My Own Two Feet

Beverly Cleary

Mar 2009 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

Told in her own words, My Own Two Feet is Newbery Medal–winning author Beverly Cleary’s second heartfelt and relatable memoir.

The New Yorker called Beverly Cleary's first volume of memoirs, A Girl From Yamhill, "a warm, honest book, as interesting as any novel."

Now the creator of the classic children's stories millions grew up with continues her own fascinating story. Here is Beverly Cleary, from college years to the publication of her first book. It is a fascinating look at her life and a writing career that spans three generations, continuing to capture the hearts and imaginations of children of all ages throughout the world.

Beverly Cleary's books have sold more than 85 million copies and have been translated into twenty-nine different languages, which speaks to the worldwide reach and love of her stories. She was honored with a Newbery Honor for Ramona and Her Father and a second one for Ramona Quimby, Age 8. She received the John Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw, which was inspired by letters she’d received from children. Her autobiographies, A Girl from Yamhill and My Own Two Feet, are a wonderful way to get to know more about this most beloved children's book author.

Ratings and reviews

One of my favorite books, My Own Two Feet, Beverly Cleary's autobiography is inspiring. She describes her very real struggle and devotion to developing her writing career. Years after I read this book, I continue to carry the images that came so alive as she told her story of developing as a writer. I recommend this book to all my writer and artist friends, especially the younger ones who struggle to maintain their identity as artists and writers while living full, busy, and devoted lives raising families, maintaining relationships, working full time, and trying to keep body and soul together. And I still love reading the stories she wrote for children during this period of her life. In the 50s I read them as a child; in the 70s I read them to my child, and now I read them to my grandchild. A wonderful writer who lives in the same cities I have lived in, so that makes reading her work even more delightful.

The second book in the life of Beverly Clearly is as good as the first. Her struggles to support herself through college were realistic. I felt for her in feeling overwhelmed. I envy her knowledge of knowing that she wanted to be a children's librarian with the idea she would write children's books. Her mother and father surly sacrificed to send her to college. I hope Beverly paid them back in full and arranged for some nice vacations they sure earned it. The story of her mother living through the happiness of her daughter is very sad. If it hadn't been for the Depression her mom could have gone far. I wish Clearly had continued past her first book a bit farther to show what happened later. She included a lot more of her life than I thought she would and I started getting lost with all the people in her life. Writing her first book seemed easy the way she explained how it was done. She said she struggled, but the first publisher she wrote to took it on the first try. Agatha Christie was rejected 54 times with her first book. 6-2004

This is an awesome story of a young girl going through a divorce and how she overcomes her parents troubles as well as her own at a very tender age. 4-12

About the author

Beverly Cleary is one of America's most beloved authors. As a child, she struggled with reading and writing. But by third grade, after spending much time in her public library in Portland, Oregon, she found her skills had greatly improved. Before long, her school librarian was saying that she should write children's books when she grew up.Instead she became a librarian. When a young boy asked her, "Where are the books about kids like us?" she remembered her teacher's encouragement and was inspired to write the books she'd longed to read but couldn't find when she was younger. She based her funny stories on her own neighborhood experiences and the sort of children she knew. And so, the Klickitat Street gang was born!Mrs. Cleary's books have earned her many prestigious awards, including the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, presented to her in recognition of her lasting contribution to children's literature. Dear Mr. Henshaw won the Newbery Medal, and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. Her characters, including Beezus and Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Ralph, the motorcycle-riding mouse, have delighted children for generations.