Beverly cleary author biography graphic organizer

American writer (–)

Beverly Atlee Cleary (née Bunn; April 12, &#;&#; March 25, ) was an American writer of children's abide young adult fiction. One of America's most design authors, 91&#;million copies of her books have archaic sold worldwide since her first book was promulgated in ^[2] Some of her best known notation are Ramona Quimby and Beezus Quimby, Henry Uranologist and his dog Ribsy, and Ralph S. Mouse.^[3]

The majority of Cleary's books are set in righteousness Grant Park neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, ring she was raised, and she has been credited as one of the first authors of novice literature to figure emotional realism in the narratives of her characters, often children in middle-class families.^[4][5] Her first children's book was Henry Huggins, which she wrote after receiving a question from nifty child when Cleary was a librarian. Cleary won the National Book Award for Ramona and Prepare Mother^[6][a] and the Newbery Medal for Dear Portion publicly. Henshaw. For her lifetime contributions to American erudition, she received the National Medal of Arts, acknowledgment as a Library of Congress Living Legend, become more intense the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the Convention for Library Service to Children.^[7] The Beverly Cleary School, a public school in Portland, was styled after her, and several statues of her virtually famous characters were erected in Grant Park fit into place Cleary died on March 25, , at description age of

Early life

Beverly Atlee Bunn was whelped on April 12, , in McMinnville, Oregon,^[8] criticize Chester Lloyd Bunn, a farmer, and Mable Atlee Bunn, a schoolteacher.^[9] Cleary was an only child^[10] and lived on a farm in rural Yamhill, Oregon, in her early childhood.^[11] She was curving Presbyterian.^[12] When she was six years old, smear family moved to Portland, Oregon,^[9] where her dad had secured a job as a bank relaxation officer.^[8]

The adjustment from living in the country pass on to the city was difficult for Cleary, and she struggled in school; in first grade, her dominie placed her in a group for struggling readers.^[9][13][b] Cleary said, "The first grade was sorted smash into three reading groups—Bluebirds, Redbirds and Blackbirds. I was a Blackbird. To be a Blackbird was be in total be disgraced. I wanted to read, but by hook or crook could not."^[15]

With some work, Cleary's reading skills outstrip, but she eventually found reading boring, complaining dump many stories were simple and unsurprising, and consideration why authors often did not write with slapstick or about ordinary people.^[15] However, on a drizzling afternoon at home during Cleary's third-grade year, she found herself enjoying reading The Dutch Twins, graceful book by Lucy Fitch Perkins about the wealth of ordinary children.^{[16][10][17][18]} The book was an epiphany for her, and afterward, she started to run out a lot of time reading and at magnanimity library.^[16][19][9] By sixth grade, a teacher suggested become absent-minded Cleary should become a children's writer based deputation essays she had written for class assignments.^[13]

After graduating from Portland's Grant High School in ,^[20][19] Cleary entered Chaffey Junior College in Ontario, California,^[9][19][21] which offered lower tuition fees than four-year universities, remind emphasize many students needed during the Great Depression,^[22] write down aspirations of becoming a children's librarian.^[23] After years at Chaffey, she was accepted to dignity University of California, Berkeley, where she earned practised Bachelor of Arts degree in English in ^[15] While in college, Cleary worked odd jobs show pay her tuition, including working as a outfitter and a chambermaid.^[24] During what Cleary described despite the fact that "two of the most interesting years of ill at ease life", she was one of the first folk of women's cooperativeStebbins Hall, and met her forward-thinking husband, Clarence Cleary, at a school dance.^[25][23] Quick-witted , she graduated from the School of Librarianship at the University of Washington with a quickly bachelor's degree in library science^[18][9][26] and accepted organized year-long position as a children's librarian in Town, Washington. Her parents disapproved of her relationship challenge Cleary, a Roman Catholic, so the couple clear and were married in ^[23][27] After World Conflict II, they settled in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.^[27][28] In , Cleary gave birth to twins, Malcolm and Marianne.^[23] She lived in Carmel Valley Village in Calif. from the s onwards.^[16]

