Beverly Cleary facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Beverly Cleary
Cleary c. 1955 and her cat, "Kitty"
Born	Beverly Atlee Bunn (1916-04-12)April 12, 1916 McMinnville, Oregon, U.S.
Died	March 25, 2021(2021-03-25) (aged 104) Carmel, California, U.S.
Occupation	Writer and librarian
Language	English
Education	University of California, Berkeley (B.A.) University of Washington (B.A.)
Years active	1950–1999
Notable works	Henry Huggins series Ramona series The Mouse and the Motorcycle Dear Mr. Henshaw
Notable awards	Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (1975) National Book Award (1981) Newbery Medal (1984) National Medal of Arts (2003)
Spouse	Clarence Cleary ​ ​ (m. 1940; his death 2004)​
Children	2

Beverly Atlee Cleary (born Bunn; April 12, 1916 – March 25, 2021) was an American author who wrote many popular children's and young adult fiction books. She is one of America's most successful writers, selling over 91 million copies of her books worldwide since 1950.

Some of her most famous characters include Ramona Quimby and her older sister Beezus Quimby, along with Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy. Another beloved character is Ralph S. Mouse. Most of Cleary's stories take place in the Grant Park area of northeast Portland, Oregon, where she grew up. She was known for writing about the real feelings and experiences of children from everyday families.

Beverly Cleary's first children's book, Henry Huggins, was inspired by a question from a child when she was a librarian. She won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother. In 1984, she received the prestigious Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. For her amazing contributions to American literature, she was given the National Medal of Arts and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal. A public school in Portland, the Beverly Cleary School, is named after her. Statues of her famous characters were placed in Grant Park in 1995. Beverly Cleary passed away on March 25, 2021, at the age of 104.

Beverly Cleary's Early Life

Cleary as a senior at the University of California, Berkeley, 1938

Beverly Atlee Bunn was born on April 12, 1916, in McMinnville, Oregon. Her father, Chester Lloyd Bunn, was a farmer, and her mother, Mable Atlee Bunn, was a schoolteacher. Beverly was an only child and spent her early years on a farm in rural Yamhill, Oregon.

When she was six, her family moved to Portland, Oregon. This move was hard for young Beverly, and she struggled in school. In first grade, her teacher put her in a group for students who were having trouble with reading. Beverly later said, "I wanted to read, but somehow could not."

With effort, Beverly's reading skills got better. However, she often found books boring, thinking many stories were too simple. She wondered why authors didn't write about ordinary people or include humor. One rainy afternoon, when she was in third grade, she discovered The Dutch Twins. This book, about the adventures of regular children, changed everything for her. After that, she loved reading and spent a lot of time at the library. By sixth grade, a teacher even suggested she should become a children's writer.

Becoming a Librarian

After finishing Grant High School in Portland in 1934, Cleary went to Chaffey Junior College in California. She dreamed of becoming a children's librarian. After two years, she went to the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a degree in English in 1938.

While in college, she worked different jobs to pay for her studies. In 1939, she graduated from the School of Librarianship at the University of Washington. She then worked as a children's librarian in Yakima, Washington, for a year. Later, she and her husband, Clarence Cleary, settled in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.

Her Writing Career

Cleary in 1971

After working as a children's librarian, Beverly Cleary noticed something important. The young readers she helped often had trouble finding books with characters they could truly understand. She realized there weren't enough stories about everyday kids.

After telling many stories to children as a librarian, Cleary decided to write her own books. She wanted to create characters that young readers could easily relate to. She believed that "Kids deserve books of literary quality."

Creating Henry and Ramona

Cleary's first book, Henry Huggins, was published in 1950. This book started a series about Henry, his dog Ribsy, and his friends Beezus and Ramona. When she wrote Henry Huggins, Cleary used ideas from her own childhood. She also got inspiration from the kids in her neighborhood and the children she met as a librarian.

Her first book focusing on the Quimby sisters, Beezus and Ramona, came out in 1955. A publisher had asked her to write about a kindergarten student. Cleary wasn't sure at first, but after her own twins were born, she changed her mind. She added Ramona as a younger sister because she realized many characters in her stories were only children, like she had been.

