Beverly Cleary has died at 104
March 26, 2021 7:37 PM Subscribe
Children's Author Beverly Cleary, Creator Of Ramona Quimby, Dies At 104
The Ageless Appeal of Beverly Cleary (NYT, 2011)
A quick story about the time Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume had their boxes of fanmail switched (NYT)
Beverly Cleary Wrote About Real Life, and Her Readers Loved Her for It (NYT)
Atlas Obscura article on the Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden in Portland
An obituary from the University of Washington Information School, where Cleary graduated in 1939 when it was the School of Librarianship
She wrote the Ramona books, The Mouse and the Motorcycle books, the Henry Huggins books, Dear Mr. Henshaw (written after two little boys asked her to write a book about a kid whose parents were divorced), and many more. Her two personal memoirs, A Girl From Yamhill and My Own Two Feet, are absolutely worth your time.
The Ageless Appeal of Beverly Cleary (NYT, 2011)
A quick story about the time Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume had their boxes of fanmail switched (NYT)
Beverly Cleary Wrote About Real Life, and Her Readers Loved Her for It (NYT)
Atlas Obscura article on the Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden in Portland
An obituary from the University of Washington Information School, where Cleary graduated in 1939 when it was the School of Librarianship
She wrote the Ramona books, The Mouse and the Motorcycle books, the Henry Huggins books, Dear Mr. Henshaw (written after two little boys asked her to write a book about a kid whose parents were divorced), and many more. Her two personal memoirs, A Girl From Yamhill and My Own Two Feet, are absolutely worth your time.
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posted by They sucked his brains out! at 7:46 PM on March 26, 2021
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 7:46 PM on March 26, 2021
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posted by daisystomper at 7:47 PM on March 26, 2021
posted by daisystomper at 7:47 PM on March 26, 2021
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I absolutely loved Ramona, but the first chapter book I took out of the library was Socks.
posted by dinty_moore at 7:48 PM on March 26, 2021 [7 favorites]
I absolutely loved Ramona, but the first chapter book I took out of the library was Socks.
posted by dinty_moore at 7:48 PM on March 26, 2021 [7 favorites]
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I loved her books so much.
Now that I think of it, I owed them a lot. At the time I read them, I was an only child and pretty isolated, and the Ramona and Beezus stories told me what it was like to live a more populated life. They were also some of the first books to show me that moms and dads struggled, too, and that that was okay.
posted by Countess Elena at 7:48 PM on March 26, 2021 [11 favorites]
I loved her books so much.
Now that I think of it, I owed them a lot. At the time I read them, I was an only child and pretty isolated, and the Ramona and Beezus stories told me what it was like to live a more populated life. They were also some of the first books to show me that moms and dads struggled, too, and that that was okay.
posted by Countess Elena at 7:48 PM on March 26, 2021 [11 favorites]
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posted by Big Al 8000 at 7:49 PM on March 26, 2021
posted by Big Al 8000 at 7:49 PM on March 26, 2021
đ” Ramona...
Ramo-ona...
Oh Ramona
My my my đ”
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posted by sixswitch at 7:51 PM on March 26, 2021
Ramo-ona...
Oh Ramona
My my my đ”
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posted by sixswitch at 7:51 PM on March 26, 2021
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posted by Halloween Jack at 7:54 PM on March 26, 2021
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:54 PM on March 26, 2021
Also apropos from the blue, and fairly recently: a little girl's too muchness
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:56 PM on March 26, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:56 PM on March 26, 2021 [5 favorites]
It's been many decades, but I still have a specific memory of reading The Mouse and the Motorcycle for the first time. It was one of those books that convinced me that reading was somehow magical.
Sarah Polley (who played Ramona in a TV adaptation), on Twitter a little earlier today: "Oh. This makes my heart hurt. She made so many little disobedient girls feel like we had a treasured place in the world."
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:59 PM on March 26, 2021 [23 favorites]
Sarah Polley (who played Ramona in a TV adaptation), on Twitter a little earlier today: "Oh. This makes my heart hurt. She made so many little disobedient girls feel like we had a treasured place in the world."
