Ramona Quimby/Characters

Ramona Quimby
The main character. Energetic and inquisitive, Ramona is sometimes a handful for her parents and teachers. Despite that she enjoys school (except spelling, since she finds it boring) and gets along with most of her class.
 * Breakout Character: Ramona, who started out as a secondary character in the Henry Huggins books before taking the spotlight for her own series.
 * Genki Girl: Ramona, who is described as someone who "likes to be excited" and is described as "the cheerleader type" by Beezus.
 * Middle Child Syndrome: Ramona finds herself facing this when her mother is pregnant, and later has a baby.

Beezus Quimby
Ramona's big sister, and the main character of Beezus and Ramona. She fights with her sister often, but they still get along for the most part, especially as Ramona got older.
 * Bratty Teenage Daughter: She can be this at times, especially towards Ramona.
 * A Day in the Limelight: An odd occurrence since it is the first book of the series, but since Ramona took over the series afterwards, Beezus and Ramona is the only book about her.
 * Only Known by Their Nickname: Her real name is Beatrice, but Ramona started calling her Beezus when she was little and unable to pronounce her name correctly. It becomes a major issue in later books when she grows tired of the nickname.

Roberta Quimby
Born at the end of Ramona Forever when Ramona was eight years old. She caused Ramona to develop a slight Middle Child Syndrome, though Ramona does enjoy playing with her and tries to get her parents to let her babysit.

Dorothy Quimby
Ramona's mother. Originally a stay-at-home mom, she started working part time in Ramona the Brave to help the family make money and then full time in Ramona and her Father after her husband lost his job.

Robert Quimby
Ramona's father and aspiring artist. He was laid off in Ramona and Her Father but got a job as a cashier at a supermarket. Frustrated with the stress of the job he went back to college to get his teaching certificate, however due to being unable to find work as a teacher, he returned to work at the supermarket as a manager.
 * Compressed Vice: He starts smoking in Ramona and Her Father but quits before the end of the book.

Aunt Beatrice
Dorothy's younger sister and Beezus' favorite aunt. She's an important secondary character in Beezus and Ramona but doesn't show up again until Ramona Forever.
 * Put on a Bus: In the first book Aunt Beatrice is established as important part of the Quimby family and constant visitor to the house but, aside from being referenced in Ramona and Her Mother, she doesn't make an appearance until six books and four years (29 years in real world time) later in Ramona Forever.
 * Long Lost Aunt Aesop: She returns in Ramona Forever and marries Howie Kemp's uncle.

Picky-picky
The family cat, who is several years older than Ramona. He.
 * Cats Are Mean: To Ramona anyway. Justified in that she was mean to him when she was very young (she used to use his fur to wipe paint off her hands, among other things), and he never got over it.

Henry Huggins
Beezus' friend, and star of his own series. He's an important character in Beezus and Ramona, and makes a few appearances in later Ramona books.
 * The All-American Boy
 * Precocious Crush: When she was five, Ramona decided that she was going to marry him.

Davy
A boy in Ramona's class. In kindergarten she thought he was cute and would chase him around trying to kiss him. He has trouble in school, and Ramona often tries to help him out.
 * To Be Lawful or Good: Ramona is often reprimanded for trying to help him out in class instead of doing her own work.
 * Put on a Bus: He's never seen again after Ramona the Brave since they end up in different classrooms.

The Kemp family
Howie, Willa Jean, their grandmother, and their Uncle Hobart. Howie is Ramona's friend throughout the series, though they start to drift apart as they get older. Willa Jean is Howie's younger sister and causes a lot of trouble (in fact, she acts just like Ramona did when she was four). Howie's grandmother spoils Willa Jean, but doesn't like Ramona, making her watch Willa Jean and then blaming Ramona whenever she does anything wrong. Uncle Hobart shows up in Ramona Forever and marries Aunt Bea before the two move to Alaska.
 * Karma Houdini: Despite treating Ramona like crap and using her as a free babysitter, she ends up getting exactly what she wants (not having to watch Ramona anymore).
 * Platonic Life Partners: Ramona Quimby and Howie Kemp.
 * Poetic Justice: A mild case. Howie's sister, Willa Jean, annoys Ramona and Howie in the exact same manner that Ramona annoyed Henry and Beezus in the first book. Not that Ramona would ever admit that she acted that way.
 * She Is Not My Girlfriend: Howie's reaction to being called Ramona's boyfriend by Hobart.

Susan Kushner
A girl in Ramona's classes throughout the series, and one of the few that Ramona doesn't get along with. In kindergarten Ramona was obsessed with tugging on Susan's curls and yelling "boing!", but their full-blown animosity didn't start until first grade when Susan copied Ramona's art project and Ramona retaliated by destroying Susan's work. Ramona makes peace with her at the very end of Ramona's World when she realizes that Susan is only the way she is because of her mother.
 * Early-Bird Cameo: Susan Kushner, who would become Ramona's rival throughout elementary school, first appears in Beezus and Ramona as one of a bunch of kids invited to Ramona's party.
 * The Rival: to Ramona

Daisy Kidd
Introduced in Ramona's World, she quickly becomes Ramona's best friend. Her family mirrors Ramona's in many ways, and Ramona thinks that Daisy is absolutely perfect.

Yard Ape
A boy in Ramona's fourth grade class. Even though he starts out teasing her and stealing her eraser, they become friends and she quickly develops a crush on him.
 * Insult Backfire: Ramona gives him the nickname "Yard Ape", which he enjoys. He tries calling her "Bigfoot", but she only responds with "that's Superfoot to you".
 * Only Known by Their Nickname: He's only refereed to by his real name in the series when addressed by adults. Even the narration calls him Yard Ape.
 * UST: Well, in the sense that 9-year olds can have sexual tension. Ramona and Yard Ape both clearly have crushes on each other, but they don't want to admit it to each other, and the series ends before they're old enough to start dating.