[PEACEFUL MUSIC]
SPEAKER 1: Beverly Cleary came to Chaffey College in the 1930s
to pursue her dream of becoming a children's librarian.
But after she embarked on that career,
she discovered that her true calling
was not in reading to children, but in writing for them.
She wanted to write children's books that
contained relatable characters.
She wanted to create stories that would capture
the imaginations of children.
BEVERLY CLEARY: When I was in grammar school,
I sometimes felt that school didn't want us to read,
because there were long questions after everything
we read, and "Give the theme of the book."
That was the question I hated the most.
"What is the theme of this book?"
I just wanted to read a book and enjoy it.
And I think that's what children should do.
SPEAKER 1: And so, in 1950, she published
her first book, Henry Huggins.
Beverly would go on to write nearly 50
more books during a career that spanned more than four decades.
BEVERLY CLEARY: When I first started writing,
I would start after breakfast.
In those days, I baked bread and quite often would start bread
and sit down and write.
And by the time I needed to stretch my legs,
it was time to punch the dough down.
And so I'd take a break and then go back to writing.
When I was writing the Henry books,
it occurred to me that all the children
appeared to be only children.
So I tossed in a little sister.
And at the moment I needed a name, a neighbor called out,
"Ramona!"
to another neighbor.
And so I just named her Ramona.
SPEAKER 1: The unforgettable adventures of Ramona and Beezus
Quimby have had a lasting influence on countless children
across generations.
Her books have earned multiple state, national,
and international honors.
The Library of Congress has named Beverly a living legend.
Chaffey College honors Beverly Cleary
as its inaugural recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award recognizes alumni who have
had a tremendous impact on the world
and whose work aligns with Chaffey's vision and mission.