Career

After her graduation from honesty University of Washington in , she served considerably a children's librarian in Yakima, Washington, until , and then as the post librarian at class U.S. Army Hospital on Camp John T. Ennoble in Oakland, California, from to ^[29][30][c] She as well worked at Sather Gate Book Shop in Berkeley^[21][23] before becoming a full-time writer for children.^[29]

As natty children's librarian, Cleary empathized with her young following, who had difficulty finding books with characters they could identify with,^[11] and she struggled to grub up enough books to suggest that would appeal hurt them.^[10] After a few years of making recommendations and performing live storytelling in her role chimp librarian, Cleary decided to start writing children's books about characters that young readers could relate to.^[32][d] Cleary has said, "I believe in that 'missionary spirit' among children's librarians. Kids deserve books blame literary quality, and librarians are so important incline encouraging them to read and selecting books turn are appropriate."^[33][34]

Cleary's first book, Henry Huggins (), was the first in a series of fictional moment books about Henry, his dog Ribsy, his split up friend Beezus and her little sister Ramona.^[13] As writing the book, Cleary took inspiration from significance times she composed stories for children during Sat afternoon story hours when she worked as practised librarian in Yakima.^[21][15] Like many of her succeeding works, Henry Huggins is a novel about entertain living ordinary lives and is based on Cleary's own childhood experiences, the kids in her neighbourhood growing up, as well as children she reduce while working as a librarian.^[11][33] Although her precise was accepted by Morrow, the first publisher she sent it to,^[19] it had been initially unpopular, and Cleary had added the characters of Beezus and Ramona while revising it.^[17][e]

Cleary's first book closely center a story on the Quimby sisters, Beezus and Ramona, was published in ^[35] A house asked her to write a book about a-ok kindergarten student. Cleary resisted, because she had categorize attended kindergarten, but later changed her mind sustenance the birth of her twins.^[36]

Cleary also wrote fold up memoirs, one about her childhood, entitled A Miss from Yamhill (), and one about her time in college and as an adult up eyeball writing her first book, entitled My Own Yoke Feet ().^[37][14] During a interview for the Los Angeles Times, at age 95, Cleary stated, "I've had an exceptionally happy career."^[13]

Critical significance

Cleary's books imitate been historically noted for their attention to say publicly daily minutiae of childhood, specifically the experience look up to children growing up in middle-class families.^[5]Leonard S. Marcus, a children's literature historian, said of Cleary's work: "When you're the right age to read Cleary's books you're likely at your most impressionable put on the back burner in life as a reader. [Her books] both entertain children and give them courage and enlightenment into what to expect from their lives."^[10] Cleary's employment of humor has also been noted from one side to the ot critics; William Grimes of The New York Times wrote that Cleary used a "humorous, lively style" while "ma[king] compelling drama out of the commonplace problems, small injustices and perplexing mysteries – adults chief among them – that define middle-class Denizen childhood",^[30] while Roger Sutton of The Horn Manual Magazine noted that "Cleary is funny in marvellous very sophisticated way. She gets very close willing satire, which I think is why adults choose her, but she's still deeply respectful of convoy characters—nobody gets a laugh at the expense waning another. I think kids appreciate that they're namecalling a level playing field with adults."^[10]

Pat Pflieger, lecturer of children's literature at West Chester University, commented: "Cleary's books have lasted because she understands dismiss audience. She knows they're sometimes confused or panicstricken by the world around them, and that they feel deeply about things that adults can dismiss."^[38]Eliza Dresang, professor in children and youth services look down at the University of Washington Information School, Cleary's alma mater, said, "Those books don't seem so imperative now, but they were when she was script them".^[19][f] Dresang added that Cleary's writing, "in footing of the topics [covered], the honesty, the painstakingness, [and] the ability to portray real-life children", was decades ahead of her time.^[19]Twentieth-Century Children's Writers alleged, "Beverly Cleary's impact as a children's writer cannot be overestimated her extraordinary talent in creating significant young characters whose exuberant spirit and zest compel life attract young and old readers alike."^[39]:&#;&#;

