About Beverly Cleary • Beverly Cleary Days • & The Fri May 9th & Sat May 10th 2025 Literary Festival

About Beverly Cleary 

Beverly Atlee Bunn was born April 12, 1916 in a small Oregon town near the family home in Yamhill. She learned to observe being an only child, which became a great tool for her writing. Her early years in Yamhill were mixed from wagons and horses to the first Ford Model A cars.

Yamhill was a small bustling town with many firsts like Beverly's house being one of the first, fine Victorian homes in the area with the first bathtub. Beverly and her mother were also the first to bring a library to Yamhill. It was on the second floor of the old bank building.

Beverly Cleary's stories encouraged ordinary children in neighborhoods. When asked why she wrote for children, she said she wrote to entertain them. Her characters jump of the pages like the way children often do. 

Favorite Beverly Cleary Quotes

"Children should learn that reading is pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school."

"My favorite books are a constantly changing list, but one favorite has remained constant: the dictionary.... The dictionary also slows down my writing because it is such interesting reading that I am distracted."

"I wanted to be a ballerina. I changed my mind."

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"​I think the best teachers had a real interest in the subject they were teaching and a love for children.... others had that little extra. They really cared about children and they wore pretty dresses."

"I just start with the part of the story that's most vivid in my imagination and work forward and backward from there."

"In 50 years, the world has changed, especially for kids, but kids' needs haven't changed. They still need to feel safe, be close to their families, like their teachers, and have friends to play with."

About the Beverly Cleary Festival and Yamhill, Oregon

This fun project began as a dedication to a notable children's author with the goal of inspiring kids in the community. It has creatively grown each year with the help of grants and generous donors. It continues to grow like Beverly Cleary's character Emily, who has a run-away-imagination. A character and story loosely written about Beverly's early experiences growing up in Yamhill.  Similarly, each year our town event grows with a new creative chapter.

Our celebrated Beverly Cleary character this year is "Ramona!" Check out the annual kid's writing, coloring and illustrating contests which begin April 12, in honor of Beverly Cleary's birthday.  Check out this year's story contest theme and how to enter HERE.

Join us in the park and in downtown Yamhill. Details for this years event found HERE.
This year will be our very first writer's and illustrator's workshop day, which is also fundraiser for hosting literacy programs in our schools and for our community at large. It is our desire to inspire readers and writers of all ages.

About Beverly Cleary Days Founder and Director ~ Amy Brewer / AKA Amy LaMae

Amy LaMae Brewer’s earliest memory with Beverly Cleary was reading The Mouse and The Motorcycle as a child and making a diorama. Later, as an Elementary Education Major in Portland, her capstone project was about Beverly Cleary history and the bronze statues in NE Portland. After teaching in Hawaii and Seattle, she landed back in Oregon following her husband's love for small towns to Yamhill to raise their three children. One day, a neighbor named Beverly knocked on her door and said this was her chance to get a library at the town meeting. This meeting brought Kara Weber and Amy together with a vision for community and books. They have spearheaded many new adventures since 2019 for Yamhill with the desire to bring a library and fun books to their small town. Talk about Beverly Cleary seemed to be the interest of many in the town, leading them to begin an annual Beverly Cleary themed-celebration to promote literacy and books. 

About Beverly Cleary Literary Festival Co-Director ~ Dr. Mira Reisberg

Mira is the BEST! She has taken the vision of Beverly Cleary Days to the next level. Her expertise and insight into the publishing industry and her genuine ability to connect people has inspired this year's writer's and illustrator's workshops and created this wonderful website. Mira Reisberg is a mentor and former teacher of Amy and she was part of the Beverly Cleary online event in 2020. Like a fairy godmother to children’s book writing, Mira has helped writers and illustrators launch their careers to publishing over 2,000 books! Moments with Mira are magical as she inspires creativity and vision. Find out more about her with Amy's first interview here.  Just like a story book when all the details line up, she is destined to be part of this event for her outstanding contributions and because she actually lives just off Klickatat Street! Please check out all her amazing classes and connections found at the Children's Book Academy.
Find out more about Mira at mirareisberg.com

Other Beverly Cleary Resources

Check out next year's Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Awards run by the Oregon Library Association (yay!) Visit in March to vote! Lots of great info  there and a librarian whose email name is elf girl!
​Don't forget our very own kid's contest!
2024 article about Beverly's house and life. 
Wikipedia article about Beverly.
Faccebook Beverly Cleary Page
Facebook 2025 Beverly Cleary Days Page

Find Directions Here, Places to Eat & Sleep in or Near Yamhill here,
& About Our Beautiful Sponsors here!