Beverly Cleary (1916-2021) was born and raised in the state of Oregon in the US. Cleary struggled to develop her reading skills as a child, but with the encouragement of her mother, she still became passionate about books and reading. As a young adult, she studied library science at the University of Washington. She went on to work as a children’s librarian in Yakima, Washington, before taking a job as the post librarian in the US Army Hospital in Oakland, California.

Cleary then transitioned into her career as a writer, working as a full-time children’s novelist for over 50 years. Her first book, Henry Huggins, was published in 1950, and her final book, Ramona’s World, was published in 1999. Henry and Beezus is the second of six books in the Henry Huggins series. The series also includes Henry and Ribsy, Henry and the Paper Route, Henry and the Clubhouse, and Ribsy. 

Henry and Beezus was warmly received by critics, who appreciated the book’s humor and the realism of its characters. Booklist noted that Beezus and Henry “are as real as children on the next block” (“