"Ramona" author turns 90

Beverly Cleary, a former children's librarian and the author of the series of books about the precocious Ramona Quimby, turns 90 on Wednesday. Ms. Cleary was interviewed on today's "Weekend Edition" on NPR.

I read many of the Ramona stories when I was a little girl, which is, ahem, many, many years ago. I e-mailed my good friend Em the link to this interview and she replied that she thought Cleary was dead. I must confess, I did as well.

Ramona is celebrating Ms. Cleary's birthday as well by promoting an effort to get people to "Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.). If you're stuck as to what book to choose, Ramona suggests that "If you want something really fun to read on April 12, Beverly Cleary wrote some great books about me!"