
Reading 'Ramona the Brave' To My 6-Year-Old Reminded Me How Confusing Childhood Can Be
"Everyone in the room except Howie laughed. Ramona was startled, then embarrassed."As I read the line from Ramona the Brave aloud to my 6-year-old, unraveling the story of a first grader on the first day of school quickly descending from excitement to embarrassment to rage to subdued quiet, I was reminded how confusing childhood can be. How easily you can be misunderstood by your peers and your teachers. I remembered that childhood version of myself in the character of Ramona, and I saw her in m...