Beverly Cleary

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Lore & Background

Beverly Atlee Bunn was born on April 12, 1916, in McMinnville, Oregon, to Chester Lloyd Bunn, a farmer, and Mable Atlee Bunn, a schoolteacher. She was an only child and lived on a farm in rural Yamhill, Oregon, in her early childhood. When she was six, her family moved to Portland, Oregon, where her father had secured a job as a bank security officer. The adjustment was difficult, and she struggled in school; in first grade, her teacher placed her in a group for struggling readers. Cleary said, 'The first grade was sorted into three reading groups—Bluebirds, Redbirds and Blackbirds. I was a Blackbird. To be a Blackbird was to be disgraced. I wanted to read, but somehow could not.' Her reading skills improved, but she found reading boring, complaining that many stories were simple and unsurprising. During a rainy afternoon in third grade, she enjoyed reading *The Dutch Twins* by Lucy Fitch Perkins, an epiphany that led her to spend a lot of time reading and at the library. By sixth grade, a teacher suggested she become a children's writer based on her essays. After graduating from Portland's Grant High School in 1934, Cleary entered Chaffey Junior College in Ontario, California, with aspirations of becoming a children's librarian. After two years, she was accepted to the University of California, Berkeley, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1938. In 1939, she graduated from the School of Librarianship at the University of Washington with a second bachelor's degree in library science and accepted a year-long position as a children's librarian in Yakima, Washington. She met her future husband, Clarence Cleary, at a school dance; her parents disapproved because he was Roman Catholic, so the couple eloped and were married in 1940. After World War II, they settled in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. In 1955, Cleary gave birth to twins, Malcolm and Marianne. She lived in Carmel Valley Village from the 1960s onwards. As a children's librarian, Cleary empathized with young patrons who had difficulty finding books with characters they could identify with. After a few years of making recommendations and performing live storytelling, she decided to write children's books about relatable characters. Her first book, *Henry Huggins* (1950), was the first in a series about Henry, his dog Ribsy, Beezus, and her little sister Ramona. Cleary took inspiration from composing stories during Saturday afternoon story hours as a librarian in Yakima. Although accepted by Morrow, the first publisher she sent it to, the book had been initially rejected, and Cleary added Beezus and Ramona while revising it.

Reader's Guide

Beverly Cleary's significance lies in her pioneering use of emotional realism in children's literature, focusing on the daily minutiae of childhood and the experiences of children growing up in middle-class families. Her books have been noted for their attention to the ordinary lives of children, often set in the Grant Park neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. Cleary's employment of humor has been noted by critics; William Grimes of *The New York Times* wrote that Cleary used a 'humorous, lively style' while making 'compelling drama out of the everyday problems, small injustices and perplexing mysteries – adults chief among them – that define middle-class American childhood'. Roger Sutton of *The Horn Book Magazine* noted that 'Cleary is funny in a very sophisticated way' and that she is 'deeply respectful of her characters—nobody gets a laugh at the expense of another.' Pat Pflieger, professor of children's literature, commented that Cleary's books have lasted because she understands her audience, knowing they are sometimes confused or frightened by the world around them. Eliza Dresang, professor at Cleary's alma mater, said that Cleary's writing, in terms of topics covered, honesty, accuracy, and ability to portray real-life children, was decades ahead of her time. For her lifetime contributions to American literature, she received the National Medal of Arts, recognition as a Library of Congress Living Legend, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal. The Beverly Cleary School, a public school in Portland, was named after her, and several statues of her most famous characters were erected in Grant Park in 1995.

Did You Know?

• Cleary was placed in the lowest reading group, the Blackbirds, in first grade and said, 'To be a Blackbird was to be disgraced.'
• Her first book, *Henry Huggins*, was initially rejected before she added the characters of Beezus and Ramona while revising it.
• Cleary and her husband Clarence eloped in 1940 because her parents disapproved of him being Roman Catholic.
• She gave birth to twins, Malcolm and Marianne, in 1955.
• Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for *Ramona and Her Mother* and the 1984 Newbery Medal for *Dear Mr. Henshaw*.