She moved to California to attend the University of California, Berkeley, and after graduation with a B.A in English in 1938, studied at the School of Librarianship at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she earned a degree in librarianship in 1939. Thereafter, she was a frequent visitor to the library, though she rarely found the books she most wanted to read - those about children like herself. It wasn't until she was in third grade that she found enjoyment from books, when she started reading The Dutch Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins. She was slow in learning to read, due partly to her dissatisfaction with the books she was required to read and partly to an unpleasant first grade teacher. When she was 6, her family moved to Portland, Oregon, where she went to grammar and high school. Mouse.īeverly Cleary was born Beverly Atlee Bunn in McMinnville, Oregon. Some of her best known and loved characters are Ramona Quimby and her sister Beatrice ("Beezus"), Henry Huggins, and Ralph S. Her characters are normal children facing challenges that many of us face growing up, and her stories are liberally laced with humour. I was shocked how many things I still remembered, and how many behaviors I have observed in the 10-year-old in my life.Beverly Cleary (ApMarch 25, 2021) was the author of over 30 books for young adults and children. This story is true and immense, forgiving and small, and completely unforgettable. In such times, we remember that child we were, and call upon their resourcefulness. I would add that we wish it for the child inside ourselves, because life can be cruel and out of our control. Could that nine-year-old boy have imagined this 46-year-old man whose wife died last year, who is now dating a divorcee with a 10-year-old child? Would it surprise him to know that he still relates so keenly to these ordinary feelings of injustice, abandonment, and loneliness that animate these letters? I remember thinking as a child that at times, Leigh’s growing wisdom was something adults want for kids, rather than something that felt true to the character. I remember at the time it felt a little bit like cheating, because the epistolary format lends itself to fast page turning. I read about the passing of Beverly Cleary yesterday, and I was reminded of this book that was a favorite of mine when I was a child.
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