Beverly Cleary (1916–2021)

Author of The Mouse and the Motorcycle

169+ Works 138,837 Members 1,404 Reviews 88 Favorited

About the Author

Beverly Cleary was born on April 12, 1916. Her family lived on a small farm in McMinnville, Oregon, before moving to Portland. Ironically, this internationally known author of children's books struggled to learn how to read when she entered school. Before long however Cleary had learned to love show more books, and as a child she spent a good deal of her time in the public library. Cleary attended Chaffey Junior College in Ontario, Ca. and went on to earned her first B.A. in 1938 from the University of California at Berkeley. Her second degree, a B.A. in library science, was bestowed by the University of Washington in Seattle in 1939. She worked for a short time as Children's Librarian in Yakima, Washington, before moving to California. Cleary began her writing career in her early thirties. Her first book, Henry Huggins, was published in 1950. Her stories and especially her characters, Henry Huggins and Ramona Quimby, have proven popular with young readers. Her books have been translated into twenty languages and are available in over twenty countries. Some of her best-known titles are Ellen Tebbits (1951), Henry and the Paper Route (1957), Runaway Ralph (1970), and Dear Mr. Henshaw (1983). Several television programs have been produced from the Henry Huggins and Ramona stories. She also wrote two memoirs, A Girl from Yamhill (1988) and My Own Two Feet (1995). Cleary has won many awards for her contributions to children's literature, including the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award in 1975, the Catholic Library Association's Regina Medal in 1980, the John Newbery Medal in 1984 and the National Medal of Arts in 2003. Beverly Cleary died on March 25, 2021 in Carmel, California. She was 104 year old. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Includes the names: Bvrly Clary, BEVERLY CLARY, Beverly Clery, Beverly Ceary, Beveny Cleary, Bevery Cleary, Beverly Claery, Beverly Cleary, BEVERLY CEARLY, Bererly Cleary, Beverley Cleary, Beaverly Cleary, Beverly Clearly, Beverly Clearly, Beverely Clearly, By Beverly Cleary, Beverly ?Beverly Cleary Cleary, Beverly (Author) on Sep-01-1951 Hardcover Ellen Tebbits (Reillustrated) ELLEN TEBBITS (REILLUSTRATED) by Cleary

Also includes: beverly-1 (1)

Image credit: Beverly Cleary https://www.beverlycleary.com/

Series

Beverly Cleary's Memoirs

Leigh Botts

Works by Beverly Cleary

Popular Recent

The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1965) 11,423 copies, 118 reviews

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1981) 9,798 copies, 130 reviews

Dear Mr. Henshaw (1983) 8,530 copies, 151 reviews

Beezus and Ramona (1955) 8,461 copies, 127 reviews

Ramona the Pest (1968) 8,217 copies, 114 reviews

Ralph S. Mouse (1982) 7,839 copies, 36 reviews

Ramona and Her Father (1977) 7,251 copies, 73 reviews

Runaway Ralph (1970) 6,807 copies, 31 reviews

Ramona the Brave (1975) 6,358 copies, 51 reviews

Henry Huggins (1950) 5,842 copies, 41 reviews

Ramona and Her Mother (1979) 5,599 copies, 43 reviews

Ramona Forever (1984) 5,544 copies, 43 reviews

Socks (1973) 4,782 copies, 32 reviews

Henry and Ribsy (1954) 4,192 copies, 25 reviews

Ramona's World (1999) 3,974 copies, 41 reviews

Ribsy (1964) 3,884 copies, 19 reviews

Henry and Beezus (1952) 3,186 copies, 24 reviews

Muggie Maggie (1990) 3,169 copies, 26 reviews

Strider (1991) 2,834 copies, 14 reviews

Emily's Runaway Imagination (1961) 2,671 copies, 21 reviews

Ellen Tebbits (1951) 2,665 copies, 31 reviews

Henry and the Paper Route (1957) 2,575 copies, 20 reviews

Henry and the Clubhouse (1962) 2,494 copies, 17 reviews

Otis Spofford (1953) 1,632 copies, 14 reviews

Mitch and Amy (1967) 1,289 copies, 8 reviews

Fifteen (1956) 868 copies, 23 reviews

A Girl From Yamhill: A Memoir (1988) 852 copies, 13 reviews

Two Times the Fun (2005) 775 copies, 16 reviews

The Luckiest Girl (1958) 696 copies, 14 reviews

Sister of the Bride (1963) 556 copies, 10 reviews

Jean and Johnny (1959) 488 copies, 9 reviews

Beezus and Ramona / Ramona and Her Father / Ramona the Brave / Ramona the Pest (2003) 386 copies, 2 reviews

