Book-A-Day Almanac

All 95th birthdays are special, but today marks this important milestone for one of America’s most beloved writers for children, Beverly Cleary. When Cleary’s characters are listed—Henry Huggins, Ramona Quimby, Ribsy, Ralph S. Mouse—they remind people of childhood favorites, even friends.

Born in McMinnville, Oregon, on April 12, 1916, Beverly Alice Bunn lived for a short time on a farm in Yamhill before moving to Portland when she was six. In Girl from Yamhill, Cleary provided one of the most honest and poignant autobiographies that we have been given of a children’s book writer, one that shows how difficult at times her path to becoming an author has been. As her editor Barbara Lalicki has noted, Cleary emerged from her trials as a person with “a sparkling laugh and a unique, upbeat way of observing the world.”

Although Cleary loved having stories read to her, she had to endure being placed in the reading groups for underachievers. One day she picked up Lucy Fitch Perkin’s The Dutch Twins and found herself enjoying reading a book for the first time. Much later, after attending library school at the University of Washington, Cleary married, had children, and worked as a children’s librarian.

The children she had contact with on a daily basis became her muses. Those in first, second, or third grades often asked her for books about children, just like themselves, who have everyday adventures. As one said to her, ”Where are the books for kids like us?” The books of the time favored foreign settings, wild adventures, or mysteries. Unable to find the type of stories she wanted, Cleary set out to write them. In 1950 she published Henry Huggins, a book about a third grader who lives on Klickitat Street in Portland and who believes that nothing much ever happens to him. But then Henry discovers a stray dog, names him Ribsy, and life gets much more interesting. Each episodic chapter stands on its own, an ideal format for those learning to read. The chapters focus on Henry’s problems—as when his pet goldfish begins to multiply.

Though these books, and those about Ramona and her sister Beezus, keep children laughing and happy, they have a great deal more depth than is at first evident. In Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children’s Book Pulitzer Prize–winner Michael Dirda wrote about the final chapter Henry Huggins, in which Ribsy needs to choose between his former owner and Henry. “In those final pages of her novel, Beverly Cleary compels the reader to think hard about conflicting loyalties and obligations, to recognize the necessity of accommodation to circumstances, and to acknowledge one of life’s great, sad truths: Nothing that involves people and their feelings is ever plain and straightforward. All of us live with shadow and uncertainty and sometimes with qualms and regrets.”

I hope today, on her 95th birthday, Beverly has no regrets! For sixty-one years she has made children want to read and enjoy reading. Happy birthday, Beverly, and thank you from your millions of devoted fans. For those who want to join in the festivities, Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) is officially celebrating Cleary’s 95th birthday. Visit their website for ideas.

Here’s a passage from Henry Huggins: