I know every state has their claims to fame–people or events that bring about pride of place and cause for celebration. When you don’t live in California or New York those local celebrities or occurrences are just a little less known to the rest of America. While every resident thinks their person/place/thing is the best, I have to say being a children’s librarian in Beverly Cleary’s city really is something to cheer about. Considered a local heroine, Beverly Cleary (April 12, 1916 – March 25, 2021) was born in McMinnville and lived in rural Yamhill before moving to Portland. Most of her books are set in Northeast Portland where she was raised, and the truly special thing about her and her work was that she was a champion of children as they really exist.
Tag: Beverly Cleary
Celebrating 100 Years of Beverly Cleary
There are a lot of ways youth-serving library staff are different from each other, but there are usually at least three things we have in common: We love good books. We love good authors. We love good parties. This April we’ve all got a chance to combine all those things together! April 12 is the 100th birthday of beloved author Beverly Cleary, and we’ve got ideas for celebrating! While these days she lives in California, Mrs. Cleary’s stories of the kids, families, and pets populating Klickitat Street in Portland, Oregon, live on in the imagination of readers everywhere. She was one of the first authors to write about everyday kids doing the things many kids can relate to, like dealing with bullies or pining after a new pet. She was also the first person to write about a mouse riding a motorcycle (as far as I can tell she’s the…