My Own Two Feet: A Memoir (1995) 368 copies, 10 reviews

It's Great To Be Eight (1997) 283 copies, 1 review

The Mouse and the Motorcycle / Ralph S. Mouse / Runaway Ralph (2006) 269 copies, 6 reviews

The Complete 8-Book Ramona Collection: Beezus and Ramona, Ramona and Her Father, Ramona and Her Mother, Ramona Quimby,… (2009) 208 copies, 2 reviews

Two Dog Biscuits (1986) 206 copies, 5 reviews

The Real Hole (1960) — Author — 197 copies, 16 reviews

Ramona and Her Mother / Ramona Forever / Ramona Quimby, Age 8 / Ramona's World (2000) 161 copies, 3 reviews

The Growing-Up Feet (1987) 147 copies, 1 review

Janet's Thingamajigs (1987) 132 copies, 4 reviews

The Hullabaloo ABC (1960) 107 copies, 5 reviews

Lucky Chuck (1984) 77 copies, 3 reviews

Petey's Bedtime Story (1993) 71 copies, 3 reviews

Beezus and Ramona / Ramona the Pest 68 copies

The World of Beverly Cleary Collection - 15 Book Ultimate Boxed Set! Ramona and More! (Beverly Cleary) (2010) 54 copies

Henry and Ramona (1997) 52 copies

The Henry and Ribsy 3-Book Box Set: Henry Huggins, Henry and Ribsy, Ribsy (2015) 51 copies

Beezus and Ramona / Ramona Quimby, Age 8 / Ramona the Brave / Ramona the Pest (1999) 43 copies

The Mouse and the Motorcycle [1986 TV movie] (1986) — Author — 35 copies

Leave It to Beaver (1978) 33 copies

Ramona Forever / Ramona the Pest (2007) 33 copies, 2 reviews

The Ralph S. Mouse Audio Collection (2011) 30 copies

Ramona Forever, Ramona's World, Ramona and Her Father, Beezus and Ramona, Henry and Ribsy, Henry Huggins,… 28 copies, 2 reviews

The world of BEVERLY CLEARY, 15 Amazing Stories Inside! (2017) 27 copies

Henry Huggins Boxed Set (1993) 23 copies

Runaway Ralph [1988 TV episode] (1988) — Author — 22 copies

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 / Ramona the Brave (2007) 21 copies

The World of Beverly Cleary Collection - 15 Volume Boxed Set (1657) 21 copies

Beezus and Ramona / Ramona and Her Father (2007) 18 copies

Beaver and Wally (2018) 18 copies

Fifteen / Jean and Johnny / The Luckiest Girl (2001) 18 copies

Here's Beaver! (2018) 18 copies

Ramona the Brave / Ramona and her Father / Henry and the Paper Route / Henry and the Clubhouse (1995) 16 copies

Socks [PB,1990] 16 copies

The Beverly Cleary Audio Collection (2011) — Author — 15 copies, 1 review

Here Come the Twins (1989) 14 copies

Ralph S. Mouse: A Read-a-Long DVD (2007) 13 copies

The Ramona Quimby Diary (1984) 13 copies

The Ramona Quimby Audio Collection (2011) 11 copies

Just for Me: My Ramona Quimby Journal (2013) 11 copies

The Henry Huggins Audio Collection (2011) 11 copies

The Henry Huggins Audio Collection — Author — 11 copies

Beverly Cleary's Ramona (1985) 10 copies

Beezus and Ramona / Ramona the Pest / Ramona the Brave (2002) 10 copies

The Trouble with Ramona and Beezus (2010) 10 copies

The World of Beverly Cleary (2022) 9 copies

Ribsy and the P.T.A. (1963) 8 copies

The Beezus and Ramona Diary (1986) 8 copies

Dear Mr. Henshaw (Avon Camelot Books (Pb)) by Beverly Cleary (1-Jun-2000) Perfect Paperback 7 copies

The Unstoppable Ramona and Beezus (2010) 7 copies

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (Scholastic Book Guides) (2003) 6 copies, 1 review

The Newbery Award Library: Island of the Blue Dolphins/The Witch of Blackbird Pond/The Sign of the Beaver/One-eyed… (1990) 6 copies

