And I think children like to find themselves in books." And in my childhood, many years ago, children's books seemed to be about English children, or pioneer children. "I wanted to read about the sort of boys and girls that I knew in my neighborhood and in my school. That's what I wanted to read about when I was growing up," Cleary told NPR's Linda Wertheimer in 1999. "I think children want to read about normal, everyday kids. But what a nice introduction this book is to Henry, Ribsy, and the gang on Klickitat Street.Cleary's simple idea - to write about the kids in her own neighborhood - ensured that her books have never gone out of print. Been there all the time, but, hey, it's new to me!I'm like the author in that the Ramona books that come later are my favorites of Cleary's work. Typewriters, telephone booths where you can make a call for a nickel, and a young hero who says things like, "Gee, Dad, that's swell!" Yeah, I laughed out loud a couple good times (Henry is hilarious for trying to write that letter), and it was great to see sisters Beezus (Beatrice) and Ramona where they actually first appear in a book. Little does Henry know of all the excitement he'll be in for now in Henry Huggins by author Beverly Cleary.Wow! I've read a couple of other Henry books before, but I didn't know (or didn't remember?) that this one is actually the first book Cleary ever had published, back in good ol' 1950.It's a fun and pleasant read overall, and a little nostalgic for a reader like me. But then one day he meets a stray, thin, rambunctious dog and names him Ribsy. Read moreĪlthough Henry has fun going to the Y and swimming and things, he feels like nothing exciting ever happens to him. Her characters, including Beezus and Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Ralph, the motorcycle-riding mouse, have delighted children for generations. Henshaw won the Newbery Medal, and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. Cleary's books have earned her many prestigious awards, including the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, presented to her in recognition of her lasting contribution to children's literature. And so, the Klickitat Street gang was born! She based her funny stories on her own neighborhood experiences and the sort of children she knew.
When a young boy asked her, "Where are the books about kids like us?" she remembered her teacher's encouragement and was inspired to write the books she'd longed to read but couldn't find when she was younger. Before long, her school librarian was saying that she should write children's books when she grew up. But by third grade, after spending much time in her public library in Portland, Oregon, she found her skills had greatly improved. As a child, she struggled with reading and writing. Beverly Cleary is one of America's most beloved authors.
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