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:59 PM on March 26, 2021 [23 favorites]
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âI canât believe I ate the whole thing!â
posted by macrael at 8:03 PM on March 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
âI canât believe I ate the whole thing!â
posted by macrael at 8:03 PM on March 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
I loved Beverly Clearyâs books when I was a kid. I read all the books about Ramona and her friends, and some of the later ones too, like The Mouse and the Motorcycle.
One thing I particularly appreciated as a kid was that Ramonaâs family, like mine, didnât have much money and worried about finances. It made me feel better to read about a little girl whose dad, like mine, had gotten laid off, and whose parents told her and her sister that they couldnât have something because they couldnât afford it. Sometimes the Quimby argued and got mad at each other, but they all clearly loved each other.
The other random things I remember:
-Ramona wanting so badly to âboingâ her classmateâs hair
-her doll named Chevrolet, because she thought it was the most beautiful name sheâd heard
Ashley Jones: Beverly Cleary's Books Have Shaped Childrenâs Lives For Generations
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posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:07 PM on March 26, 2021 [19 favorites]
One thing I particularly appreciated as a kid was that Ramonaâs family, like mine, didnât have much money and worried about finances. It made me feel better to read about a little girl whose dad, like mine, had gotten laid off, and whose parents told her and her sister that they couldnât have something because they couldnât afford it. Sometimes the Quimby argued and got mad at each other, but they all clearly loved each other.
The other random things I remember:
-Ramona wanting so badly to âboingâ her classmateâs hair
-her doll named Chevrolet, because she thought it was the most beautiful name sheâd heard
Ashley Jones: Beverly Cleary's Books Have Shaped Childrenâs Lives For Generations
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posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:07 PM on March 26, 2021 [19 favorites]
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posted by someothercraig at 8:14 PM on March 26, 2021
posted by someothercraig at 8:14 PM on March 26, 2021
Guts.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 8:17 PM on March 26, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by Sing Or Swim at 8:17 PM on March 26, 2021 [6 favorites]
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posted by The Great Big Mulp at 8:18 PM on March 26, 2021
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 8:18 PM on March 26, 2021
Henry Higgins and Ribsy were among the first books I ever, and over the past couple years I've read through all the Ramona books with a new reader. She's so awful from her sister's point of view, in Beezus and Ramona. Actually, I wanted to read more about Beezus, but Beverly Cleary sure gets inside the little sister's head. The funniest may be Ramona the Pest. Ramona and her Father is pretty dark - he gets laid off, and his little girls harass him into quitting smoking. Thanks so much Ms. Cleary.
posted by Rash at 8:19 PM on March 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Rash at 8:19 PM on March 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
I highly recommend her memoirs, A Girl from Yamhill and My Own Two Feet.
posted by gryphonlover at 8:22 PM on March 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by gryphonlover at 8:22 PM on March 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
Ramona was everything to me when I was young. She was imaginative, and so very brave. It was a joy to pretend to be her for a while, instead of lonely, shy little me.
Thank you, Beverly Cleary, for letting me into your world for a little while through your books. They nurtured my inqustitve side, and ensured I'd dream about making Qs into cats and having whipped cream on cakes for years to come.
posted by PearlRose at 8:35 PM on March 26, 2021 [11 favorites]
Thank you, Beverly Cleary, for letting me into your world for a little while through your books. They nurtured my inqustitve side, and ensured I'd dream about making Qs into cats and having whipped cream on cakes for years to come.
posted by PearlRose at 8:35 PM on March 26, 2021 [11 favorites]
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posted by equalpants at 8:35 PM on March 26, 2021
posted by equalpants at 8:35 PM on March 26, 2021
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No lie, I don't think I would have become a writer without Henry Huggins and Leigh Botts.
Thank you, Beverly Cleary.
posted by RakDaddy at 8:38 PM on March 26, 2021 [8 favorites]
No lie, I don't think I would have become a writer without Henry Huggins and Leigh Botts.
