Beverly Cleary Neighborhood

For all parents (and others) with young readers – here is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

As you may or may not know, the great children's author, Beverly Cleary, spent much of her youth in the Grant neighborhood, not far from Portland's Lloyd Center. In addition, she set most of her novels in this same area, using real places. Today, there are statues in Grant Park and several other monuments. It is very fun to take young Beverly Cleary fans to see the actual places where the stories unfold, and to see where the author grew up.

I mention this because today's Oregonian features a large story about this relationship. (Walking with Beverly Cleary's 'Ramona') The story focuses on an organized walking tour of the area and gives contact information if you are interested in an organized outing, but you should know that, with a little research, you can find most of these places yourself. They are all within half a dozen blocks of Portland's Grant Park.

Like I mentioned, this is a great outing for young readers.