Runaway Ralph - (Ralph S. Mouse) by Beverly Cleary (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Newbery Medal-winning author Beverly Cleary ramps up the humor and adventure in the second book in the Ralph S. Mouse trilogy.

With a motorcycle to rev and the open road to see, Ralph S. Mouse is itching to run away from his overprotective family! But once he escapes to a summer campground nearby, the horrors of the wild make him doubt his plan. Angry cats, scary watchdogs, and grouchy gophers are only the half of it...

But then he befriends Garf, a sad and friendless boy at the camp. Though he wants desperately to be back home with his relatives, Ralph realizes that he may need to help Garf before he can help himself.

Runaway Ralph is perfect for independent reading or for shared reading at home or in a classroom. This fun story is the second of a trilogy, along with The Mouse and the Motorcycle and Ralph S. Mouse, all inspired by the author's hope to create appealing books for boys and girls--and by the sight of her son playing with toy cars.

From the Back Cover

Ralph is the only mouse living at the Mountain View Inn who owns a motorcycle--which means he has the perfect opportunity to explore the mysterious "summer camp" nearby. Ralph isn't sure what a summer camp is, but he's determined to find out. One night, fed up with his younger relatives' pesky demands to borrow his motorcycle, he takes off for Happy Acres Camp.

But once he gets there, he's confronted by a watchdog, a grouchy gopher, and an entire family of cats. Then he's captured by an unhappy boy named Garf. Ralph is desperate to escape . . . but maybe he needs to help Garf before Garf can help him.

Beverly Cleary's plucky Ralph rides his motorcycle straight to adventure in this classic, newly reissued with illustrations by Jacqueline Rogers.

Review Quotes

"Cleary again successfully combines fantasy and reality." - Booklist

"Life with family is too stifling for a daring young motorcyclist, eager to try his wheels ... a funny story with a sympathetic hero." - School Library Journal