Henry Huggins 4-Book Collection: Henry Huggins, Ribsy, Henry and Beezus, Henry and Ribsy (2014) 6 copies

Henry Huggins / Henry and Beezus / Henry and Ribsy / Henry and the Clubhouse (1990) 6 copies

HENRY HUGGINS BOXED SET 5 BOOKS (1982) 5 copies

Henry Huggins Series, 6-Book Set 5 copies

Emily's Runaway Imagination / Mitch and Amy / Muggie Maggie / Socks (1991) 5 copies

Dear Mr. Henshaw (Scholastic Book Guides) (2003) 4 copies

Beverly Cleary Collection: Ramona The Brave, Ramona and her Father, Ramona and her Mother, Otis Spofford, Mitch and… 4 copies

The Mouse and the Motorcycle / Ralph S. Mouse / Runaway Ralph / Strider (1994) 4 copies

Beezus and Ramona / Henry and Beezus / Henry and Ribsy / Ramona and Her Mother (1980) 4 copies

Complete 8-Book Ramona Collection Beezus and Ramona, Ramona and Her Father, Ramona and Her Mother, Ramona Quimby, Age… 3 copies

Ramona and Her Mother / Ramona the Brave / Ramona the Pest / Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1991) 3 copies

Beezus and Ramona / The Mouse and the Motorcycle / Ramona and her Father / Ramona and her Mother (1990) 3 copies

Cutting Up with Ramona (1983) 3 copies

Ramona and her Mother / Ramona Forever / Ramona Quimby, Age 8 / Ramona the Brave / Ramona the Pest 3 copies, 1 review

Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary [Educational] (1987) 3 copies

Henry and the Clubhouse (Scholastic Paperback) TX737 2 copies

Ellen Tebbits / Henry and the Clubhouse / Henry Huggins / Ramona and Her Father (1979) 2 copies

Ramona 3-Book Collection: Ramona the Pest, Beezus and Ramona, Ramona the Brave 2 copies

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 / Ramona the Brave / Ramona and Her Mother / Ramona and Her Father (2000) 2 copies

Beverly Cleary: 10 Book Set 2 copies

Socks[SOCKS REILLUSTRATED/E][Hardcover] 2 copies

Set 17 ~ Beezus Ramona, Dear Mr. Henshaw, Henry Huggins, Ralph S. Mouse, Ramona Brave, Ramona Father, Quimby Age 8,… 2 copies

Stories about Ralph S. Mouse [movie] (2004) 2 copies

Time Out for Books Guide - Mouse and the Motocycle and Charlotte's Web 2 copies

Ralph S. Mouse -- Runaway Ralph -- Otis Spofford, 3 Vols. Set (Assorted Volumes) (1963) 2 copies

Ramona Quimby, America's Favorite 5 Box Set: Ramona and Her Mother; Ramona and Her Father; Ramona the Pest; Ramona… (1988) 2 copies

The Twins Again (1989) 2 copies

Henry Huggins / Henry and Ribsy / Henry and the Paper Route / Henry and the Clubhouse 2 copies

Ribsy Goes to School (1972) 2 copies

Ramona Quimby Series (1996) 2 copies

Beezus and Ramona / Henry and Beezus / Henry Huggins / Ramona and Her Father / Ramona and Her Mother / Ramona Quimby,… 2 copies

Ramona the Pest ~ Beezus and Ramona ~ Socks ~ Ribsy: 4 Book Set (Ramona Quimby) (1990) 2 copies

Henry and Beezua 1 copy

Mitch and Amy[MITCH & AMY][Paperback] 1 copy

Henry Huggins Try Our Large Economy Size 1 copy

Beezuz And Ramdna 1 copy

La escapada de Ralph 1 copy

Renate fällt etwas ein (1982) 1 copy

Ruf doch an, Papa! (1986) 1 copy

The World of Beverly Cleary 4-Book Collection: Henry Huggins, Ramona the Pest, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Socks 1 copy

3rd Grade Series Mix (5) : My Last Best Friend; Otherwise Known As Sheilia the Great; Dear Dumb Diary; American Girl… (2008) 1 copy

Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School: We The Children 1 copy

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 1 copy

Henry Huggins 1 copy

Beverly Cleary — Author — 1 copy

Runaway Ralph, Ralph S. Mouse and Dear. Mr. Henshaw,Ramona and Her Father / 3 Book Set 1 copy

