Beverly Cleary, legendary children's book author and creator of Ramona Quimby, dead at 104

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Beverly Cleary, the beloved children's book author and creator of Ramona Quimby, had died at the age of 104.

The announcement came from her publisher, HarperCollins, in an online blog post.

According to the statement, Cleary died on March 25, 2021, in Carmel, Calif., where she'd lived for several decades.

No cause of death was provided.

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The author's first book was "Henry Huggins," which was published in 1950 and became a quick success, setting a precedent for children’s fiction. She'd go on to publish over 40 more children's books.

Beloved children's author Beverly Cleary has died at 104. (Photo By Christina Koci Hernandez/San Francisco Chronicle by Getty Images)

Born on April 12, 1916, in McMinnville, Ore., Clearly spent time on her family's farm in Yamhill. Her love of books began after her mother set up a small library for the town above a bank.

Despite her love of books, she was placed into lower reading circles in grammar schools, which sparked lifelong sympathy from struggling readers.

However, by the third grade, she was a reading pro and she went on to specialize in librarianship after attending the University of Washington, Seattle.

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Inspired by a young boy asking for books about children, Cleary put pen to paper and wrote about Huggins and Ramona Quimby, another beloved character.

Cleary won several prestigious literary awards including two Newbery Honors, the 1984 John Newbery Medal, the American Library Association’s 1975 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, the Catholic Library Association’s 1980 Regina Medal, and the University of Southern Mississippi’s 1982 Silver Medallion among many, many others.

US President George W. Bush (C) stands with recipients of the National Medal of Arts in the Oval Office of the White House Nov. 12, 2003, in Washington, DC. From left are: Blues musician Buddy Guy, dancer and artistic director Suzanne Farrell, Bush, children's book author Beverly Cleary and actor-director Ron Howard. (TIM SLOAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Additionally, in 1984, she was a nominee for the famous Hans Christian Andersen Award, and in 2000, she was deemed a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress.

Throughout her career, Clearly sold over 85 million copies of her books, which have been translated to 29 different languages.

Among the "Henry" titles were "Henry and Ribsy," "Henry and the Paper Route" and "Henry and Beezus."

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Ramona, perhaps her best-known character, made her debut in "Henry Huggins" with only a brief mention.

In 2010, a film adaptation of "Ramona and Beezus" was released, starring Selena Gomez and Joey King.

The author was best known for writing books about the fictional characters Henry Huggins and Ramona Quimby. (Photo By Christina Koci Hernandez/San Francisco Chronicle by Getty Images)

In all, there were eight books on Ramona between "Beezus and Ramona" in 1955 and "Ramona’s World" in 1999. Others included "Ramona the Pest" and "Ramona and Her Father." In 1981, "Ramona and Her Mother" won the National Book Award.

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Cleary ventured into fantasy with "The Mouse and the Motorcycle," and the sequels "Runaway Ralph" and "Ralph S. Mouse." "Socks," about a cat’s struggle for acceptance when his owners have a baby, is told from the point of view of the pet himself.

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Her husband, Clarance, previously passed away. Beverly is survived by their two children, Malcolm and Marianne, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

The Associated Press contributed to this report