The following lesson activities are based on the Op-Ed “Happy Birthday, Beverly Cleary!.”
Before Reading
Read the following excerpt found in the column from Beverly Cleary’s book “Ramona the Pest.” Then answer the question.
Ramona drummed harder to show everyone how bad she was. She would not take off her shoes. She was a terrible, wicked girl! Being such a bad, terrible, horrid, wicked girl made her feel good! She brought both heels against the wall at the same time. Thump! Thump! Thump! She was not the least bit sorry for what she was doing. She would never be sorry. Never! Never! Never!
Have you read this or any of the other books about her? Even if you never read any of Beverly Cleary’s books before, just by reading the passage above, why do you think her writing has endured for so many generations of children?
After Reading
Answer the questions, supporting your responses by citing evidence from the text.
1. How old will Beverly Cleary be Tuesday? Where does she live?
2. What do Cleary and columnist Nicholas Kristof have in common besides being writers?
3. What was Cleary like in elementary school and high school?
4. Whom does Mr. Kristof call “one of the great figures in children’s literature”?
5. Why does Cleary say she refrained from including “larger lessons” in her books?
6. How are school organizations calling on kids and parents to honor Cleary’s birthday on Tuesday?
Going Further
The column also states:
Cleary says that when she goes back to Yamhill, everything seems the same as ever — except that now the kids aren’t playing in the streets but are inside watching television.
There’s something to that. On any given day, American children ages 8 to 12 consume almost six hours of entertainment, such as television, video games and social media, according to polling by Common Sense Media. Aside from schoolwork, 57 percent of those kids typically don’t read at all.
Mr. Kristof goes on to say that “we measure child poverty by household income, but a better metric might be how often a child hears stories read aloud.” Do you agree? Why or why not?
You may also wish to answer our Student Question “Do You Have Childhood Memories of Being Read Aloud To?”
Related
Student Question | Do You Prefer Your Children’s Book Characters Obedient or Contrary?