If you enjoy reading novels by Beverly Cleary then you might also like the following authors:
Judy Blume writes honest and emotional children’s and young adult books. The stories have realistic characters, often kids who talk and feel the way real kids do. If you enjoy Beverly Cleary, you might appreciate Judy Blume’s “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.”
It follows fourth-grader Peter as he deals with everyday situations and funny family conflicts. His little brother Fudge creates chaos everywhere, and Peter doesn’t know what he’ll do next. The family scenes are relatable, and the humor feels real.
Readers who like Beverly Cleary will probably find Judy Blume’s work very familiar and enjoyable.
If you enjoy Beverly Cleary, you might also like Lois Lowry. Lowry writes stories about realistic kids who have interesting adventures in everyday life.
Her book “Anastasia Krupnik” follows Anastasia, a thoughtful kid who keeps detailed lists and faces family challenges with humor and curiosity. Anastasia often gets into awkward but funny situations readers can easily relate to.
Lowry’s stories show us the world through the eyes of young people figuring things out day by day.
Andrew Clements writes books that readers of Beverly Cleary often enjoy. He tells stories about everyday kids who find themselves in unusual situations. One of his popular books is “Frindle.”
The story follows a boy named Nick, who creates a new word to replace “pen” as an experiment at school. His experiment soon spreads further than he expected. Through Nick’s experiences, readers find humor and realistic friendships similar to those in Cleary’s stories.
Ann M. Martin writes stories about kids who feel relatable and real. Her book “The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy’s Great Idea” tells about four friends who start their own babysitting group.
Kristy comes up with the plan out of necessity, because parents in their neighborhood need responsible sitters. Each girl has strengths and flaws readers can understand and appreciate. The friends face everyday problems at home and school that feel authentic.
Fans of Beverly Cleary who like honest and warm-hearted stories about growing up will probably enjoy Ann M. Martin’s books as well.
Barbara Park wrote lots of funny and friendly children’s books. Her stories follow everyday situations through the point of view of kids. One of her well-known books is “Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus.”
It’s about Junie B. Jones, a curious kindergartner who doesn’t like riding the school bus because it’s noisy and smells bad. She decides to hide instead of going home at the end of the day. Her adventures alone at school are funny and unexpected.
Readers who enjoyed Beverly Cleary’s lively characters and their real-life experiences will likely enjoy Barbara Park’s books too.
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor writes realistic stories about relatable kids and their everyday lives. Readers who enjoy Beverly Cleary will find Naylor’s books easy to connect to. In “Shiloh,” Naylor tells about Marty, a young boy who discovers a mistreated dog named Shiloh.
Marty decides to rescue Shiloh, but this decision creates tension in his family and with the dog’s neglectful owner. The story shows how Marty handles this problem with courage and kindness.
If you like stories about ordinary kids faced with hard choices, you would probably enjoy Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s books.
If you’ve enjoyed Beverly Cleary’s stories about funny and realistic kids, Paula Danziger might be your next favorite author. Danziger wrote stories about everyday kids who deal with issues at home and school that any reader can recognize.
In her book “The Cat Ate My Gymsuit,” Marcy Lewis hates gym class and worries constantly about fitting in at school. Things begin to change when Ms. Finney, a new teacher, arrives and brings fresh ideas to the classroom.
Marcy soon faces a real conflict after Ms. Finney gets into trouble with the administration because of her teaching style. The situation puts Marcy in the difficult position of deciding what’s important to her.
The way she handles this struggle and finds her own voice makes the story enjoyable and realistic.
Kate DiCamillo writes books featuring characters that feel real and relatable, similar to Beverly Cleary. Her stories revolve around everyday life but often have a sense of wonder woven into them.
For example, in “Because of Winn-Dixie,” a young girl named Opal moves to a new town and adopts a friendly stray dog she names Winn-Dixie. As Opal gets to know the people in the neighborhood, she learns their personal histories and secrets.
The story is touching but still feels down-to-earth and easy to believe. Readers who enjoy Beverly Cleary’s realistic stories about children and families might find Kate DiCamillo’s writing engaging too.
If you enjoy Beverly Cleary’s books, you might also like E.L. Konigsburg. Konigsburg wrote children’s books that focus on everyday kids dealing with unusual situations.
Her novel “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” tells the story of Claudia and her younger brother Jamie, who decide to run away from home. They hide out in New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Soon they discover a statue with a mysterious past.
Claudia and Jamie become determined to find out the truth behind it. The book has relatable characters and explores themes of adventure, independence and family relationships.
Peg Kehret writes children’s books that often show everyday kids facing unexpected adventures. Readers who like Beverly Cleary might enjoy Kehret’s book “Escaping the Giant Wave.”
In this story, Kyle is excited for a family trip to the Oregon coast, but a tsunami warning soon turns the vacation into a test of courage and quick thinking. The story moves fast, contains clear language, and feels true to how young people behave in stressful situations.
Kehret’s writing captures the tension of unexpected danger without losing touch of realistic characters and believable situations.
Joanna Cole is an author known for children’s books that blend playful storytelling with curious facts. One of her popular works is “The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body.”
In this story, Ms. Frizzle takes her class on a memorable journey through Arnold’s body to explore how our insides actually function.
Readers who enjoy Beverly Cleary’s relatable characters and everyday adventures might also appreciate Joanna Cole’s approachable style and creative way of explaining science.
Megan McDonald writes stories about Judy Moody, a third-grader full of funny ideas and strong feelings. In the book “Judy Moody Was in a Mood,” Judy starts the school year upset about summer being over.
She has to do a class project called “Me Collage,” and that project ends up showing her a lot about herself and makes her classroom experience fun.
Readers who enjoy Beverly Cleary’s “Ramona” series often like Judy Moody because both girls face everyday kid life with humor and heart.
Mary Norton was a British author known for imaginative and charming children’s books. Her book “The Borrowers” tells a story about tiny people called Borrowers who secretly live inside the walls of human homes.
In the book, the young Borrower named Arrietty makes friends with a human boy. Together, they cope with adventure and danger in a world too big for Borrowers.
Readers who appreciate Beverly Cleary’s humorous, relatable, and warm stories about childhood experiences often find parallels in Mary Norton’s creative tales and lively characters.
Elizabeth Enright wrote children’s novels that readers of Beverly Cleary might enjoy. Her stories focus on family life and childhood adventures, often set during simpler times, with characters who are easy to relate to.
One of her most popular books is “The Saturdays,” about the four Melendy siblings. Tired of spending weekends at home, the kids start a club to pool their allowances. Each Saturday one sibling gets the pooled money to spend on a solo adventure around New York City.
The choices they make lead to surprising situations and fun events that keep readers interested.
Carolyn Haywood wrote children’s books that focused on everyday adventures kids actually experience. Readers who enjoy Beverly Cleary might also appreciate her book “B is for Betsy.”
It’s about Betsy, a young girl who faces ordinary challenges of starting school and making new friends. Betsy’s experiences feel real and relatable to young readers. The book shows warm scenes of family life, friendships, and gentle humor that makes readers smile.