Obituaries

Celebrated Children's Author Beverly Cleary Dies At 104

She's known for sharing her childhood memories with millions of people through characters including Ramona and Beezus Quimby and Henry Huggins.

Celebrated Children's Author Beverly Cleary Dies At 104
Vern Fisher / The Monterey County Herald / AP

Celebrated children's author Beverly Cleary has died at 104 years old. 

Cleary’s publisher HarperCollins says she died Thursday in California, where she has lived since the 1960s, although no cause of death was given.

The author is known for sharing her childhood memories in Oregon with millions of people through characters including Ramona and Beezus Quimby and Henry Huggins. She's also known for "Socks," "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" and "Dear Mr. Henshaw." 

The author didn't start writing books until her early 30s – first publishing "Henry Huggins" in 1950.

Cleary has been awarded with literature's highest honors for her work, including the National Book Award, the John Newbery Medal and Newbery Honor awards. She was named a Living Legend in 2000 by the Library of Congress and in 2003, she was chosen as one of the winners of the National Medal of Arts.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press.