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FEATUREMonday 11 April 2016

Author Beverly Cleary turns 100 with wit, candor

In this April 19, 1998 photo, Beverly Cleary signs books at the Monterey Bay Book Festival in Monterey, Calif.

KRISTIN J. BENDER kept appearing in every started writing I found that Portland, Oregon, the city Associated Press
Associated Press book,” she said in a tele- I was thinking more about where Cleary spent much
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — As phone interview from her my typing than what I was of her youth.
she turns 100, the feisty and Carmel, California home. going to say, so I wrote it The Ramona character our books instead of bury-
witty author Beverly Cleary Cleary herself was an only long hand.” developed over time as ing those faces in digital
remembers the Oregon child. Although she hung up her Cleary thought of new sto- dumpsters,” said children’s
childhood that inspired the Her birthday on Tuesday pen, Cleary re-released ries for the young charac- author Howard Eisenberg,
likes of characters Ramona will be marked with a slice three of her most cherished ters. In all, there were eight 89.
and Beezus Quimby and of carrot cake at her retire- books with three famous books on Ramona be- At the New York Public Li-
Henry Huggins in the chil- ment home, where they’ll fans writing forewords for tween “Beezus and Ramo- brary, Anna Taylor, coordi-
dren’s books that sold mil- show the movie “Discover- the new editions. na” in 1955 and “Ramona’s nator of Children’s Educa-
lions and enthralled gen- ing Beverly Cleary: An Or- Actress Amy Poehler World,” Cleary’s last book, tional Programming, is col-
erations of youngsters. egon Art Beat.” The docu- penned the front section of in 1999. Others included lecting 100 stories from pa-
“I was a well-behaved little mentary not only marks her “Ramona Quimby, Age 8;” “Ramona the Pest” and trons and librarians about
girl, not that I wanted to 100th birthday but it also Kate DiCamillo wrote the “Ramona and Her Father.” why they love Cleary.
be,” she said. “At the age examines her Oregon roots, opening for “The Mouse In 2003, she was chosen as Taylor has her own reason,
of Ramona, in those days, and the impact of her work. and the Motorcycle;” and one of the winners of the too.
children played outside. She hasn’t seen the film yet, fellow author, Judy Blume, National Medal of Arts and “One thing that is great
We played hopscotch and but is quick to point out, “I wrote the foreword for met President George W. about her books is they are
jump rope and I loved them think I’m much better look- “Henry Huggins.” Bush. She is lauded in liter- a joy to read aloud. Every
and always had scraped ing in my photograph.” Trained as a librarian, ary circles far and wide. time I’ve read a Beverly
knees.” She’s also been known to Clearly first wrote “Henry “A career that spans two Cleary aloud, (the young-
Ramona, perhaps her best- joke that she doesn’t look a Huggins,” published in centuries. A voice that sters) just don’t want me to
known character, made day over 80. 1950. Millions came to love children adore, listen to, stop. I think it’s because Ra-
her debut in “Henry Hug- Cleary, who started writ- the adventures of Huggins and are comforted by. An mona and her friends feel
gins” with only a brief men- ing in her 30s, doesn’t write and neighbors Ellen Teb- imagination that has been like your sister, or yourself or
tion. But that changed anymore because she feels bits, Otis Spofford, Beatrice alive and well for 100 years. your friends. You can kind
soon. “it’s important for writers to “Beezus” Quimby and her Bev Cleary is clearly an icon of see yourself in the story
“All the children appeared know when to quit.” younger sister, Ramona. -- not just to kids but to writ- really easily,” Taylor said.
to be only children so I “I even got rid of my type- They inhabit a down-home, ers like me who love see- Cleary was born on April
tossed in a little sister and writer. It was a nice one wholesome setting on Klick- ing the smiles on the faces 12, 1916, in McMinnville, Or-
she didn’t go away. She but I hate to type. When I itat Street — a real street in of youngsters who read egon, and lived on a farm
in Yamhill until her family
moved to Portland when
she was school-age.q