On April 12, 2016,
Beverly Cleary reached her hundredth birthday. Someone mentioned that she also has reached 100 million books sold worldwide as well!
My friend Jen suggested that our book group should celebrate. Our book group is no ordinary "let's pick a book and read and discuss" organization. It's a group which is loosely organized around love for Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy-Tacy books and youth literature in general. After discussion, we decided that Jen would provide lots of fun games, I would provide the venue and a birthday cake, and friends would be asked to bring food inspired by Cleary's books. Jen brought her beautiful daughter, donut holes (The Luckiest Girl) and sesame noodles (Jean and Johnny.) The spread was as good as at Great Escape!
Dessert was carrot cake cup cakes, because carrot cake was what Beverly had for her birthday cake, contributed by former Newton GS leader Mary K.(who says she'll try to get to GE this year) and a refrigerator (or icebox) cake with extra whipped cream frosted on top, because the cake also appears in one of the teen books, and Ramona had a birthday cake frosted with whipped cream. Lovely decorative writing by GE attendee and sometime presenter Holly!
Former Worcester GS leader and fantastic botanist Judith (whose arm probably aches from my efforts to entice her to present at GE) made an exquisite custard pie, generously flavored with tangy nutmeg - yes, also inspired by a Cleary book episode. CLM, who blogs at
Staircase Wit, brought warm meatballs in the fanciest crockpot insert I've ever seen!
Happy Birthday Beverly! Book fans everywhere rejoice! GE attendees, we'll soon announce this year's GE Book Club selection so watch this space.
A Girl From Yamhill and
My Own Two Feet, Beverly Cleary's Autobiographies.
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