When I heard that Beverly Cleary passed away at the age of 104, my mind was instantly flooded with wonderful memories of childhood reading.

I got lost in the Ramona books. Ramona was brave, and I was shy. She was loud, and I was quiet. She was a pest, and I was . . . well, pesty! My older sister can attest to that. Sitting next to me at the dinner table was not a treat; unless you enjoy receiving an extra helping of your little sister’s vegetables on your plate. If I was lucky, she wouldn’t notice, and she would eat them! (Sorry, Lynn.)

Anyway . . . I can still picture the exact shelf in my grade school library where the Beverly Cleary books were displayed. I would sit on the floor for what seemed like hours, sorting through the hard cover books, hearing the distinctive crack of a spine, and breathing in the scent of paper.

Because Beverly Cleary was such a prolific author, there was always a new treasure to discover. Once I finished the Ramona series, I moved on to Henry and Beezus, Ellen Tebbits, Ribsy, and Socks. All . . . MAGIC.

So, thank you, Beverly Cleary, for allowing me to explore my imagination through your delightful books. Because of you, and many other children’s book authors, I will never forget how good it feels to love a book.

— Debra