I have been an unabashed Cleary fan since I was six, and I would have trouble dictating a clear favorite among all of her excellent books, but this would definitely be in the top five because of the chapter about Ramona and the P.T.A., which is so funny I literally can't read it out loud for laughing too hard. Henry, Ribsy, Beezus and Ramona are destined to become classic characters in American childhood, if they haven't already, and these books have already been around long enough to provide a charming glimpse into times past.