Beverly Cleary dies at age 104

[Ilovemaisie]

Beverly Cleary - author of the Ramona books - has died just weeks away from being 105. I am so sad.
Ramona is probably one of my favourite literary characters ever created. Any one else here Beverly Cleary fans?

There was a final Ramona book in 1999 called Ramona's World. So there are 8 in total.

I always thought it was brilliant that it took Ramona almost 50 years to age 6 years. Different generations - but the same little girl !!
First appeared in Henry Huggins in 1950 - age 4, was 5 in 1968 (Ramona the Pest), 6 in 1975 (the Brave), 7 in 1978 and 79 (and her Father, and her Mother), 8 in '81 and '84 (age 8 and Forever) and finally 9 in 1999 (Ramona's World) where she actually has her 10th birthday.

I loved Ramona as a kid, I never owned the hooks but got them from the library and I suspect I went back to them many times as she has stayed with me over the years.
Fifteen was also a comfort read for me in my early teens, I read my copy till it fell apart. I still remember scenes from it - the back scratcher, the waiting by the phone, the way she felt like Birnam forest as she carried the plant along the street.
Her books brought me a huge amount of pleasure, I think I’ll have to did out my tattered copy of Fifteen and re-read it in her memory.