Author Review - Beverly Clearyby Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger 20 Apr 2007 08:09 PM I'm about to start a series of reviews on Beverly Cleary's books for children, but before I do that, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the woman herself. Beverly was born in Oregon and lived on a farm in Yamhill. The town was so small, there was no library, but her mother had books sent over from the state library so the citizens could have access to reading material. Later on, Beverly attended school in Portland, but found that her reading skills weren't up to the level of her classmates. She wasn't slowed down for long, however - by the third grade she had made up any existing lack. She loved books so much, the local librarian told her that she should write children's books. She liked the idea, and made up her mind that sure enough, someday, she would do just that. She attended college in California and there met her future husband, a young man named Clarence Cleary. They didn't marry right away, and she entered the School of Librarianship at the University of Washington. Her goal, which she achieved, was to become a children's librarian. Child after child would come in to her library and ask for books about kids like them. Her imagination sparked, Beverly wrote her first book, "Henry Huggins." Getting married didn't make her too busy to write. She has since published over 30 books, featuring some remarkably memorable characters, such as Ramona Quimby, Ralph S. Mouse, and Ellen Tebbits. I will never forget the first time I met up with Ralph S. Mouse - it was a truly magical day, and one I plan to recreate for my own children. Mrs. Cleary has won countless awards, including the Newbury Award (twice) and the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. In addition, a garden full of bronze statues of her book characters has been built in Portland. As I review Mrs. Cleary's books, you'll be sure to see the wit and humor that are sprinkled on every page. I look forward to sharing this journey with you in hopes that you'll, in turn, share it with your children. Information for this article found at: Learn more about Tristi Pinkston  I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006. Relevantmedia tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags author, children's books, ramona, writer Discuss this article
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