Beverly Cleary

Title

Year Published

Summary

Author Style

Henry Huggins

1950

Henry Huggins is in third grade and he has a regular life until he rescues a stray dog.  He decides to adopt the dog and calls him Ribsy because you can see the dog’s ribs.  This story goes through the adventures that Henry and his dog Ribsy have. 

This book is written in the perspective of Henry.  The writing reflects the thoughts of a young child, in a way that young readers can relate to. 

Otis Spofford

1953

Otis Spofford is a young boy who is a troublemaker.  He picks on his classmates, especially his friend Ellen Tebbits.  One of his most memorable pranks was starting a “bullfight” dressed up as a bull at a school fiesta.  He is mischievous and his teacher Mrs. Gitler knows how to put up with his antics.

This book is written in the perspective of Otis.  Cleary captures the personality of Otis and his mischievous ways.  Her writing style is dynamic, and the plot flows nicely.

Beezus and Ramona

1955

Beezus and Ramona is about the relationship between Ramona Quimby and her older sister Beezus.  She is a creative young girl whose imagination always seems to get her into mischief.  At one point, she invited her whole class to a party at her house without even telling her mother about it.  Beezus gets fed up with Ramona at times, but they still have a loving sibling relationship. 

Cleary’s usual writing style is seen again in this book as well.  It captures Ramona’s quirky, imaginative personality very well.  Her writing is playful and exciting.

Ribsy

1964

Ribsy is another book based on the characters from Henry Huggins written from the dog’s perspective.  He ends up getting lost in the mall parking lot and ends up in the wrong car with the wrong family.  Throughout the book, he tries to find Henry and his family and has a lot of adventures along the way.

Ribsy took a slightly different turn in terms of writing style.  This story is written from the perspective of the dog, Ribsy.  It is anthropomorphic and gives the reader a funny insight into a dog’s thoughts as he searches for his family.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

1965

The Mouse and the Motorcycle is about a mouse called Ralph who lives in a knothole in the Mountain View Inn.   A boy named Keith and his family come to the hotel and they bring a toy motorcycle.  Ralph uses the bike with the help of Keith, and begins to have adventures beyond his little knothole.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle is another story written from the viewpoint of an animal.  It also follows Cleary’s style of fun-loving writing geared towards a younger reader.  Growing up, she was surrounded by animals and her writing reflects her love for animals.

Ramona the Pest

1968

Ramona Quimby starts kindergarten in this book.  She has her first crush and wants to pull her classmate’s curls to watch them ‘boing’ back up.  She is mischievous, and Beezus reminds her to not be such a pest. 

Cleary writes from Ramona’s perpective and captures her personality well.  Her easy-going, fun writing is reflected in this book. 

Socks

1973

This is another book written from a pet’s point of view.  Socks is a cat who belongs to a young couple.  When they have a baby, Socks feels threatened and anxious about the new “pet” in the house.  Eventually the rivalry between Socks and the baby, Charles, turns into a great friendship.

Socks is another book written from an animal’s perspective.  She captures the anxiety a cat or child may have when a “threat” to the attention of their parents arrives.  Her writing reflects everyday life and everyday struggles.

Ramona Quimby, Age 8

1981

Ramona is in third grade in this book.  This story touches on the financial issues that Ramona’s family is having at the time.  She feels like a nuisance due to little issues that happen, like cracking a raw egg on her head instead of a hard-boiled one.  Even though her family has financial issues throughout the book, it ends positively reminding the reader that they are one big, happy family.

This book is written in a more serious style at points.  It deals with financial issues and how they affect a family, yet still reflects Ramona’s personality.  Her writing is realistic and touches on the serious issues that come in between families.

Ramona Forever

1984

Ramona and Beezus are getting older in this book, and their parents decide that they can take care of themselves a little more than before.  Ramona’s Aunt Bea gets engaged to Howie’s Uncle Hobart.  Ramona and Beezus are asked to be maids of honor in their wedding.

Her writing style remains care-free and humorous in this book.  Her writing reflects the real world, and real children.  It is universal and relatable to everyday life.

Ramona’s World

1999

Ramona is nine years old in this story.  She now has a baby sister named Roberta and likes to teach her little sister to be silly just like her.  She struggles in school with spelling and is growing more annoyed with Beezus and how she is constantly talking about boys.  She has a new friend Daisy, and is still rivals with Susan.  At her tenth birthday, she ends up embarrassing Susan but then feels bad for what she did.

This was Cleary’s last book, and her improvement as a writer was seen.  There was a lot of character development in Ramona’s character in this book.