When she was 6, her family moved to Portland, Oregon, where she went to grammar and high school. Mouse.īeverly Cleary was born Beverly Atlee Bunn in McMinnville, Oregon. Some of her best known and loved characters are Ramona Quimby and her sister Beatrice ('Beezus'), Henry Huggins, and Ralph S. Her characters are normal children facing challenges that many of us face growing up, and her stories are liberally laced with humour. Visit and /downloads.Beverly Cleary (ApMarch 25, 2021) was the author of over 30 books for young adults and children.

My daughter was pleasantly surprised to discover one of the same stories she heard as an audiobook was already on our bookshelves at home, when she spotted my childhood paperback copy of Ellen Tebbits from my own childhood.īeverly Cleary books are available from the library in print, as Books on CD, and as digital ebooks and eaudiobooks. We listen together on car trips and at bedtime.

We checkout and download the audiobooks on my smartphone using the Hoopla app from the library. Kivrin: I like when Amy and her friend Bonnie play pioneers. Travis: Mitch is my favorite – I like when Mitch stands up to Allen and fights him. Kivrin: We keep having all the same favorite parts! Travis: My favorite is where the cat nearly gets him – and the cat doesn’t get distracted when the watch is lost and squeezes all the way in! Travis: He blocks off the door and starts playing with Socks. Kivrin: When the baby Charles Williams locks his mother out of his room and starts messing up everything and tearing up the wallpaper and his crib and spilling his milk. Kivrin: When Ribsy gets carried up the current is my favorite part. Travis: Well, they’re really good friends and Henry likes to come over to Beezus’s house and plays checkers but Ramona always messes it up.

Kivrin: My favorite part is when Ramona is trying to get her dad out of smoking and she hangs up signs and he tears them down. Travis: I don’t have a favorite part in Ramona, I like the whole thing! I asked the kids to tell me about some of their favorite characters and scenes. The audiobooks bring the characters to life, especially for younger children who can’t yet read the books themselves. The Henry Huggins audiobooks are voiced by actor Neil Patrick Harris. Mom: The Ramona Quimby audiobooks are narrated by actress Stockard Channing. Maybe she thought of the future when she wrote these. Why is Beverly Cleary such a good writer for kids? Why should a kid want to read Beverly Cleary? As the mom of two Beverly Cleary experts, 5-year-old Travis and 7-year-old Kivrin, I can attest that Beverly Cleary’s books aren’t outdated at all. Beverly Cleary celebrated her 100th birthday this year, and although many of her books were published decades ago, they still remain popular and relevant to young readers.

Mitch and Amy by Beverly Cleary