Beverly Cleary, the author of dozens of children's books featuring spirited, sometimes irritating protagonists like Henry Huggins and Ramona Quimby, died yesterday, March 25, 2021, at the remarkable age of 104. A former librarian, Cleary said she caught a first glimpse of her future career when she was confronted by a little boy who asked her a disarmingly plaintive question: "Where are the books about kids like us?" Once jolted into motion, she never seemed to let up. Between her debut book Henry Huggins in 1950 and her final effort, Ramona's World, in 1999, she wrote over 40 books chronicling the everyday joys, hardships, and adventures of American children—with lovable sidekicks from the animal world often thrown in to humorous effect. In the process, she sold over 90 million books and won the National Book Award (1981), the Newbery Medal (1984), and the National Medal of Arts (2003). She will be missed. #BeverlyCleary