She introduced millions of children to the fun and sassy Ramona Quimby who became the star of a series of books known as The Ramona Series and it even spun off a book about Ramona's older sister Beezus "Ramona couldn't say Beatrice as a toddler so Beatrice became Beezus" and Henry Huggins who had books of his own called Henry And Beezus and debuted the mouse character Ralph S. Mouse who had a book series too. And now here's the sad news that Beverly Cleary has passed away at the age of 104. Growing up I read the Ramona series and found it really funny and Beverly Cleary really knew how to attract kids well by writing books that appealed to her audience and really set the standard for reading. I read the book Ramona Quimby Age 8 twice in school and found it really funny and full of laughs. Other books Beverly Cleary wrote were Dear Mr. Henshaw and Muggie Maggie which was about a young girl's desire not to write cursive and Emily's Runaway Imagination. She also branched out into teen books with the novels The Luckiest Girl Fifteen and Sister Of The Bride and her last book was called Ramona's World which was an all-new Ramona story. It is a shame we don't see kids books written as awesome as Beverly Cleary had and because of her death Beverly Cleary's books should make a huge comeback today. Beverly Cleary will be missed but her books of humor will live a legacy for today's kids
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I was never much of a grammar school girl reader but I loved Henry Huggins. In 3rd grade we had a small library where I would walk to take out Henry Huggins books. Henry and Ribsy his dog. One memory is learning the word "lurch". Henry was on a bus and the bus lurched. I would laugh at the stories while sitting in the small library and the librarian said Shush! It wasn't until I was in my 50's that I found out a woman wrote the books. I just assume Henry was written for boys so a male author wrote the books. Sometimes I wish I had children for could read to them and relive childhood again.

104 IS a good long life.

This has been a hard year for children's literature...first, Dr. Seuss books are being censored, now we lost Beverly Cleary!

Very sad :(

RIP, Ms. Cleary. :(

I will never forget many of your characters: Henry Huggins, Beezus and Ramona Quimby, and Ralph S. Mouse. You gave me so many hours of reading enjoyment!

My favorite book in the Ramona Series was Ramona The Pest because it was really funny and my favorite part of the book was when Ramona brings her doll to Show And Tell and they ask her what her doll's name was and she said Chevrolet and I found it so funny that Ramona named her doll after a car. My other favorite book of The Ramona Series was Ramona And Her Mother and my favorite parts of that book was when Ramona's friend Willa Jean had a big teddy bear and when they asked her what she named the bear Willa Jean said Woger because she couldn't pronounce Roger and the other chapter where Ramona attempts to make clothes for her stuffed elephant whom she called Ella Funt and she can't sew clothes. Also if memory serves correctly there was also a sitcom based on the Ramona Series called Ramona that aired in Canada but had reruns on Disney Channel
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I loved her books as a child. She was a progressive, sensible author whose books were simultaneously funny and real.

:rip: Love her books.

:rip:

I loved her books as a child. She was a progressive, sensible author whose books were simultaneously funny and real.

Me too. We had a children’s reading club at my local library and I’d devour one of books when it arrived. What a wonderful author and women. I may go out and buy her books to read them again. And she was so amazingly vital in her 90s and her 100th birthday interview was amazing. You still see the sparkle in her demeanor. She’ll be deeply missed but God Bless her, she had a long wonderful loving and prolific life.

Runaway Ralph and The Mouse And The Motorcycle were featured in ABC Weekend Specials starring Fred Savage too. I had most of the Ramona Series as a little girl and I used to get Beverly Cleary books as birthday gifts during my class birthday parties from my teachers and two of the books I had gotten were Dear Mr. Henshaw and Ramona And Her Father and my teacher was gonna get them autographed for me by Beverly Cleary but she missed the book signing and just gave the books to me. I bet you read Dear Mr. Henshaw in school growing up too?
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