Kids' lit fans, 'pests' remember Beverly Cleary, author of beloved Ramona Quimby series

Children's lit lovers who identified with her characters, including "pest" Ramona Quimby, mourned the loss of author Beverly Cleary, who died in Carmel, California March 25 at age 104. Cleary was known as a pioneer in realistic children’s fiction. Her first book, "Henry Huggins," was published in 1950. Stories about Henry, his dog, Ribsy and the kids on Klickitat Street in Portland, including Ramona and her big sister Beezus, were favorites with young readers, and Cleary went on to publish 40-plus…