RIBSY (AVON CAMELOT BOOKS (PAPERBACK)) BY (Author)Cleary, Beverly[Paperback]Aug-1992 1 copy

Ramona and her mother 1 copy

RAMONA and HER MOTHER 1 copy

Socks 1 copy

Henry and the Purple Crayon 1 copy

Muggie Maggie Teacher Guide Literature Book (2019) 1 copy

Ramona and Her Brother 1 copy

Ralph Mouse Collection: The Mouse and the Motorcycle / Runaway Ralph / Ralph S. Mouse 1 copy

Ramona Forever / Ramona Quimby, Age 8 / Ramona the Brave / Ramona the Pest 1 copy

Beezus and Ramona / Ramona and Her Father / Ramona and Her Mother 1 copy

Dear Mr. Henshaw / Strider 1 copy

Ellen Tebbits / Emily's Runaway Imagination / Mitch and Amy 1 copy

Henry Huggins Boxed Set: Henry Huggins/Henry and the Clubhouse/Ribsy 1 copy

Ramona and Her Father / Ramona Quimby, Age 8 / Ramona the Pest 1 copy

Ramona and her Father / Ramona and her Mother / Ramona Quimby, Age 8 / Ramona the Pest 1 copy

Henry Huggins / Henry and Beezus / Henry and Ribsy / Henry and the Paper Route (1992) 1 copy

Henry and Ribsy / Henry and the Clubhouse / Mitch and Amy / Ralph S. Mouse / Ribsy 1 copy

Tricks Animals Play 1 copy

Literature In Teaching - LIT Guide: Dear Mr. Henshaw 1 copy

Beverly Cleary 5 Book Set (Beezus and Ramona, Socks, Ralph S. Mouse, Runaway Ralph, and The Mouse and the Motorcycle) (2008) 1 copy

Ralph S. Mouse Audio Collection {Audiobook} 1 copy

Ralph S. Mouse ~ Guided Reading Classroom Set (1983) 1 copy

Meet Ramona Quimby! (Ramona Quimby, Age 8; Ramona and Her Mother; Ramona the Pes (1983) 1 copy

Lucky Chucky 1 copy

Garde Conjointe (1993) 1 copy

Beezus e Ramona. Esta Caçula É Uma Pestinha (2010) 1 copy

Henry Huggins Is Klickitat Street Ready for Henry and Risby 1 copy

Henry Uhggins 1 copy

Henry og avisjobben (1972) 1 copy

Ramonanin Dünyasi (2005) 1 copy

Henry Huggins Complete Collection (Henry Huggins #1-6) 1 copy

Assorted Ramona and Henry and Beezus 1 copy

Beverly Cleary Set 1 (Henry and the Paper Route, Henry and Ribsy, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Strider) 1 copy

Strider (1997) 1 copy, 1 review

Beezus and Ramona -- Henry and the Paper Route -- Emily's Runaway Imagination, 3 Vols. Set (Assorted Volumes) (1985) 1 copy

Und mittendrin Ramona (2004) 1 copy

By Beverly Cleary Ramona Forever, Ramona's World, Ramona and Her Father, Beezus and Ramona, Henry and Ribsy, Henry Hug (1905) 1 copy

Muggie Maggie Guided Reading Classroom Set (2000) 1 copy

Beverly Cleary (Set of 4) Ramona the Brave; Ramona and Her Father; Ramona Quinby, Age 8; Ramona Forever (2006) 1 copy

Beverly Cleary (Set of 7) Strider; Henry Huggins; Henry and Ribsy; ... Ramona Quimby, Age 8 1 copy

Work Explorer

Associated Works

Heidi (1880) — Foreword, some editions — 12,806 copies, 165 reviews

School's In! (2001) — Contributor — 362 copies, 2 reviews

A Newbery Christmas (1991) — Contributor — 314 copies, 1 review

The Family Read-Aloud Christmas Treasury (1989) — Contributor — 291 copies

It's Heaven To Be Seven (2000) — Contributor — 210 copies, 2 reviews

The Young Folks' Shelf of Books, Volume 05: In Your Own Backyard (1962) — Contributor — 179 copies

A Newbery Halloween (1991) — Contributor — 160 copies, 2 reviews

It's Fine To Be Nine (2000) — Contributor — 127 copies

Ramona and Beezus [2010 film] (2014) — Original book — 124 copies, 1 review

The Graphic Canon of Children's Literature: The World's Greatest Kids' Lit as Comics and Visuals (2014) — Contributor — 92 copies, 1 review