Thank you, Beverly Cleary.
posted by RakDaddy at 8:38 PM on March 26, 2021 [8 favorites]
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I think I started with Henry and Ribsy but I know I read every single book of hers our library had, by the end.
posted by gauche at 8:43 PM on March 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
I think I started with Henry and Ribsy but I know I read every single book of hers our library had, by the end.
posted by gauche at 8:43 PM on March 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
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When we had to do a book report on a biography/autobiography in elementary school I read A Girl From Yamhill because I loved the Ramona books so much. The book did not disappoint, I still vividly remember her description of the books she had access to as kid and thinking about the big beautiful library I visited every week.
I just checked it out again.
posted by lepus at 8:50 PM on March 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
When we had to do a book report on a biography/autobiography in elementary school I read A Girl From Yamhill because I loved the Ramona books so much. The book did not disappoint, I still vividly remember her description of the books she had access to as kid and thinking about the big beautiful library I visited every week.
I just checked it out again.
posted by lepus at 8:50 PM on March 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
Later friend.
posted by StarkRoads at 8:59 PM on March 26, 2021
posted by StarkRoads at 8:59 PM on March 26, 2021
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posted by JoeXIII007 at 9:13 PM on March 26, 2021
posted by JoeXIII007 at 9:13 PM on March 26, 2021
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posted by The AhForgetIt Tendency at 9:30 PM on March 26, 2021
posted by The AhForgetIt Tendency at 9:30 PM on March 26, 2021
I never read Ramona as a kid (In India, it was all Enid Blyton), but my wife read them. So when my daughter finally started reading books in English, she read the whole Ramona series, and I got to know these books as well. The whole family is saddened by the news.
posted by dhruva at 10:10 PM on March 26, 2021 [10 favorites]
posted by dhruva at 10:10 PM on March 26, 2021 [10 favorites]
So wild, I just started reading my kids Beezus and Ramona earlier this week. We just finished chapter two and talked over dinner today about Beverly Cleary's long and interesting life. The kids are enjoying the book a lot so far. It holds up!
posted by potrzebie at 10:24 PM on March 26, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by potrzebie at 10:24 PM on March 26, 2021 [2 favorites]
I remember very clearly receiving the book Ramona Quimby: Age 8 one year for Christmas. I was SO excited because I, too, was 8! It was such a thrill.
posted by aclevername at 11:05 PM on March 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by aclevername at 11:05 PM on March 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
Reading Otis Spofford and Ellen Tebbitts (I don't remember which first) was a lot of what opened my mind to everyone is real, everyone is the center of a universe.
posted by away for regrooving at 11:12 PM on March 26, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by away for regrooving at 11:12 PM on March 26, 2021 [5 favorites]
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One of the kids Jane babysits in Fifteen is reading The Pinto Stallion Revolts Again , which I took to be a snark at Walter Farley's Black/Island Stallion books
posted by brujita at 11:29 PM on March 26, 2021 [5 favorites]
One of the kids Jane babysits in Fifteen is reading The Pinto Stallion Revolts Again , which I took to be a snark at Walter Farley's Black/Island Stallion books
posted by brujita at 11:29 PM on March 26, 2021 [5 favorites]
My mom grew up in that neighborhood in Portland in the 50s, so the books for me were like reading about her childhood. When I got the books for my own daughter when she started reading I was surprised to learn that there were new books in the series, added to the canon long after my own Cleary period. She's affected generations.
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posted by St. Oops at 11:29 PM on March 26, 2021 [5 favorites]
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posted by St. Oops at 11:29 PM on March 26, 2021 [5 favorites]
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One of my earliest book memories was listening to my first grade teacher read out loud from a Ramona book. I knew at that point that Ramona was my girl, you know?
On our first trip to Portland, we ended up on Klickitat Street and I got really excited about it and tried to explain to my husband that Ramona and her family lived there, but since he didn't grow up with the books he was just like ok???
posted by later, paladudes at 12:18 AM on March 27, 2021 [4 favorites]
One of my earliest book memories was listening to my first grade teacher read out loud from a Ramona book. I knew at that point that Ramona was my girl, you know?
