Why I love Beverly Cleary

Author/illustrator Cece Bell (El Deafo) tells us why Cleary's books have meant so much to her since she was a young girl.

Beverly Cleary answers your questions!

Have you ever wanted to ask author Beverly Cleary a question about her much-loved books, the vivid characters she created, or her life as a writer? We asked our readers and you responded with more than 500 entries, and we selected about a baker's dozen for Mrs. Cleary to answer. Listen in as Mrs. Cleary talks about her favorite teddy bear, where the character Ralph came from, the pleasures of reading and writing, and much more. See transcript.You can also watch our video interview with Beverly Cleary.

D.E.A.R. Day activities and resources

Reading and writing activity sheets

Download and print these Ramona Quimby-inspired and Common Core-aligned reading and writing activity sheets from HarperCollins Children's Books.

• A Happy Quimby Family
  Write an opinion piece about "what makes a happy family" with supporting evidence.
• Growing Up … Ramona-Style
  Have students assume the voice of Ramona to "write big sister advice" to Roberta.
• Keeping a journal
  Here are some tips to get students started on keeping a journal. You can also order this 2013 book from HarperCollins, Just for Me: My Ramona Quimby Journal.
• Who Is Ramona Quimby?
  Ask students to write a character analysis on Ramona.
• Retell a Story
  Using a scene from a Ramona book, students should create a picture-book retelling.

Family reading tips and booklists

Here are some easy ways to make your home reading-friendly!

• Reading tips for parents of children from birth to grade 3 (in 11 languages)
• Themed booklists

Resources on silent reading

• Making Independent Reading Work
• Reconsidering Silent Reading
• Lesson Plan: A Daily DEAR Program: Drop Everything, and Read! (Read Write Think)
• What Are the Benefits of Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) Excerpted from The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease (Penguin)
• "Sustained Silent Reading" Helps Develop Independent Readers (and Writers) by Gary Hopkins (Education World)
• Free Voluntary Reading (FVR) Pays Big Dividends! by William Marson (Education World)
• What Works in Fluency Instruction: Independent Silent Reading Excerpted and adapted from Teaching Children to Read, the report of the National Reading Panel.

Information about D.E.A.R. Day

D.E.A.R. stands for Drop Everything and Read. Schools often have D.E.A.R. time (sometimes called D.I.R.T., S.S.R., U.S.S.R., S.Q.U.I.R.T., F.V.R. or P.O.W.E.R.). It's when kids can read and enjoy the books they want, just for the pleasure of reading and with no questions asked!

On April 12, the birthday of beloved Newbery Medal-winning author Beverly Cleary, the nation celebrates "Drop Everything and Read" Day. It's a partnership effort of the following organizations:

• Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association
• First Book
• General Federation of Women's Clubs
• HarperCollins Children's Books
• National Education Association (NEA)
• National Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
• Newspaper Association of America Foundation
• Read Kiddo Read
• Reading Rockets
• Walden Media

The concept of "Drop Everything and Read" is referenced in the second chapter of Ramona Quimby, Age 8, and Ramona is the campaign spokesperson. The aim of this nationwide initiative is to encourage families to designate a special time to "drop everything and read" at home. So, on April 12, families will be encouraged to take at least 30 minutes to put aside all distractions and enjoy books together.