Do Kids Today Still Read Beverly Cleary?

Dannica · Jan 29, 2012

I was cleaning book shelves today and came across the 2 memoirs/autobiographies by Beverly Cleary, which I loved and I went and Googled with a bit of anxiety and discovered, she IS still alive at the age of 95! And this made me wonder, do kids today still read Beverly Cleary books?

Amarie · Jan 29, 2012

Absolutely!
Cleary managed to create characters that don't seem dated. The books are still in bookstores and that's a good indication kids are still reading them.

Morrell · Jan 29, 2012

Yes, Amarie's right. Kids still read them, and the characters aren't dated.

However, I've had to do some explaining about what pay phones are, why Henry doesn't carry a cell, and why ice cream cones only cost a nickel!

Spiral · Jan 29, 2012

My 6 yo daughter loves the Ramona books!

Smish · Jan 29, 2012

Yep! I just saw a kid check out a bunch of Cleary's books this morning at the library!

Jersey Chick · Jan 29, 2012

My 11 year old has read all of the Ramona books (some of which I remember loving as well.

) She rereads them from time to time still.

MsJudy · Jan 29, 2012

The reading textbook my district uses has a chapter of Ramona in either the third or the fourth grade anthology. It's one of the kids' favorites.

Paul · Jan 29, 2012

It's a joy to see a 'well old' book still being read by kids.

that's the thing about certain kids books, they tend to show the fundamental traits of humanity.

Which don't go out of date.

Mclesh · Jan 29, 2012

My son and I read a few of her books together. That was within the past five or six years. So yes! They're still on the shelves.

Ramona the Pest was and still is one of my very favorite books.

JoyMC · Jan 29, 2012

Oh, yes! My daughter loves the Ramona books! (They've been re-released with more current covers, too.)

Literateparakeet · Jan 29, 2012

Another vote here. My kids love them too...especially the animal ones...Socks and Rugsby.

Dannica · Jan 29, 2012

RuthD said:
Yes, Amarie's right. Kids still read them, and the characters aren't dated.

However, I've have to do some explaining about what pay phones are, why Henry doesn't carry a cell, and why ice cream cones only cost a nickel!

LOL -- too funny! Funny that Cleary can manage to stand the passing of time, but what we once thought were unchangeable features of our landscape are now dated.

Everyone's replies though make me happy. Those stories are just so wonderful. Ramona always was my favorite character.

Laura J · Jan 29, 2012

Ramona and Beezus was made into a movie recently. Very well done. Selena Gomez plays Beezus. I'm sure that has renewed interest in her books. I'm glad children still love her books.

Jadeyn M · Feb 9, 2012

There's definitely still around. Like Laura J said, there was a movie made based on the Romana books. I remember reading them when I was in grade school (not toooooo long ago

). and we still have a few copies around the house. I didn't realize how old she was!

ncochrane3 · Feb 16, 2012

Yes! And I think with the Ramona book being made into a movie with Selena Gomez, the popularity will continue.

MsJudy · Feb 16, 2012

I ran out of things to do today while I was hanging out with the after-school homework club, so I picked up a copy of Ramona the Pest and reread the first chapter. Two surprises: How vividly I remembered all of it, even after years. And how easy it is to read, with very little feeling of being outdated or old-fashioned.

I swear, for my entire life I have never been able to look at someone with curly ringlets without thinking boing!

Britwriter · Feb 16, 2012

We have all of them on our bookshelves at home. Ribsy is my favorite.

timp67 · Feb 26, 2012

A Twitter friend just posted that her daughter is addicted to Ramona.

Do Kids Today Still Read Beverly Cleary?

Dannica

Amarie

carpe libri

Morrell

Spiral

looking at the stars

Smish

Reads more than she writes.

Jersey Chick

Up all night to get Loki

MsJudy

Paul

Mclesh

It's too hot

JoyMC

Literateparakeet

Nerdy Budgie

Dannica

Laura J

Odessa Quinn

Jadeyn M

ncochrane3

MsJudy

Britwriter

timp67

Guinea pig in the laboratory of God