On our first trip to Portland, we ended up on Klickitat Street and I got really excited about it and tried to explain to my husband that Ramona and her family lived there, but since he didn't grow up with the books he was just like ok???
posted by later, paladudes at 12:18 AM on March 27, 2021 [4 favorites]
I'm a children's book author. Last year, I was trying to figure out how to improve my craft, and I decided to re-read everything Beverly Cleary wrote, in the order she wrote it. I think the Ramona books are not just the greatest children's books of the 20th century -- they're some of the greatest novels ever written in English for any age. I figured that, if I could see how her craft improved over time, building up to the Ramona books, I might learn some lessons I could apply to my own writing.
I'm about halfway through my re-read and it has been an amazing experience. If you haven't re-read Beverly Cleary as a grownup, she is even better than you remember. She has a George Eliot level of psychological insight and compassion for her characters, and she writes in a simple, direct prose style that makes it look effortless.
And while we heap deserved praise on her books for kids, we shouldn't don't overlook her books for teenagers. The Luckiest Girl is as much a masterpiece as Ramona and Her Mother.
posted by yankeefog at 3:13 AM on March 27, 2021 [22 favorites]
I'm about halfway through my re-read and it has been an amazing experience. If you haven't re-read Beverly Cleary as a grownup, she is even better than you remember. She has a George Eliot level of psychological insight and compassion for her characters, and she writes in a simple, direct prose style that makes it look effortless.
And while we heap deserved praise on her books for kids, we shouldn't don't overlook her books for teenagers. The Luckiest Girl is as much a masterpiece as Ramona and Her Mother.
posted by yankeefog at 3:13 AM on March 27, 2021 [22 favorites]
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Growing up in Portland, Klickitat St. was a short bike ride away. Thank you for making my hometown feel a little bit magical, Beverly.
posted by FallibleHuman at 3:32 AM on March 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Growing up in Portland, Klickitat St. was a short bike ride away. Thank you for making my hometown feel a little bit magical, Beverly.
posted by FallibleHuman at 3:32 AM on March 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Like Bill Waterson, Beverly Cleary totally remembered what it was like to be a kid.
posted by JanetLand at 3:50 AM on March 27, 2021 [16 favorites]
posted by JanetLand at 3:50 AM on March 27, 2021 [16 favorites]
I think she might have been the first author I was aware of, as a child.
posted by gauche at 4:12 AM on March 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by gauche at 4:12 AM on March 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
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posted by How the runs scored at 4:14 AM on March 27, 2021
posted by How the runs scored at 4:14 AM on March 27, 2021
I just placed the two biographies on hold in my library system.
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posted by jaruwaan at 4:30 AM on March 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
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posted by jaruwaan at 4:30 AM on March 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
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posted by Flight Hardware, do not touch at 5:01 AM on March 27, 2021
posted by Flight Hardware, do not touch at 5:01 AM on March 27, 2021
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posted by selfmedicating at 5:31 AM on March 27, 2021
posted by selfmedicating at 5:31 AM on March 27, 2021
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posted by mochapickle at 5:48 AM on March 27, 2021
posted by mochapickle at 5:48 AM on March 27, 2021
Of course I loved the Ramona books,Mouse and the Motorcycle, etc but the two that I specifically remember reading multiple times were Sister of the Bride and Luckiest Girl. I adored reading about girls in high school when I was younger and those two books were my favorites. The characters and the dialogue seemed so real to me.