Best in Children's Books 35 (1960) 77 copies, 1 review

Best in Children's Books 26 (1959) 74 copies

Funny Business: Conversations with Writers of Comedy (2009) — Contributor — 71 copies

It's Terrific to Be Ten (2000) — Contributor — 49 copies, 2 reviews

A Newbery Zoo: A dozen animal stories by Newbery Award-winning authors (1995) — Contributor — 35 copies, 2 reviews

Treasure Island Trek; Children's Author & Illustrator Festival Saturday Oct, 18, 1969 — Contributor, some editions — 1 copy

Tagged

adventure (458) animals (705) Beverly Cleary (1,827) chapter (297) chapter book (2,320) Chapter Book Series (580) children (1,676) children's (2,921) children's books (463) children's fiction (868) children's literature (1,185) classic (565) classics (552) Cleary (570) dogs (479) family (1,360) fantasy (470) fiction (7,133) friendship (537) humor (1,147) juvenile (799) juvenile fiction (729) kids (433) Level O (550) mice (404) middle grade (376) Newbery Honor (330) novel (446) O (528) own (335) Ramona (759) read (670) realistic fiction (1,997) school (598) series (1,337) siblings (367) sisters (323) Switzerland (294) to-read (713) young adult (646)

Common Knowledge

Legal name: Cleary, Beverly Atlee Bunn
Other names: Bunn, Beverly Atlee (birth)
Birthdate: 1916-04-12
Date of death: 2021-03-25
Burial location: Pike Cemetery, Yamhill, Oregon, USA
Gender: female
Nationality: USA
Birthplace: McMinnville, Oregon, USA
Place of death: Carmel, California, USA
Cause of death: Cleary died at her retirement home in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, at the age of 104.
Places of residence: Portland, Oregon, USA
Seattle, Washington, USA
Oakland, California, USA
Yamhill, Oregon, USA
Carmel Valley, California, USA
Education: Chaffey College (AA)
University of Washington (Librarianship|1939)
University of California, Berkeley (BA|English|1938)
Occupations: librarian
children's book author
Awards and honors: National Book Award (1981)
Newbery Medal (1984)
Library of Congress Living Legends Award for writers and artists (2000)
Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal (1975)
National Medal of Arts (2003)
Robert Kirsch Award (2010) (show all 10)
Regina Medal (1980)
Hans Christian Andersen Award (1984)
Univ. of Washington, Information School, Beverly Cleary Endowed Chair for Children and Youth Services
Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus Award, University of Washington

Members

Discussions

Best of Beverly Cleary? help in Children's Fiction (June 2017)

Beverly Cleary is Almost 100! in Tattered but still lovely (April 2016)

YA written in 50's/60's, teen girl lives with family friends during school yr in CA in Name that Book (July 2015)

Ya fiction from 70s or 80s jane falls in love with popular boy Johnny in Name that Book (April 2014)

Reviews

Otis Spofford (#2) by Beverly Cleary

When it comes to stirring up a little excitement in class, Otis Spofford knows just what to do. He can turn a folk dance fiesta into a three-ring circus . . . or an arithmetic lesson into a spitball marathon.

Best of all, Otis likes teasing neat, well-behaved Ellen Tebbits--until the day his teasing goes too far. Now Otis is nervous, because Ellen isn't just mad . . . she's planning something!

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PlumfieldCH | 13 other reviews | Dec 17, 2024 |

Ramona and Her Father by Bevery Cleary

A charming little slice-of-life tale of a little girl in second grade dealing with the little dramas of family life between Halloween and Christmas. One parent loses a job and tries to quit smoking while the other becomes less available due to longer work hours.

Cute.

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villemezbrown | 72 other reviews | Dec 12, 2024 |

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary

Revised edition

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LindaLeeJacobs | 126 other reviews | Nov 30, 2024 |

Beezus And Ramona by Beverly Cleary (Author)

Independent reader level: Grade 2-7

Awards:
The series won:
Ramona and Her Mother: Won the National Book Award
Ramona and Her Father: Won a Newbery Honor medal in 1978
Ramona Quimby, Age 8: Won a Newbery Honor medal in 1982

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Rebgreen | 126 other reviews | Nov 29, 2024 |

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