Beverly Cleary
Beverly Cleary
Beverly Atlee Clearyis an American writer of children's and young adult fiction. One of America's most successful living authors, 91 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide since her first book was published in 1950. Some of her best known characters are Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, Ramona and Beezus Quimby, and Ralph S. Mouse...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionChildren's Author
Date of Birth12 April 1916
CityMcminnville, OR
CountryUnited States of America
My books take place in a very specific neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. It must be the most stable neighborhood in the United States.
I wrote books to entertain. I'm not trying to teach anything! If I suspected the author was trying to show me how to be a better behaved girl, I shut the book.
Ramona was originally an accidental character I added to the Henry Huggins books because I noticed that none of the characters had siblings. I added Ramona as Beazus' pestering little sister.
My mother always kept library books in the house, and one rainy Sunday afternoon - this was before television, and we didn't even have a radio - I picked up a book to look at the pictures and discovered I was reading and enjoying what I read.
I'm very surprised at the high number of boys who have written to say that reading my books was hard work but worth it. I have many loyal boy readers.
The exterior circumstances have certainly changed for many children. The world is not the safe place it was when I was growing up.
I read my books aloud before they were published.
People are usually surprised to hear this, but I don't really read children's books.
Problem solving, and I don't mean algebra, seems to be my life's work. Maybe it's everyone's life's work.
I wanted to be a ballerina. I changed my mind.
I think the best teachers had a real interest in the subject they were teaching and a love for children.
I was a great reader of fairy tales. I tried to read the entire fairy tale section of the library.
All knowledge is valuable to a librarian.
All her life she had wanted to squeeze the toothpaste really squeeze it,not just one little squirt...The paste coiled and swirled and mounded in the washbasin. Ramona decorated the mound with toothpaste roses as if it was a toothpaste birthday cake