People are astonished at the things I remember. 'I seem to have grown up with an unusual memory. She produced two volumes of autobiography for young readers, 'A Girl from Yamhill,' on her childhood, and 'My Own Two Feet,' which tells the story of her college and young adult years up to the time of her first book. From left: musician Buddy Guy dancer Suzanne Farrell Bush author Beverly Cleary and director Ron Howard. Bush with recipients of the National Medal of Arts in 2003. She is lauded in literary circles far and wide. In 2003, she was chosen as one of the winners of the National Medal of Arts and met President George W. She was named a Living Legend in 2000 by the Library of Congress.

Mouse.' 'Socks,' about a cat's struggle for acceptance when his owners have a baby, is told from the point of view of the pet himself.

'Ramona and Her Father' in 1978 and 'Ramona Quimby, Age 8' in 1982 were named Newbery Honor Books.Ĭleary ventured into fantasy with 'The Mouse and the Motorcycle,' and the sequels 'Runaway Ralph' and 'Ralph S. It 'came about because two different boys from different parts of the country asked me to write a book about a boy whose parents were divorced,' she told National Public Radio as she neared her 90th birthday. Henshaw,' the touching story of a lonely boy who corresponds with a children's book author, won the 1984 John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. So when I sat down to write, I found myself writing about the sort of children I had grown up with,' Cleary said in a 1993 Associated Press interview. 'As a librarian, children were always asking for books about 'kids like us.′ Well, there weren't any books about kids like them.

When I started writing I found that I was thinking more about my typing than what I was going to say, so I wrote it long hand,' she said in March 2016.Īlthough she put away her pen, Cleary re-released three of her most cherished books with three famous fans writing forewords for the new editions.Īctress Amy Poehler penned the front section of 'Ramona Quimby, Age 8 ' author Kate DiCamillo wrote the opening for 'The Mouse and the Motorcycle ' and author Judy Blume wrote the foreword for 'Henry Huggins.'Ĭleary, a self-described 'fuddy-duddy,' said there was a simple reason she began writing children's books.

Cleary wasn't writing recently because she said she felt 'it's important for writers to know when to quit.'

Ellen tebbits by beverly cleary