Ramona the Pest

On the “first rainy morning” since Ramona began kindergarten, Mrs. Quimby forces Ramona to wear her rainboots to school. Ramona, however, does not want to wear the boots, not only because they are worn and second-hand from Howie, but also because they are brown boots which are, in Ramona’s opinion, “for boys” (107). Reluctantly, Ramona agrees to wear the rainboots.

At school, Ramona is “downhearted” seeing all the other children in their boots: “The girls wore various sorts of raincoats and red or white boots—all except Susan, who carried her new white boots so she would not get them muddy. The boys looked alike, because they all wore yellow raincoats and hats and brown boots” (110). Ramona is so sad about the boots that she does not even feel like chasing Davy that morning before school. Some of the children line up properly at the door to the school, waiting for Miss Binney, and the rest run about the schoolyard “clomping, splashing, and stamping” (110). Ramona picks up a “smooth pink worm” and wraps it around her finger (111). Davy notices and exclaims that Ramona is wearing “a ring made out of a worm” (111).