April 12: Birthday of Beverly Cleary (1916)
Prayer Idea
Pray for people who struggle with reading.
History Note
Beverly Bunn was born on April 12, 1916, in McMinnville, Oregon. She grew up on a farm in Yamhill. Her town did not have a public library, so Beverly’s mother got books from the State Library and created a small library in a room above the bank.
After she started school, Beverly struggled with reading. Even as her reading ability grew, she had trouble finding books that interested her. A school librarian suggested that Beverly should write stories for children when she grew up.
Beverly attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she met Clarence Cleary. They married in 1940. During World War II, Beverly Cleary worked at a post library at the U.S. Army Hospital in Oakland. She also worked as a children’s librarian and at a book store. The couple’s twin children, Malcolm and Marianne, were born in 1955.
In 1950, Cleary published her first book, Henry Huggins. In addition to the title character, it introduced the characters of Beezus and Ramona. Cleary went on to publish dozens of books about everyday kids doing everyday things. Children loved her books and wrote letters to Cleary, which she answered herself for 30 years. The letters from readers gave her ideas for future stories.
Dear Mr. Henshaw received the 1984 John Newbery Medal. Cleary received other awards for her books, including the American Library Association's 1975 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, the Catholic Library Association's 1980 Regina Medal, and the University of Southern Mississippi's 1982 Silver Medallion. In 2000 the Library of Congress also named her a “Living Legend.” April 12 is “Drop Everything and Read Day,” inspired by Cleary’s stories about Ramona Quimby.
Beverly Cleary died in 2021 at the age of 104.
The Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden in Portland, Oregon, has three statues by Portland artist Lee Hunt. They represent Henry Higgins, his dog Ribsy, and Ramona Quinby (shown here). Beverly Cleary lived in this neighborhood and played in this park as a child. Photo by Orange Suede Sofa / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0.
Learn More
Watch this interview with Beverly Cleary celebrating her 100th birthday.
Explore more resources at Homeschool History.
