Iām so heartbroken. Precisely a week ago (March 25, 2021), Beverly Cleary passed away. As one of the most famous childrenās authors, she had a profound impact on my love of reading since I was young. Next to Judy Blume, Cleary was, and will remain, one of the highlights of my childhood. For those who may not be familiar, some of her more popular books included Henry Huggins and the Ramona and Beezus stories. I still have memories of browsing my local library and picking up one of the Henry Huggins books. The stories were always so relatable and fun. I could only dream to write something like that for children one day.
Born on April 12, 1916, Beverly Cleary passed away at the age of 104. Producing over forty books in her lifetime, Clearly became a household name since she published her first book in 1950 called Henry Huggins. Not only did she have an impact on my love for reading, as Iām sure she did for many other kids (and will continue to do so), she also remained someone that I could look up to in the sense that her career was nothing short of spectacular. From numerous awards from her contributions to childrenās literature to having her birthday recognized as the National Drop Everything And Read (DEAR) Day, this woman was a rock star. Anyone who tries to fight me on that will get an earful!
While we lost an American treasure, she sure left her mark on this world. With plenty of stories to keep kids engaged and entertained for years to come, her legacy will live on. I know that if and when I have kids of my own one day, Beverly Clearyās books will be on the reading list. You can count on that.
Were any of you Beverly Cleary fans? If so, what were some of your favorite books? Let me know in the comments below!
***I do not own this photo.
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