Henry And Beezus

Beverly Cleary (1916-2021) was born and raised in the state of Oregon in the US. Cleary struggled to develop her reading skills as a child, but with the encouragement of her mother, she still became passionate about books and reading. As a young adult, she studied library science at the University of Washington. She went on to work as a children’s librarian in Yakima, Washington, before taking a job as the post librarian in the US Army Hospital in Oakland, California.

Cleary then transitioned into her career as a writer, working as a full-time children’s novelist for over 50 years. Her first book, Henry Huggins, was published in 1950, and her final book, Ramona’s World, was published in 1999. Henry and Beezus is the second of six books in the Henry Huggins series. The series also includes Henry and Ribsy, Henry and the Paper Route, Henry and the Clubhouse, and Ribsy. 

Henry and Beezus was warmly received by critics, who appreciated the book’s humor and the realism of its characters. Booklist noted that Beezus and Henry “are as real as children on the next block” (“Henry and Beezus.” The World of Beverly Cleary), while Kirkus Reviews compared Henry’s adventures to classic kids’ character Tom Sawyer (“Henry and Beezus”). In addition to featuring Henry Huggins, the series also introduces some of Cleary’s other beloved characters, such as the sisters Beezus and Ramona Quimby and Henry’s dog, Ribsy.

Over the course of her writing career, Cleary created some of the most memorable and widely known characters in North American children’s literature, including Ralph the mouse, Muggie Maggie, and Socks the cat. Cleary won numerous awards for her contributions to children’s literature, including the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award from the American Library Association and the Library of Congress’s recognition as a “Living Legend.” Cleary’s popular novel Ramona Quimby, Age 8 was a Newbery Honor Book, and her subsequent book Dear Mr. Henshaw won the Newbery Medal in 1984. Her book Beezus and Ramona was made into a feature film in 2010.

Nearing the end of her career, Cleary also published two memoirs. In her 1988 book A Girl From Yamhill, Cleary reflects on her family history and shares personal stories about her early upbringing on a farm in Yamhill, Oregon. She also reminisces about her experiences in Oregon during the 1920s and 1930s, giving readers a window into her time as a student and teenager. Cleary published her second memoir in 1996. Entitled My Own Two Feet, this book follows Cleary’s life as a young woman, beginning with her college years and ending with the advent of her writing career. Cleary passed away in 2021 at the age of 104.