Beezus and Ramona Author Beverly Cleary Dies at 104

Publisher HarperCollins brings the tragic news that children’s book author Beverly Cleary, known for penning over forty books throughout her career, passed away yesterday on March 25, 2021. Cleary’s first book was 1950’s Henry Huggins but she would go on to inspire readers around the world with countless other characters including Ramona and Beezus and Ralph S. Mouse. Cleary died in Carmel, California, her home since the 1960s, at the age of 104. She was predeceased by her husband, Clarence Cleary, and is survived by their two children, Malcolm and Marianne, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

“We are saddened by the passing of Beverly Cleary, one of the most beloved children’s authors of all time,” Suzanne Murphy, President and Publisher, HarperCollins Children’s Books said in a statement. “Looking back, she’d often say, ‘I’ve had a lucky life,’ and generations of children count themselves lucky too—lucky to have the very real characters Beverly Cleary created, including Henry Huggins, Ramona and Beezus Quimby, and Ralph S. Mouse, as true friends who helped shape their growing-up years. We at HarperCollins also feel extremely lucky to have worked with Beverly Cleary and to have enjoyed her sparkling wit. Her timeless books are an affirmation of her everlasting connection to the pleasures, challenges, and triumphs that are part of every childhood.”

Born on April 12, 1916, in McMinnville, Oregon, Cleary was a voracious reader in her early years, leading to her specializing in librarianship at the University of Washington, Seattle. According to HarperCollins’ press release on Cleary’s passing, her passion for writing stories about young children that reflected their reality was rekindled after “a little boy faced me rather ferociously across the circulation desk and said: ‘Where are the books about kids like us?’”

Cleary’s work was previously awarded a Newbery Honor in 1978 for Ramona and Her Father and another in 1982 for Ramona Quimby, Age 8. She received the 1984 John Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw, which was inspired by letters she’d received from children. Her final book before retiring was 1999’s Ramona’s World, the eighth in the series.

Donations may be made in Beverly Cleary’s name to the Library Foundation of Portland, Oregon, or the Information School at the University of Washington.

Our thoughts are with Ms. Cleary’s family, friends, and fans during this difficult time.