Beverly Cleary circa 1955. Courtesy of the Cleary Family archive.
For generations, beloved author Beverly Cleary has impacted the lives of young readers through her timeless stories. At UW’s Information School, her legacy lives on through the Beverly Cleary Endowed Professorship in Children and Youth Services.
Michelle H. Martin currently holds the Cleary Professorship, teaching graduate courses in children’s and young adult literature while embracing the inclusive and realistic storytelling that influenced Cleary’s work.
Cleary, originally from Oregon, earned her Master’s degree in library science at UW’s Information School. She then went on to work as a librarian in Washington and California.
Her work as a librarian inspired her to write her own books after a young boy asked her where the books about kids like him were. At that time, most children's literature was written about ideal children with little to no real-life struggles.
That simple question inspired decades of realistic and emotional storytelling, with Cleary having written over 30 award-winning children's books.
“She wanted kids to be able to see themselves in the literature they read,” Martin said.
This meant creating characters that went through struggles and who didn’t always behave perfectly.
Cleary’s characters, such as Ramona Quimby and Henry Huggins, continue to resonate with children because they reflect the everyday experiences, emotions, and challenges of growing up.
“I think one of her greatest literary creations is Ramona Quimby,” Kathleen Collins, children’s literature librarian at UW, said.
Ramona was a tomboy who challenged gender norms and showed that it was okay for kids to be bold and imperfect.
Cleary’s commitment to authentic writing went beyond her character's personalities. Her stories dealt with real-life issues like financial hardship, pet loss, bullying, and the struggles of a working-class family. This realism, paired with her signature humor and warmth, helped readers feel understood.
Her storytelling has left a long-lasting influence on children’s literature, inspiring authors such as Judy Blume and Laurie Halse Anderson to tackle difficult themes as well.
Today, Martin carries on Cleary’s legacy at UW through not only her teaching and research at the iSchool but also through her personal work at her nonprofit Read-a-Rama which uses children’s literature as a foundation for immersive learning experiences.
Martin believes that if Cleary were still with us today she would have loved that she had answers and books for that little boy who inspired her writing career.
Reach contributing writer MJ Bundy at development@dailyuw.comX: @thedailymjbundy.
Bluesky: @mjbundy.bsky.social
Like what you're reading? Support high-quality student journalism by donating here.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.