Children's author Beverly Cleary died Thursday in Carmel, Calif., her publisher HarperCollins said. She was 104 years old. Cleary was the creator of some of the most authentic characters in children's literature — Henry Huggins, Ralph S. Mouse and the irascible Ramona Quimby.
Generations of readers tore around the playground, learned to write in cursive, rebelled against tuna fish sandwiches and acquired all the glorious scrapes and bruises of childhood right along with Ramona.
Cleary's simple idea — to write about the kids in her own neighborhood — ensured that her books have never gone out of print.
Rest in peace, dear Beverly Cleary. I live a couple blocks from Klickitat Street. I was so pleased to share Henry Huggins with my kids when we still lived in New York. Then we moved back to Portland and it was magical.
