Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother and the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Her first children's book was Henry Huggins after a question from a kid when Cleary was a librarian.

The majority of Cleary's books are set in the Grant Park neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, where she was raised, and she has been credited as one of the first authors of children's literature to figure emotional realism in the narratives of her characters, often children in middle-class families. Some of her best known characters are Ramona Quimby and Beezus Quimby, Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, and Ralph S. One of America's most successful authors, 91 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide since her first book was published in 1950. Jaqueline Rogers has been a professional children's book illustrator for more than twenty years and has worked on nearly one hundred children's books.Beverly Atlee Cleary (née Bunn April 12, 1916 – March 25, 2021) was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction.

Her characters, including Beezus and Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Ralph, the motorcycle-riding mouse, have delighted children for generations.

Henshaw won the Newbery Medal, and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. Cleary's books have earned her many prestigious awards, including the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, presented to her in recognition of her lasting contribution to children's literature. And so, the Klickitat Street gang was born! She based her funny stories on her own neighborhood experiences and the sort of children she knew. When a young boy asked her, 'Where are the books about kids like us?' she remembered her teacher's encouragement and was inspired to write the books she'd longed to read but couldn't find when she was younger.

Before long, her school librarian was saying that she should write children's books when she grew up. But by third grade, after spending much time in her public library in Portland, Oregon, she found her skills had greatly improved. As a child, she struggled with reading and writing. Beverly Cleary is one of America's most beloved authors.

Beezus and ramona by beverly cleary