Who wouldn’t enjoy the spectacle of a young mouse named Ralph roaring down the hallways of a dingy hotel on a toy motorcycle? Or the plight of a scruffy, stray dog named Ribsy who has adventure after adventure on his way home?
The creator of these characters and many others is Beverly Cleary, now aged 103. She wrote and published her books beginning in the 1950s when she achieved near-instant acclaim from young readers. She continued writing into the late 1990s. And, as excellent writing does, her books and characters have stood the test of time.
Cleary was born in a small town in Oregon and moved to Portland as a young girl, where she struggled learning to read. A school librarian introduced her to books she loved, and by the third grade, she was an avid reader and writer. She graduated from Grant High School in Portland. It’s in that neighborhood setting, on Klickitat Street, that Cleary placed many of her characters: Beezus, Ramona, Henry Huggins, and his dog, Ribsy and more. She became a librarian as a college graduate and saw the need for stories with depth, honesty and humor after a student asked her, “Where are the books about kids like us?” She married in 1940 and began writing in 1942. She was the mother of twins, a boy and a girl.
Cleary is known for her strong characters and for taking on important issues of the day, something considered cutting edge in the 1940s and ’50s. She has a keen insight into the minds of young children—the things that may frighten and trouble them and the things that bring them a sense of security and well-being. She shows respect for her characters and portrays them honestly, which makes her books good reading for both children and adults.
Cleary is something of an icon in Portland. Statues of her image stand in Grant Park and there is an elementary school with her name on it. She has won the American Library Association’s Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for children’s literature and the Newbery Medal for excellence in children’s stories. She represents all that is positive and enriching in children’s literature. Portland hosted a massive celebration in her honor in April of 2016 when she turned one hundred years old. Cleary was widowed in 2004 and now lives in Carmel Valley, California. You can find more about her life and work at beverlycleary.com.
Beverly Cleary wrote over forty children’s books as well as two books for adults, including her Memoir, A Girl from Yamhill. She truly is a national treasure.
Five Beverly Cleary books you and your children shouldn’t miss
- Henry Huggins is Beverly Cleary’s first book, published in 1950. Henry is an ordinary kid with a paper route and a funny-looking dog who tends to get into trouble with the neighbors.
- Dear Mr. Henshaw. In sixth grade, Leigh Botts is given the assignment of writing a letter to his favorite author. He is surprised when the author writes back with some questions and suggestions. The ensuing back and forth between the two portrays a mentoring relationship that enriches and empowers a young boy’s growing up years.
- The Mouse and the Motorcycle tells the story of a weary family on vacation in a less-than-acceptable hotel that has mice. Their son feels ill and returns after dinner to their hotel room, where he meets a young and lively mouse who is ready for adventure.
- Ribsy is a book about Ribsy, a dog who manages to escape from the family car on a shopping trip and has a series of rescues by well-meaning folks. He has quite an adventure that ends when his family answers a lost dog ad in the local newspaper.
- Ramona Quimby, Age 8 is the story about Ramona. She and her family are new to Klickitat Street and the surrounding neighborhood. She and her younger sister, Beatrice, known as Beezus, adjust to their new life. Ramona learns to make friends and contend with the Yard Apes on the playground. Ramona’s favorite time of the school day is Sustained Silent Reading. She manages, barely, to get along with her nemesis, Willa Jean.
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Hello Jan,
Would you happen to know how I can reach out to Beverly Cleary and/or a representative of hers? I am hoping to get a donation for our upcoming online auction. Thank you.
Tom Fullmer
503.789.9686