“I had a bad day. I got a zero on my spelling test, I forgot my lunch, and I tore my dress. I don’t want to talk about it.” — Ramona the Pest, Beverly Cleary

Some stories don’t just entertain us—they help shape who we become.

Growing up, I found a kindred spirit in Ramona Quimby. She was weird, imaginative, misunderstood… and completely herself. Just like me. Ramona made it okay to feel different. She made it okay to ask questions, cause a little chaos, and be unapologetically curious about the world.

Beverly Cleary, the beloved American author who gave us Ramona and so many others, was born on April 12, 1916, in McMinnville, Oregon, and raised in Portland. A shy child, Cleary actually struggled with reading early on—something that seems almost ironic for someone who would become one of the most beloved children’s authors of all time. It wasn’t until a school librarian handed her a book she actually wanted to read that everything changed. That experience became the driving force behind her mission to write stories that children could truly see themselves in.

Her greatest inspiration came from real life—her own childhood and the children she met as a librarian. She once explained, “I remember a little boy who said, ‘Where are the books about kids like us?’ That’s when I knew what I wanted to write.”

Cleary brought to life unforgettable characters like Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, the thoughtful Beezus Quimby, and of course Ralph S. Mouse, a motorcycle-riding mouse with big dreams. Each one of them felt like a real kid or creature you might meet in your own neighborhood—or your own imagination.

“It is surprising how many children come to school with gum in their hair.” — Henry and the Clubhouse, Beverly Cleary

Her writing was filled with humor, honesty, and a deep understanding of what it felt like to be a child navigating a world built for grown-ups. Her stories didn’t talk down to kids—they invited them in and made them feel seen.

What I didn’t realize until recently is that Cleary also ventured into the world of television adaptations. In the early 1960s, she wrote three novels based on the popular TV series Leave It to Beaver: Leave It to Beaver (1960), Beaver and Wally (1961), and Here’s Beaver! (1961). This collaboration came about when Cleary was approached to adapt the show’s wholesome, family-centric narratives into books for young readers. Although she found the work less engaging than her original stories, her adaptations have been noted for capturing the essence of the beloved series.

Over the decades, Cleary’s books inspired generations of readers and writers alike. Authors like Judy Blume, Kate DiCamillo, and Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) have all spoken of the influence she had on their work.

Beverly Cleary passed away in 2021 at the age of 104, but her stories live on—on dusty shelves, in dog-eared library copies, and most importantly, in the hearts of readers who, like me, found a home in her pages.

So I ask you: Were you the Ramona in your world too?