Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #812 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-01
• Released on: 2006-08-15
• Format: Box set
• Number of items: 4
• Binding: Paperback

Features

• ISBN13: 9780061246470
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author

Beverly Cleary was born in McMinnville, Oregon, and, until she was old enough to attend school, lived on a farm in Yamhill, a town so small it had no library. Her mother arranged with the State Library to have books sent to Yamhill and acted as librarian in a lodge room upstairs over a bank. There young Beverly learned to love books. However, when the family moved to Portland, Beverly soon found herself in the grammar school’s low reading circle, an experience that has given her sympathy for the problems of struggling readers.

By the third grade she had conquered reading and spent much of her childhood either with books or on her way to and from the public library. Before long her school librarian was suggesting that she should write for boys and girls when she grew up. The idea appealed to her, and she decided that someday she would write the books she longed to read but was unable to find on the library shelves, funny stories about her neighborhood and the sort of children she knew. And so Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, Ellen Tebbits, and her other beloved characters were born.

When children ask Mrs. Cleary where she finds her ideas, she replies, "From my own experience and from the world around me." She included a passage about the D.E.A.R. program in Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (second chapter) because she was inspired by letters she received from children who participated in "Drop Everything and Read" activities. Their interest and enthusiasm encouraged her to provide the same experience to Ramona, who enjoys D.E.A.R. time with the rest of her class.

Mrs. Cleary's books have earned her many prestigious awards, including the 2003 National Medal of Art from the National Endowment of the Arts and the 1984 John Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. Her Ramona and Her Father and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 were named 1978 and 1982 Newbery Honor Books, respectively.

Among Mrs. Cleary's other awards are the American Library Association's 1975 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, the Catholic Library Association's 1980 Regina Medal, and the University of Southern Mississippi's 1982 Silver Medallion, all presented in recognition of her lasting contribution to children's literature. In addition, Mrs. Cleary was the 1984 United States author nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award, a prestigious international award.

Equally important are the more than 35 statewide awards Mrs. Cleary's books have received based on the direct votes of her young readers. In 2000, to honor her invaluable contributions to children’s literature, Beverly Cleary was named a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress. This witty and warm author is truly an international favorite. Mrs. Cleary's books appear in over twenty countries in fourteen languages and her characters, including Henry Huggins, Ellen Tebbits, Otis Spofford, and Beezus and Ramona Quimby, as well as Ribsy, Socks, and Ralph S. Mouse, have delighted children for generations. And her popularity has not diminished. HarperCollins Children’s Books recently announced that the film option for Cleary’s classic book character, Ramona Quimby, had been sold to Fox 2000 and Denise DiNovi Productions. In addition, Portland, Oregon has proudly created The Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden for Children featuring bronze statues of Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Ribsy, in the park where Beverly used to play.

Customer Reviews

A basic for every child's bookshelf
I remeber reading the Ramona books as a child and recently purchased the collection for my 8 yr. old and 5 yr. old daughters. They beg every night to hear another chapter read to them. The stories and situations are timeless and they can easily identify with Ramona and Beezus. The stories are told from a child's point of view, which can be sometimes enlightening for us grownups who have forgotten what it's like to be 4 or 5 years old. My girls delight in hearing about Ramona's occaisional "wickedness" and very stubborn nature.
I find myself giggling when I recognize things from the era that it was written (my childhood!) like putting plastic bread bags over your shoes and then stuffing them into rubber boots! I highly recommend this collection of books. The word wholesome comes to mind.

Still great stories!
I loved these books as a kid and now my daughter's love the stories too. The illustrations inside are enough to help give the kids a little idea and then they picture the rest inside their heads as we read along! I really do prefer these Ramona stories compared to the Junie B Jones stories. Ramona seems to be alot more wholesome where I do find that Junie B Jones can be quite the rude little girl often. Very nice to be able to share with my girls and they are always trying to tell the stories to their friend that see the books too. Very cute!

Great read!
My daughter is 7 and devoured the Ramona books. She was able to relate to the character and found these books easy to read. They were her first page turners!