Ramona and Her Father

Beverly Cleary was a renowned children’s author of the 20th century. She was born in 1916 and died in 2021, thus living 104 years. Cleary was not a natural reader and had to work to learn to read in early elementary school. Once she had a firm grasp of the skill, it became a passion, and she grew up to become a children’s librarian. She published her first novel in 1950 (Henry Huggins). Her mother advised her to write funny books, so Cleary always included humor in her stories. Her work is also known for being accurate to real life and sensitive but honest regarding issues that children and families face. Cleary wanted to write stories that children could relate to and create characters that depicted the very real experiences that children have. She also wanted to create stories that were interesting and would inspire children to read. Many of her stories are interconnected and are set in the same city—Portland, Oregon—in which she was raised. The characters know each other, and the series at times overlap. Cleary won several awards for her work during her lifetime, including three John Newbery Medals (Dear Mr.