Cleary also wrote two books about her own life. A Girl from Yamhill (1988) tells about her childhood. My Own Two Feet (1995) covers her college years and how she became a writer. In 2011, at age 95, Cleary said she had an "exceptionally happy career."

Why Her Books Are Special

Beverly Cleary's books are known for showing the small, everyday details of childhood. They often focus on the experiences of children growing up in regular families. A children's literature expert, Leonard S. Marcus, said her books "entertain children and give them courage and insight into what to expect from their lives."

Critics also praise Cleary's use of humor. William Grimes from The New York Times noted that she used a "humorous, lively style." She turned everyday problems and small unfair situations into exciting stories. Roger Sutton from The Horn Book Magazine said Cleary was "funny in a very sophisticated way." He added that she always respected her characters, so no one was laughed at unfairly. Kids appreciate that her characters are treated fairly, just like adults.

Pat Pflieger, a professor of children's literature, explained that Cleary's books have lasted because she understands her readers. She knows kids can sometimes be confused or scared by the world. She also knows they feel deeply about things that adults might not think are important. Eliza Dresang, a professor at the University of Washington, said Cleary's writing was "decades ahead of her time" because of its honesty and how well it showed real children.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1955, Beverly Cleary had twins, Malcolm and Marianne. From the 1960s onward, she lived in Carmel Village in California. She moved into a retirement home in 2018.

Beverly Cleary celebrated her 100th birthday on April 12, 2016. She passed away on March 25, 2021, at her retirement home in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, at the age of 104.

Awards and Honors

Statue of Ramona Quimby in Grant Park, Portland

Beverly Cleary School in 2014

Beverly Cleary received many awards for her lasting contributions to children's literature. In 1975, she won the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. She was also the U.S. nominee for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1984. In April 2000, she was named a Library of Congress Living Legend. She received the National Medal of Arts in 2003.

Her books have been published in over 25 languages. Dear Mr. Henshaw won the Newbery Medal in 1984. Other books, like Ramona and Her Father (1978) and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1982), received Newbery Honors. She also won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother.

In 2012, Ramona the Pest was ranked among the top children's novels by the School Library Journal. Other books like The Mouse and the Motorcycle and Ramona and Her Father also made the top 100 list. Many famous authors, including Judy Blume, have said Beverly Cleary influenced their own writing.

Publisher HarperCollins celebrates Cleary's birthday, April 12, as National Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) Day. This day encourages everyone to take time to read silently.

Places Named After Her

In Portland, Oregon, where she grew up, there are many tributes to Beverly Cleary. The Hollywood branch of the Multnomah County Library has a map of Henry Huggins's Klickitat Street neighborhood. The Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden for Children in Portland's Grant Park features statues of Henry Huggins, his dog Ribsy, and Ramona Quimby. In 2008, the K-8 school she once attended was renamed Beverly Cleary School.

The Central Library in downtown Portland dedicated its children's room as the Beverly Cleary Children's Library in 1997. The University of Washington, where she studied, created the Beverly Cleary Endowed Chair for Children and Youth Services to honor her work as a librarian. She also has a residential hall named after her, Beverly Cleary Hall, at the University of California, Berkeley.

In 2016, for her 100th birthday, Oregon Public Broadcasting created a special program called Discovering Beverly Cleary. It included an interview with her and stories from her life.

Beverly Cleary's Books

Key: † Henry Huggins series (1950–1964), ‡ Ramona series (1955–1999)

Movies and TV Shows

• Ramona (1988): A ten-part Canadian TV series starring Sarah Polley as eight-year-old Ramona Quimby.
• Ramona and Beezus (2010): A movie starring Joey King as Ramona and Selena Gomez as Beezus.

Images for kids

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  Cleary c. 1955 and her cat, "Kitty"

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  Cleary as a senior at the University of California, Berkeley, 1938

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  Cleary in 1971

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  Statue of Ramona Quimby in Grant Park, Portland

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  Beverly Cleary School in 2014

See also

In Spanish: Beverly Cleary para niños