Beverly Cleary, Age 104: A Birthday Celebration
Thursday, April 9, 2020
"Children should learn that reading is pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school." - Beverly Cleary
Beverly Cleary is a beloved children’s author who turns 104 years old on Sunday, April 12! I wanted to celebrate her long life and her accomplishments, since she has touched so many people’s lives, including my own, through her life story and her fantastic books.
Early Life
Cleary was born in Oregon on April 12, 1916. As a child she had trouble reading, but she was able to improve her reading skills by the third grade. She would then often spend her time in the library or at home reading. Pretty soon her school librarian was encouraging her to be a writer. She went to the University of California, Berkeley, my alma mater, for her undergraduate degree in English. I actually lived close to a residential hall that is named after her at UC Berkeley when I was an undergraduate student! She then attended the University of Washington for her Master’s degree in library science. As a librarian, she noticed a lack of books that children found relatable, so she started writing.
"If you don’t see the book you want on the shelves, write it." - Beverly Cleary
Cleary’s Books
Cleary’s writing perfectly encapsulates how it can feel like to be a kid. She explains some of the trials and tribulations that schoolchildren can face in a fun, quirky, yet realistic way. Some of her most popular books include Henry Huggins, Ramona Quimby, Age 8, Beezus and Ramona, and The Mouse and the Motorcycle. I remember reading the Ramona series when I was younger and relating to the relationship between Beezus, Ramona’s older sister, and Ramona. I was also an older sister with a younger sister who sometimes reminded me of Ramona. Rereading the books now, I am amazed at how clearly and eloquently Cleary portrays what Beezus and Ramona were feeling. It really transports me back to being in elementary and middle school.
She has also written two memoirs, A Girl from Yamhill (1988) and My Own Two Feet (1995), which are about her childhood living in Oregon in the Great Depression and her college years up until the publication of her first book, respectively.
Living Legend
Cleary has won several awards including the American Library Association’s Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (now called the Children's Literature Legacy Award) in 1975, the Newbery Medal (1984), and the National Medal of Arts (2003). She was also named a Library of Congress Living Legend in 2000. Additionally, her Ramona book series was adapted into a film titled Ramona and Beezus (2010).
She now lives in the picturesque community of Carmel Valley, California.
The NYSL’s Collection of Cleary’s Books
Even though Cleary’s books are written for children, they can be enjoyed by both younger and older generations. They have withstood the test of time and remain as poignant as when they were first written.
"Quite often somebody will say, What year do your books take place? and the only answer I can give is, In childhood." — Beverly Cleary.
You can find audiobooks of two of her books in our Cloud Library Collection. A variety of her physical books, including her memoirs, are housed in the Library, and they will be available to be borrowed when the building reopens.
Happy Birthday, Beverly Cleary!
Sources:
Disqus Comments