21 Quotes by Beverly Cleary
Beverly Cleary, a beloved children's author, has enchanted generations of readers with her timeless and relatable stories. Known for her vivid characters and engaging narratives, Cleary's books, such as the "Ramona Quimby" series and "Henry Huggins" series, have become classics in children's literature. Her ability to capture the challenges, triumphs, and everyday experiences of children has resonated with readers, fostering a love of reading and empathy for young readers worldwide.
Cleary's works have been celebrated for their authenticity and ability to tackle complex themes, such as friendship, family dynamics, and growing up, in a way that is accessible and relatable to young readers. Her contributions to children's literature have earned her numerous awards, including the Newbery Medal and the National Medal of Arts. Beverly Cleary's enduring legacy as a master storyteller and her dedication to creating literature that speaks to the hearts and minds of children have cemented her as one of the most influential and beloved authors in the world of children's literature.
Beverly Cleary Quotes
If you don't see the book you want on the shelves, write it. (Meaning)
Quite often somebody will say, What year do your books take place? and the only answer I can give is, In childhood.
Children should learn that reading is pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school.
She was not a slowpoke grownup. She was a girl who could not wait. Life was so interesting she had to find out what happened next.
Nothing in the whole world felt as good as being able to make something from a sudden idea.
Neither the mouse nor the boy was the least bit surprised that each could understand the other. Two creatures who shared a love for motorcycles naturally spoke the same language.
If we finished our work, the teacher would say, 'Now don't read ahead.' But sometimes I hid the book I was reading behind my geography book and did read ahead. You can hide a lot behind a geography book.
The key to writing successful YA is to keep the adults out of the story as much as possible.
Didn't the people who made those license plates care about little girls named Ramona?
My favorite books are a constantly changing list, but one favorite has remained constant: the dictionary. Is the word I want to use spelled practice or practise? The dictionary knows. The dictionary also slows down my writing because it is such interesting reading that I am distracted.
Children want to do what grownups do.
We didn't have television in those days, and many people didn't even have radios. My mother would read aloud to my father and me in the evening.
Don't stop now. Go ahead! Be readers all of your lives. And don't forget, librarians and teachers can help you find the right books to read.
What interests me is what children go through while growing up.
I discovered two kinds of people who go to high school: those who wear new clothes to show off on the first day, and those who wear their oldest clothes to show they think school is unimportant.
Otis was inspired by a boy who sat across the aisle from me in sixth grade. He was a lively person. My best friend appears in assorted books in various disguises.
Writers are good at plucking out what they need here and there.
My mother would read aloud to my father and me in the evening. She read mainly travel books.
All her life she had wanted to squeeze the toothpaste really squeeze it,not just one little squirt. [...] The paste coiled and swirled and mounded in the washbasin. Ramona decorated the mound with toothpaste roses as if it was a toothpaste birthday cake
He was dressed as if everything he wore had come from different stores or from a rummage sale, except that the crease in his trousers was sharp and his shoes were shined.
Ramona stepped back into her closet, slid the door shut, pressed an imaginary button, and when her imaginary elevator had made its imaginary descent, stepped out onto the real first floor and raced a real problem. Her mother and father were leaving for Parents' Night.
The humiliation that Jane had felt turned to something else--grief perhaps, or regret. Regret that she had not known how to act with a boy, regret that she had not been wiser.
― Beverly Cleary Quotes
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
