The Ramona character was groundbreaking. Up until that point, most of the main characters were really likable.
When Cleary was a librarian, prior to writing the Henry Huggins and Ramona series, she commented that children kept asking her to read them stories of “children like me.” So she created a cast of characters that all kids could identify with.
Her books are a masterclass in writing with the type of tension and humor that keeps a young audience transfixed. What I love is that she continued writing even after being a young mom to twins. I know how hard it is to keep at the discipline when you’re tired and so needed by all the little people.
My oldest boy is just at the age where he can start reading the Ramona books and I can’t wait to dig up my old copies and talk about them with him.
An American humorist, writer and author. When boiling down the chicken soup of life, she finds those golden, fried nuggets of truth & writes them long after the kids go to bed.