Beloved children's author Beverly Cleary is hitting a milestone on Thursday. She's turning 102.
April 12 is also National D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) Day in honor of Cleary. The National Medal of Arts winner and Library of Congress Living Legend is best known for books about her character Ramona Quimby and sister Beezus. Her books also included Ralph S. Mouse, Dear Mr. Henshaw and more.
Here are five fun facts you might not know about the centenarian.
She knows how it feels to struggle with reading
As a young girl, Cleary lived on a farm in a town with no library, so her mom arranged for a small library to be created. Despite this, Cleary was placed in the lower reading circle when the family moved to Portland. By third grade, she had caught up, but she never forgot the experience. ...