She helped open the door to reading for so many kids, including me. Thanks, Beverly Cleary.
posted by bookmammal at 6:00 AM on March 27, 2021 [4 favorites]
She helped open the door to reading for so many kids, including me. Thanks, Beverly Cleary.
posted by bookmammal at 6:00 AM on March 27, 2021 [4 favorites]
A long life with a huge, positive influence on the world.
posted by SoberHighland at 6:00 AM on March 27, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by SoberHighland at 6:00 AM on March 27, 2021 [4 favorites]
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posted by Faint of Butt at 6:02 AM on March 27, 2021
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:02 AM on March 27, 2021
My lifetime love of reading started early, and Iâm pretty certain that Ribsy was my intro to chapter books. I devoured Beverly Cleary books from then on. All of them. Thank you, Beverly.
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posted by sundrop at 6:15 AM on March 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
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posted by sundrop at 6:15 AM on March 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Saw this news here last night, but was unable to comment at the time. I enjoyed a handful of her books; The Mouse and the Motorcycle was a particular favorite.
Ramona forever.
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posted by May Kasahara at 7:04 AM on March 27, 2021 [3 favorites]
Ramona forever.
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posted by May Kasahara at 7:04 AM on March 27, 2021 [3 favorites]
I read Dear Mr. Henshaw at, like, the exact right time in my young life to read it, and I'm still grateful to Beverly Cleary for that.
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posted by box at 7:16 AM on March 27, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by box at 7:16 AM on March 27, 2021 [3 favorites]
Speaking from the UK, where I read and enjoyed the Ramona stories as a child, I was today years old when I learned that Klickitat St. is a real place! Thanks, FallibleHuman, and for Beverly Cleary,
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posted by altolinguistic at 7:38 AM on March 27, 2021 [4 favorites]
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posted by altolinguistic at 7:38 AM on March 27, 2021 [4 favorites]
How do you get your vehicle of choice to move?
Make a sound effect! Vroom!
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posted by Fukiyama at 8:20 AM on March 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
Make a sound effect! Vroom!
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posted by Fukiyama at 8:20 AM on March 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
This one hurts!!!
I really, really want to know what happened to Otis Spofford.
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posted by Melismata at 8:38 AM on March 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
I really, really want to know what happened to Otis Spofford.
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posted by Melismata at 8:38 AM on March 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
I canât say I can remember ever reading one of her books, but her impact on society is undeniable. Respect.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:12 AM on March 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:12 AM on March 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
I devoured her books as a small child.
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posted by droplet at 10:26 AM on March 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
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posted by droplet at 10:26 AM on March 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
As a fellow messy and disobedient girl, Ramona may have saved me. Iâm really thankful for Beverly Clearyâs 104 years.
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posted by Bacon Bit at 11:24 AM on March 27, 2021 [8 favorites]
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posted by Bacon Bit at 11:24 AM on March 27, 2021 [8 favorites]
"Dear Mr. Henshaw" is an incredible epistolary novel and has, no joke, informed my coaching and management practices. And I am tearing up right now thinking about the ending.
Thank you, Beverly Cleary.
posted by brainwane at 12:28 PM on March 27, 2021 [8 favorites]
Thank you, Beverly Cleary.
posted by brainwane at 12:28 PM on March 27, 2021 [8 favorites]
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posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 2:24 PM on March 27, 2021
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 2:24 PM on March 27, 2021
I loved the Ramona books intensely, and after all these years I recall a section where she fantasizes that Salmonella (food poisoning) could well be the name of a gangster/ criminal. Another section was her dad, after having quit smoking, finds an old cigarette in the bottom of an old jacket's pocket after a trying time (job loss?).
As a confused trans kid from a family in a similar financially precarious situation, I identified intensely with Ramona.
Thanks Ms. Cleary.
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posted by porpoise at 3:30 PM on March 27, 2021 [5 favorites]
As a confused trans kid from a family in a similar financially precarious situation, I identified intensely with Ramona.
Thanks Ms. Cleary.
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posted by porpoise at 3:30 PM on March 27, 2021 [5 favorites]
That beautiful scene when, during a financially precarious period, the family goes out to a burger place as a treat and itâs the most delicious thing ever, and then they learn a stranger has chosen to paid for their meal. I read that 20 years ago and still think about it regularly.
