Happy 91st Birthday, Beverly Cleary!

For several generations, Beverly Cleary has delighted young readers, particularly 8-12 year olds, with her humorous, yet realistic, stories about the ordinary lives of children. According to a 2006 Newsweek article "...she's written 39 beloved books since 1950 and sold 91 million copies worldwide... Most remarkable is that all her books have stayed in print." Again this year, National Drop Everything and Read Day (D.E.A.R. Day) is being held today in honor of Beverly Cleary's birthday.

(Cover art courtesy of HarperCollins)