Beverly Cleary Quotes

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Beverly Cleary

Profession : Author

Birth : April 12, 1916

When I was in the first grade I was afraid of the teacher and had a miserable time in the reading circle, a difficulty that was overcome by the loving patience of my second grade teacher. Even though I could read, I refused to do so.

Beverly Cleary

I hope children will be happy with the books I've written, and go on to be readers all of their lives.

Beverly Cleary

I don't necessarily start with the beginning of the book. I just start with the part of the story that's most vivid in my imagination and work forward and backward from there.

Beverly Cleary

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.

Beverly Cleary

Children should learn that reading is pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school.

Beverly Cleary

'Dear Mr. Henshaw' came about because two different boys from different parts of the country asked me to write a book about a boy whose parents were divorced, and so I wrote 'Dear Mr. Henshaw,' and it won the Newbery, and I was - it's been very popular.

Beverly Cleary

What interests me is what children go through while growing up.

Beverly Cleary

I rarely read children's books.

Beverly Cleary

I think adults sometimes don't think about how children are feeling about the adult problems.

Beverly Cleary

Ramona was originally an accidental character I added to the Henry Huggins books because I noticed that none of the characters had siblings. I added Ramona as Beazus' pestering little sister.

Beverly Cleary

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.

Beverly Cleary

I wrote books to entertain. I'm not trying to teach anything! If I suspected the author was trying to show me how to be a better behaved girl, I shut the book.

Beverly Cleary

I had a bad time in school in the first grade. Because I had been a rather lonely child on a farm, but I was free and wild and to be shut up in a classroom - there were 40 children on those days in the classroom, and it was quite a shock.

Beverly Cleary

I was a very observant child. The boys in my books are based on boys in my neighborhood growing up.

Beverly Cleary

People are usually surprised to hear this, but I don't really read children's books.

Beverly Cleary

I was a great reader of fairy tales. I tried to read the entire fairy tale section of the library.

Beverly Cleary

Writers are good at plucking out what they need here and there.

Beverly Cleary

People are inclined to say that I am Ramona. I'm not sure that's true, but I did share some experiences with her.

Beverly Cleary

I was an only child; I didn't have a sister, or sisters.

Beverly Cleary

Quite often somebody will say, What year do your books take place? and the only answer I can give is, In childhood.

Beverly Cleary