Beverly Cleary Author Study: Emily's Runaway Imagination

Illustrations by Beth and Joe Krush, though the cover is a different artist.
I can't find the cover artist's name, but the inside illustrations are much more classic.

This is my favorite Beverly Cleary book, mostly because of my own memories around it. My maternal grandmother grew up on a farm around the same time this book is set, so a lot of the stories she told me about her childhood make me think of Emily. I took this book to my grandmother's house when I was younger and we took turns reading pages aloud to each other. The backdrop for this book photo is actually a patchwork pillow my grandmother made to really channel her spirit.

Emily is a more relatable character for me as well. Her imagination runs wild, yes, but she's not as mischievous as Ramona. As much as I love Ramona, she's much bolder than I am, so I liked seeing myself in Emily. Plus, Emily helps her small town start a library, so that's obviously something I'd love to read about.

Follow Your Arrow by Jessica Verdi

Follow Your Arrow by Jessica Verdi is out TODAY from Scholastic, so grab your copy! I was able to read an ARC thanks to @kidlitexchange, @jessverdi, and @scholasticinc, but all opinions are mine.

Cece and her girlfriend Silvie practically live their lives online, earning money from sponsorships and doing livestreams together. When Silvie breaks up with Cece, Cece is stunned. Silvie was such a good actress that she didn’t know anything was wrong.

In the wake of her heartbreak, Cece tries to find herself while still posting regularly and keeping her follower count on the rise. She’s always tried to show her best side online, but that’s not the real Cece. She has to decide how to show that part of herself before someone gets hurt.

I love books about social media because I have such a love/hate relationship with it, as I think many of us do. It was especially interesting to read about how it affects what influencers post and how free they feel to be themselves...or not. This book is amazing, a must-read for ages 12 and up.