Beverly learned to love books and reading at a young age, growing up on a farm in Oregon. Because the town she lived in did not have a library, her mother had the state library send books to their town for the local children, including Beverly, to read because she was too young to go to school. When Cleary reached school-age, she and her family moved to Portland, Oregon. Cleary attended a grammar school in Portland, and when she was in third grade her school librarian suggested that when Cleary grew up she should write stories for young boys and girls. Beverly Cleary has successfully brought that suggestion to life through writing over 30 children and young adult books!
Henry Huggins was Beverly's first published book that she composed when she was in her early thirty's. Henry Huggins is the story of a third grader who think that his life is plain. One day Henry decides to adopt a dog of whom he names, Ribsy because his ribs show. The book follows Henry and Ribsy as they learn the importance of responsibility and taking care of what you have. In the end a neighbor in the town insists that Ribsy is his dog, but Ribsy demonstrates otherwise, showing the friendship and love that is established through the well being of each other.
This story was her first story for children about children. In all of her books the main character(s) are of elementary school age making them the perfect books for elementary aged students to relate to. She writes her books for children, so they have fun, humorous stories to read that she could never find on the bookshelves growing up.