Runaway Ralph audiobook

Because schools so often assign them, over the last few years I've read and reread Cleary's "Dear Mr. Henshaw" and "Strider" countless times, but never went any farther into her catalog. That wasn't due to my opinion of these books (they are both very good) but because I was too old to be aware of Ms. Cleary as a child, so really wasn't familiar with the breadth of her work. It's a little disconcerting to realize that a 90-year-old author wrote her books too late for you to read in childhood, but then Beverly Cleary is hardly your standard 90-year-old. At any rate, two events in the last couple of years--reading "Ellen Tebbits" and "Henry and the Paper Route" with two different kids who were obviously loving these books just as much as I did--has sent me on a quest to work through her works, in spontaneous and random fashion. "Runaway Ralph" is the sequel to "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" and is a marvelous story (this from someone who hates mice). I especially enjoyed Cleary's bemused, and rather dead-pan renderings of the songs kids sing in summer camps and their underlying darkness (Ralph the mouse is terrified by "Little Rabbit Fru-fru...scooping up...field mice and banging them on the head"). Made me think of "London Bridge Is Falling Down" and "Ring A Round the Rosies," not to mention "Three Blind Mice."

We are huge fans of Ralph the Mouse in this household! This wonderful series of books is charming for all ages... and can be read and re-read over and over again, without becoming boring or out-of-date. All readers will love Ralph's adventures and giggle at his overwhelming love and obsession with the motorcycle. This is an excellent read-aloud for young kids, even in first grade. You can continue reading the Ralph books with your child, as he/she gets older -- or they may find the motivation to just read ahead themselves! All the better! They are also a great way to revisit some of the terminology and products of the past. My kids thought some of the things were hilarious when we explained them. A great way to bridge the generations. Marvelous author and marvelous book!

My son and I are having so much fun reading this series. It's imaginative and heartwarming.

Ralph is back at it again. He's such a character. Some of the original Mouse/Motorcycle magic is obviously gone. And I would say the action moves a bit slower than the first book. But I also think the conflict and the character development are much deeper.

** spoiler alert ** I liked the part where Ralph asked Garf if he could have a peanut butter sandwich when he was returning the watch to Lana. It was funny! Garf was already giving him the motorcycle back and he wanted a peanut butter sandwich because he was hungry and he likes peanut butter sandwiches.

RIP Beverly Cleary. Thank you for inspiring me to write.

Want to do a reread so will review at that time.

I love this little mouse and wish I had a pet like him! This book was so much more fun than the first one, I thought. Can't wait to read the third and final (sadly) part.

Perfect first read-aloud for little guys.

The kids enjoyed the story. Another classic from Beverly Cleary

Runaway Ralph, by Beverly Cleary. Published by Harper Collins in 1970. 175 pages. This can be used in 3rd-5th grade. Guided Reading: 0; Lexile: 890L. Summary:This is the second in a series about Ralph, the mouse, by Beverly Cleary. This story is about Ralph, the mouse, after he has received his motorcycle. It begins with him being teased by his family because all he wants to do is ride his motorcycle and they don’t think it’s safe. Feeling unappreciated, he decides to escape the hotel he lives in and hits the open road. Unfortunately for Ralph, he’s going to find that the outside world isn’t so friendly either! The setting of this story includes the hotel where he lives and the summer camp where he ends up. At summer camp after running into a mother cat and her kittens who play with him; and the guard dogs, he meets Garf whom he quickly befriends. The main problem in the story is that while at summer camp Garf (who isn’t very popular) is accused of stealing a watch from one of his fellow campers and enlists Ralph’s help returning it. Can he? The story ends with Garf promising Ralph that not only will he bring him home, but that he’ll visit him after camp ends. Ralph, who wanted to leave, returns home where he’s happier than ever! A message learned: the grass isn’t always greener!Teaching ideas:I taught this novel with my third grade and we turned it into a play! We literally took the book and wrote the script… the students were in the computer lab typing away after I had taught them how to write a script and what the main elements are. Then we created puppets and the scenery to use and enacted it on the last day of school. We watched the movie to as a means of comparison to help ‘see’ how the book should look.Common Core Standards:3.RL.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of text, referring explicitly to the text as basis for the answers.3.RL.2 Recount stories3.RL.3 Describe characters in a story3.W.5 & 3.W.6 With guidance and support from peers and adults … develop and strengthen writing; use technology to publish writing

First time reading this, after re-reading The Mouse and the Motorcycle with my 6 yo. After the last page he said he can’t wait to start Ralph S. Mouse! I’m rating based on that. These books have gentle adventures and a cute little mouse riding a motorcycle. Pretty much his wheelhouse, and perfect for bedtime reading.