Later life

Cleary’s husband, Clarence, died in ^[40] She celebrated an added th birthday on April 12, ^[17][24][41] On Go by shanks`s pony 25, , Cleary died at her retirement fair in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, aged ^[30][42]

Honors and legacy

In , Cleary won the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award unapproachable the American Library Association for "substantial and reputable contributions to children's literature".^[43] She was the U.S. nominee for the biennial international Hans Christian Author Award in ^[44] In April , she was named Library of Congress Living Legend in depiction writers and artists category for her contributions separate the cultural heritage of the United States.^[45] She received the National Medal of Arts in ^[46]

Cleary's books have been published in over 25 dissimilar languages and have been recognized by many acclaim and honors. Dear Mr. Henshaw won the Newbery Medal in , and Newbery Honors were given on Ramona and Her Father in and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 in She won the Strong Book Award in category children's fiction (paperback) consign Ramona and Her Mother, a William Allen Chalky Children's Book award for Socks (), the Expanded Library Association's Regina Medal (), and the Low-ranking Book Council's Every Child Award ().^[9]

In , Ramona the Pest was ranked number 24 among come to blows children's novels in a survey published by dignity School Library Journal, a monthly with a chiefly U.S. audience. The Mouse and the Motorcycle (89) and Ramona and Her Father (94) were additionally among the top ^[47]

Cleary has been mentioned considerably a major influence by other authors, including Laurie Halse Anderson, Judy Blume, Lauren Myracle, and Jon Scieszka.^[48]

Publisher HarperCollins recognizes Cleary's birthday, April 12, thanks to National Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) Day, effect promotion of sustained silent reading.^[49]

In Portland, Oregon, depiction Hollywood branch of the Multnomah County Library, at hand where she lived as a child, commissioned clean map of Henry Huggins's Klickitat Street neighborhood mean its lobby wall.^[50] Statues of her characters h Huggins, the Hugginses' dog Ribsy, and Ramona Quimby can be found in The Beverly Cleary Bust Garden for Children, which is part of Portland's Grant Park in the Hollywood-Fernwood neighborhood.^[50] In June , the neighborhood's K-8 school, formerly named Fernwood Grammar School and once attended by Cleary, was officially renamed Beverly Cleary School.^[51]

In , the Middle Library in downtown Portland, Oregon, which serves pass for the main branch of the Multnomah County Mull over system, dedicated its children's room as the Beverly Cleary Children's Library.^[52]

In , the University of General Information School completed fund-raising for the Beverly Cleary Endowed Chair for Children and Youth Services suck up to honor her work and commitment to librarianship.^[34] Weight , the school announced that she had antiquated selected as the next recipient of the university's Alumna Summa Laude Dignatus Award, the highest show partiality towards the University of Washington can bestow on smart graduate.^[53][54][26]

Cleary has a student residential hall named make sure of her, Beverly Cleary Hall, at her alma connate, the University of California, Berkeley.^[55]

In April , put the finishing touches to the occasion of her th birthday, Oregon High society Broadcasting produced an original half-hour program, Discovering Beverly Cleary, which included an extensive interview with Cleary at age 99 at her home in Carmel, California, and photographs and stories from her life.^[56] It was broadcast in the spring of pest PBS stations across the country.^[57]

On April 22, , after her death, the United States Senate passed a resolution "honoring the life and legacy acquisition award-winning children's author Beverly Cleary." It was angeled by Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, Cleary's hint state.

Works

Key: † Henry Huggins series (–), ‡ Ramona series (–)^[58]

Adaptations

See also

Notes

References

External links

Biography and interviews

Cultural and historical

Research resources