysSpecial'', plays Ramona's teacher, Mrs. Larson.

* WriteWhatYouKnow: Beverly Cleary drew on many experiences from her own childhood for Ramona's experiences. For example, the family's struggles when Mr. Quimby is unemployed in ''Ramona and Her Father'' was drawn from the Cleary family's struggles during the Great Depression, the young Beverly misheard the words "dawn's early light" in "The Star-Spangled Banner" as [[{{Mondegreen}} "dawnzer lee light"]] just like Ramona does, and the incident in ''Ramona Quimby, Age 8'' of Ramona [[OutOfContextEavesdropping thinking she overhears]] her teacher calling her a "nuisance" is a LighterAndSofter reimagining of a moment when eight-year-old Beverly's teacher really did call her a nuisance.

* SocietyMarchesOn: Thanks to the first several books being written in the 50s, 60s and 70s, this happens:
** There's a moment where the librarian writes down on a library card what is Mr. Quimby's job. These days, people need to fill out a form and adults need to sign them for their children. Job status usually isn't mentioned on those.
** Aunt Beatrice and Mrs. Quimby laugh about how they had a feud that was started because Beatrice wrote on every page of Dorothy's autograph album. 2010 readers may need to know an autograph album is exactly what it sounds like: a notebook that collects quotes and sayings from people.
** Mrs. Quimby is a homemaker for a long time until she takes a job out of the house when her husband gets laid off. There's also a bit where Mr. Quimby tells off Ramona for wanting a sheep costume for a Christmas pageant without asking if her mother has the time; Ramona then wishes her dad could sew. In the 2010s, she'd have to balance having a job with housework. Presumably, Ramona would be taught to sew if she wants her sheep costume or Mr. Quimby could do it since all he's doing is smoking and collecting unemployment.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Due to a combination of not being particularly well known and the distribution rights being passed around like a hot potato, the series has not been released on DVD.

* WriteWhatYouKnow: Beverly Cleary drew on many experiences from her own childhood for Ramona's experiences. For example, the family's struggles when Mr. Quimby is unemployed in ''Ramona and Her Father'' was drawn from the Cleary family's struggles during the Great Depression, the young Beverly misheard the words "dawn's early light" in "The Star-Spangled Banner" as [[{{Mondegreen}} "dawnzer lee light"]] just like Ramona does, and the incident in ''Ramona Quimby, Age 8'' of Ramona [[OutOfContextEvesdropping thinking she overhears]] her teacher calling her a "nuisance" is a LighterAndSofter reimagining of a moment when eight-year-old Beverly's teacher really did call her a nuisance.

* WriteWhatYouKnow: Beverly Cleary drew on many experiences from her own childhood for Ramona's experiences. For example, the family's struggles when Mr. Quimby is unemployed in ''Ramona and Her Father'' was drawn from the Cleary family's struggles during the Great Depression, the young Beverly misheard the words "dawn's early light" in "The Star-Spangled Banner" as [[{{Mondegreen}} "dawnzer lee light" just like Ramona does, and the incident in ''Ramona Quimby, Age 8'' of Ramona [[OutOfContextEvesdropping thinking she overhears]] her teacher calling her a "nuisance" is a LighterAndSofter reimagining of a moment when eight-year-old Beverly's teacher really did call her a nuisance.

* SocietyMarchesOn: Thanks to the books being written in the 60s and 70s, this happens:

* RealitySubtext: When ''Ramona and Her Father'' was written in 1977, the US was suffering from economic recession and stagflation that kept prices high and unemployment rising. Perhaps it's not a surprise that the book is about Mr. Quimby losing his job and the family feeling the financial strain.

* RealitySubtext: When ''Ramona and Her Father'' was written in 1977, the US was suffering from economic recession and stagflation that kept prices and unemployment rising. Perhaps it's not a surprise that the book is about Mr. Quimby losing his job and the family feeling the financial strain.

* RealitySubtext: When ''Ramona and Her Father'' was written in 1997, the US was suffering from economic recession and stagflation that kept prices and unemployment rising. Perhaps it's not a surprise that the book is about Mr. Quimby losing his job and the family feeling the financial strain.

* HeyItsThatVoice / HeyItsThatGuy: Aunt Bea, who was played by Kirsten Bishop, was the first English voice for [[Manga/SailorMoon Zoisite]], believe it or not.