Beverly Cleary Author Study: Ramona the Brave

Illustrations by Alan Tiegreen, though my copy

has a revised cover by JoAnn Scribner.

Ramona is back for her second solo book. She's starting first grade and getting her own bedroom! I loved reading about her relationship with her teacher, which was so different than her kindergarten teacher. There's also more about her friendships in this book. But most of all, we get more of a look inside of Ramona's mind. While before she was just mischievous, now she's being fleshed out into a deeper character. 

Her family interactions were especially wonderful, and I remember feeling the same way about my sibling and parents when I was younger. I really love getting inside her mind as she grows, and it's nice to feel understood, even all these years later. I think this honesty is why Ramona is still so popular with kids today.

Beverly Cleary Author Study: Socks

Illustrated by Beatrice Darwin, though the cover is by

another artist (uncredited, but signature looks like Ribes)

I read this book (this copy!) when I was young and it only fueled my love for cats. I was desperate for a kitten, and the way Cleary brought Socks to life made me want a cat friend more than ever. I finally got my cat when I was an adult - and I have the kid, too! Re-reading this book now made me glad I didn't have a kitten and a baby at the same time. My cat is definitely as playful as Socks and has a very similar personality, so reading about the reasons why litter is scattered over the floor made me laugh.

Though I read this as a kid, it almost seems like a book for any age. The Brickers, who adopt Socks, are a young married couple having their first child, so I think the book could resonate with readers of that age as well. Even as an adult past that stage, I genuinely enjoyed the book for the story it told more than for nostalgia's sake, so I think this is one that could appeal to a broad audience. I feel like it's often overlooked in the scope of Cleary's catalog, though.