Mrs. Quimby is expecting a baby and Aunt Bea gets engaged in a book that sees Ramona coping with growing up.

She meets him one day after school at the Kemps' house, but when he teases her about being Howie's girlfriend, she quickly decides she dislikes him.

When Beezus agrees that Mrs. Kemp dislikes them both, the sisters convince their parents to let them stay home after school for one week to see how it goes.

When their parents return home, they decide the sisters are responsible enough to take care of themselves; they then announce that Mrs. Quimby is pregnant, leaving Beezus thrilled and Ramona with mixed feelings.

Mr. Quimby is almost finished with college and hopes to get a teaching job in the area, but when the only job he's offered turns out to be in rural Oregon (which would force the family to move), he instead finds work managing one of the Shop-Rite supermarkets in Portland.

On the car ride home, she realizes that no matter how big or challenging the coming changes are, she's "winning at growing up".