Beverly Cleary > Quotes

“She was not a slowpoke grownup. She was a girl who could not wait. Life was so interesting she had to find out what happened next.”
― Beverly Cleary, Ramona the Pest

“If she can't spell, why is she a librarian? Librarians should know how to spell.”
― Ramona Quimby as written by Beverly Cleary, Ramona's World

“Quite often somebody will say, 'What year do your books take place?' and the only answer I can give is, in childhood.”
― Beverly Cleary

“If you don't see the book you want on the shelves, write it.”
― Beverly Cleary

“She means well, but she always manages to do the wrong thing. She has a real talent for it.”
― Beverly Cleary, Fifteen

“Words were so puzzling. Present should mean a present just as attack should mean to stick tacks in people.”
― Beverly Cleary, Ramona the Pest

“Didn't the people who made those license plates care about little girls named Ramona?”
― Beverly Cleary

“Problem solving, and I don't mean algebra, seems to be my life's work. Maybe it's everyone's life's work.”
― Beverly Cleary

“Neither the mouse nor the boy was the least bit surprised that each could understand the other. Two creatures who shared a love for motorcycles naturally spoke the same language.”
― Beverly Cleary, The Mouse and the Motorcycle

“All her life she had wanted to squeeze the toothpaste really squeeze it,not just one little squirt...The paste coiled and swirled and mounded in the washbasin. Ramona decorated the mound with toothpaste roses as if it was a toothpaste birthday cake”
― beverly cleary, Ramona and Her Mother

“I had a very wise mother. She always kept books that were my grade level in our house.”
― Beverly Cleary

“One rainy Sunday when I was in the third grade, I picked up a book to look at the pictures and discovered that even though I did not want to, I was reading. I have been a reader ever since.”
― Beverly Cleary

“I guess that’s what growing up is. Saying good-by to a lot of things. Sometimes it is easy and sometimes it isn’t. But it is all right.”
― Beverly Cleary (Author), The Luckiest Girl

“Children should learn that reading is pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school.”
― Beverly Cleary

“The humiliation that Jane had felt turned to something else--grief perhaps, or regret. Regret that she had not known how to act with a boy, regret that she had not been wiser.”
― Beverly Cleary, Fifteen

“All knowledge is valuable to a librarian.”
― Beverly Cleary

“I am not a pest," Ramona Quimby told her big sister Beezus.”
― Beverly Cleary, Ramona the Pest

“He was dressed as if everything he wore had come from different stores or from a rummage sale, except that the crease in his trousers was sharp and his shoes were shined.”
― Beverly Cleary, Ramona Quimby, Age 8

“If you don't see the book you want on the shelf write it.”
― Beverly Cleary, Heidi

“After Father had served the chicken and mashed potatoes and peas and Mother had passed the hot rolls, Beezus decidedthe time had come to tell Aunt Beatrice about being Sacajawea. "Do you know what I did last week?" she began. "I want some jelly," said Ramona "You mean, 'Please pass the jelly,' "corrected Mother while Beezus waited patiently. 'No, what did you do last week?" asked Aunt Beatrice. "Well, last week I-" Beezus began again. " like purple jelly better then red jelly," said Ramona. ' Ramona , stop interrupting your sister," said Father. "Well, Ido like purple jelly better then red jelly," insisted Ramona."Never mind," said Mother. "Go no, Beezus." Last week-" said Beezus, looking at her aunt, who smiled as if she understood."Excuse me, Beezus," Mother cut in. "Ramona, we do not put jelly on our mashed potatoes." "I like jelly on my mashed potatoes."Ramona stirred potato and jelly aroud with her fork. "Ramona you heard what your mother said." Father looked stern. "If I can ut butter on my mashed potateos, why can't I put jelly? I put butter and jelly on toast," said Ramona. Father couldn't help laughing. "That's a hard question to answer." "But Mother-" Beezus began."I like jelly on my mashed potateos," interrupted Ramona, looking sulky.”
― Beverly Cleary, Beezus and Ramona

“If you don't see the book you want on the shelf, write it.”
― Beverly Cleary

“Love isn’t like a cup of sugar that gets used up,”
― Beverly Cleary, Ramona the Brave

“Ramona stepped back into her closet, slid the door shut, pressed an imaginary button, and when her imaginary elevator had made its imaginary descent, stepped out onto the real first floor and raced a real problem. Her mother and father were leaving for Parents' Night.”
― Beverly Cleary

“most beautiful, magic time of the whole year. Her parents loved her, and she loved them,”
― Beverly Cleary, Ramona and Her Father

“She was surprised to feel his hand on her arm and still more surprised-almost unbelieving-to see his fingers unclasp his identification bracelet and remove it from his arm. Silently he fumbled with the bracelet and slipped it around her right wrist. with a tiny click he snapped the clasp shut. Jane gave a gasp of astonishment and turned questioning to Stan. She was wearing his identification bracelet! The silver links on her wrist were still warm from his arm”
― Beverly Cleary, Fifteen

“I am sort of medium...I guess you could call me the mediumest boy in the class. -Leigh Botts”
― Beverly Cleary, Dear Mr. Henshaw

“Once more Jane sat staring at the telephone. This time she was filled with a confidence that was new to her. Stan Crandall. Stanley Crandall. He liked her! He had seen her once, and even though had been rumpled and grass-stained and having a terrible time with Sandra, he liked her well enough to go to the trouble of finding out her name and calling to ask her to go to the movies. Jane smiled at the telephone and gave a sigh of happiness”
― Beverly Cleary, Fifteen

“And now I’m going to find out how to get a library started.”
― Beverly Cleary, Emily's Runaway Imagination

“That was the trouble with this house. A girl couldn't even carry on a telephone conversation with any privacy”
― Beverly Cleary, Fifteen

“But also, as you go through life, you pick up shreds of things, and eventually you are able to fit them together”
― Beverly Cleary, Ramona Quimby, Age 8