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posted by estlin at 3:44 PM on March 27, 2021 [8 favorites]
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posted by estlin at 3:44 PM on March 27, 2021 [8 favorites]
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posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 5:23 PM on March 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 5:23 PM on March 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
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posted by Don Pepino at 5:44 PM on March 27, 2021
posted by Don Pepino at 5:44 PM on March 27, 2021
Remember when Ramona took a bite of that girl's lipstick? I have never felt so seen.
posted by Don Pepino at 5:49 PM on March 27, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by Don Pepino at 5:49 PM on March 27, 2021 [5 favorites]
I have very few memories from childhood. I know I devoured her books. I don't remember anything about them except their title characters. I can visualize the exact place in the library where her books were located. I've been crying off an on since I saw of her passing this morning. It's sadness for her death, but also for myself. It's something I've not allowed myself to feel. Off to my library's website to check out a few of her books. There's probably a waiting list.
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posted by kathrynm at 6:04 PM on March 27, 2021 [8 favorites]
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posted by kathrynm at 6:04 PM on March 27, 2021 [8 favorites]
Thinking about dear mr henshaw especially, one of the staying powers of her books for me is that, even though they are perfectly centered on the child characterâs point of view and portray that so well, they also capture so well what is happening to the adults around that character. As a kid, it was reassuring to see other kidsâ parents screw up or be unhappy or frustrated, and commiserate with the kid and then to see the booksâ characters make their way through it. As an adult, well, now I can identify with the adult and itâs still reassuring that those imperfect adults are viewed compassionately....
posted by Tandem Affinity at 8:09 PM on March 27, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by Tandem Affinity at 8:09 PM on March 27, 2021 [5 favorites]
Mmm Tandem Affinity- the one where Ramona takes a bite of all the apples because the first bite is the best and her Mum is like "well that has some logic" and makes apple sauce...
Also I love Howie's cat costume, in the Ramona is in kinder. So many relatable moments. (When did Mike Mulligan go to the toilet?)
posted by freethefeet at 8:46 PM on March 27, 2021 [3 favorites]
Also I love Howie's cat costume, in the Ramona is in kinder. So many relatable moments. (When did Mike Mulligan go to the toilet?)
posted by freethefeet at 8:46 PM on March 27, 2021 [3 favorites]
I remember henry huggins buying horse meat for ribsy.
Its weird that that moment is the most memorable for me...
I guess henrys bike too...
posted by Lord_Pall at 9:49 PM on March 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
Its weird that that moment is the most memorable for me...
I guess henrys bike too...
posted by Lord_Pall at 9:49 PM on March 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
Oh yeah, I loved Ramona, but as a big sister I really enjoyed reading from Beezus' perspective. The art class I think, is the one that stands out.
I also shipped Beezus and Henry big time.
posted by freethefeet at 12:06 AM on March 28, 2021 [2 favorites]
I also shipped Beezus and Henry big time.
posted by freethefeet at 12:06 AM on March 28, 2021 [2 favorites]
An absolute titan, a champion, utterly irreplaceable. The first book I stayed up all night to finish was Henry and the Clubhouse. It was the first time I'd ever needed to finish a story more than I needed to sleep. I don't recall a word of Dear Mr. Henshaw, except I must because seeing that cover art again made my breath catch. Beverly Cleary gave us so much. Ramona and Fudge forever and ever.
posted by EatTheWeek at 12:44 AM on March 28, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by EatTheWeek at 12:44 AM on March 28, 2021 [3 favorites]
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posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 5:05 AM on March 28, 2021
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 5:05 AM on March 28, 2021
When did Mike Mulligan go to the toilet?)
