Pages-352. This book is the life story of author Beverly Cleary. To start, I must say that I will never read this book AGAIN! In other words, extremely boring. The book starts when Cleary is the young child of a farm family. Playing around with flowers and arguing about who draws the better bird is the highlight of her life at this time. Her mother starts a town library and the depression is starting ofrcing her family ot sell the farm and move to the city. She starts school with a mean teacher, but then learns with a few nicer ones. A few guys like her and she makes some friends. In highschool, Beverly and a boy get quite close, but she decides that she doesn't like him and refuses to marry him when she gets older. At the end of the book she moves to California to go to college and to get a job.

How could you not give Bevely Cleary five stars?

This is the first book of two which tells the story of Mrs. Cleary's childhood. God bless her, I think her mom was so worried about what others thought about their family that it marked her life. This book would be good for any one who is a fan of all those great Henry and Ribsy, Ramona, etc. books.

The book itself also provides a social commentary of Portland, Oregon when Mrs. Cleary was a child. ( )

An engaging memoir -- from childhood on a farm and in Portland to departure for college, including Cleary's difficult relationship with her mother and awkward dating. ( )