Whenever he liked. Sorry to be the one to clue Ramona in on the facts of life... if she'd had a brother, then she'd be more aware of how boys can (and do) 'go' anywhere. Mr Mulligan probably takes an empty bottle up into the cab when he starts his shift. When he comes down, that bottle he's carrying is nowadays known as a Trucker Bomb.
posted by Rash at 5:17 PM on March 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
Whenever he liked. Sorry to be the one to clue Ramona in on the facts of life... if she'd had a brother, then she'd be more aware of how boys can (and do) 'go' anywhere. Mr Mulligan probably takes an empty bottle up into the cab when he starts his shift. When he comes down, that bottle he's carrying is nowadays known as a Trucker Bomb.
posted by Rash at 5:17 PM on March 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
I grew up with Ramona, I also read Henry Higgans, but he always seemed more fixed in his time than Ramona did and thus seemed more dated.
I've read plenty of other Beverly Cleary books, she was a huge influence on my life. But Ramona stands out as sort of peak Cleary for me.
We read all the Ramona books to my kid when he was growing up, and he enjoyed them.
posted by sotonohito at 7:57 AM on March 29, 2021
I've read plenty of other Beverly Cleary books, she was a huge influence on my life. But Ramona stands out as sort of peak Cleary for me.
We read all the Ramona books to my kid when he was growing up, and he enjoyed them.
posted by sotonohito at 7:57 AM on March 29, 2021
Sorry to be the one to clue Ramona in
I have great news, then! Fortunately for you and us, Beverly Cleary was without flaw, so neither her characters nor her readers need your help with this.
Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne spent an entire day digging the cellar of the new town hall in front of everyone in the town of Popperville. And also the towns of Bangerville and Bopperville and Kipperville and Kopperville. I don't know what Mike Mulligan did, maybe skip coffee that day or maybe just power through, but on that glorious day when they dug the cellar, Mike Mulligan absolutely did not micturate. We know this because he got paid. I hate to be the one to bring you the sad news, but there are some limits that apply to all people--even men and boys! Had Mike Mulligan whipped out and made a trucker bomb in front of the mayor and all the schoolchildren and Ramona and all the rest of the children, fictional and non, who read Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Henry B. Swap would've been right all the times he smiled in a mean way and said Mike Mulligan would not get paid. For that matter, neither would Virginia Lee Burton.
Ramona was perfectly correct about this age old problem in literature: fictional people never go to the toilet.
posted by Don Pepino at 8:19 AM on March 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
I have great news, then! Fortunately for you and us, Beverly Cleary was without flaw, so neither her characters nor her readers need your help with this.
Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne spent an entire day digging the cellar of the new town hall in front of everyone in the town of Popperville. And also the towns of Bangerville and Bopperville and Kipperville and Kopperville. I don't know what Mike Mulligan did, maybe skip coffee that day or maybe just power through, but on that glorious day when they dug the cellar, Mike Mulligan absolutely did not micturate. We know this because he got paid. I hate to be the one to bring you the sad news, but there are some limits that apply to all people--even men and boys! Had Mike Mulligan whipped out and made a trucker bomb in front of the mayor and all the schoolchildren and Ramona and all the rest of the children, fictional and non, who read Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Henry B. Swap would've been right all the times he smiled in a mean way and said Mike Mulligan would not get paid. For that matter, neither would Virginia Lee Burton.
Ramona was perfectly correct about this age old problem in literature: fictional people never go to the toilet.
posted by Don Pepino at 8:19 AM on March 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
(Anyway, pretty sure that was Beezus, not Ramona, who was over Mike Mulligan and his never-going-to-the-toilet ass. IIRC, Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne was Ramona's favorite book and Beezus got asked to read it all the time. She was sick of Mike and Mary Anne and Bangerville, Bopperville, Kipperville, Kopperville, and Popperville.)
posted by Don Pepino at 10:21 AM on March 29, 2021
posted by Don Pepino at 10:21 AM on March 29, 2021
đ đ
posted by webmutant at 11:20 PM on March 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by webmutant at 11:20 PM on March 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
no, The littlest steam shovel was bought by Mrs Quimby at the market to head off Ramona's shpilkes. both she and Mr Quimby got fed up with reading it and fobbed it off on beezus.
posted by brujita at 4:07 AM on March 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by brujita at 4:07 AM on March 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
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posted by skycrashesdown at 7:39 PM on March 26, 2021 [1 favorite]