My Own Two Feet: A Memoir

From this book, I could also see little anecdotes in her autobiography, which showed up in her books. She described how when she was a librarian and when kids applied for library cards, one kid mentioned that her dad mowed the lawn when asked what he did. I remember reading this as Ramona's response in one of the Ramona books.

Is Beverly Cleary still alive? She must be up there in years. At any rate, I loved her autobiographies, and when I have children, I will not hesitate in encouraging my kids to read her books.


Sad to See It End   December 14, 2001
Sandra Mitchell (Chicago, IL United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

After devouring Beverly Cleary's first memoir "A Girl From Yamhill" I couldn't wait to read My Own Two Feet. The only thing to complain about is that there isn't a sequel to this one! Picking up where Yamhill left off, we share in Beverly Cleary's journey through college and into her adult years and the writing of her first book, Henry Huggins. Reading Cleary's Memoirs, I was taken back to my own childhood and my love for Ramona & Beezus. Cleary has a unique gift of simple writing that readers of all ages can enjoy, whether you are 8 or 80. I lover her writing as much today as I did when I was in the 3rd grade.


A wonderful autobiography!   June 28, 2008
H. S. Wedekind (Pennsylvania, USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This was an interesting and thoroughly enjoyable memoir about Beverly Cleary, nee Bunn, as a young woman during the Depression and World War II. The previous reviewers were on target concerning Beverly's easy writing style and vivid recollections of her family and college years: traveling alone by bus from Oregon to California to attend Chaffey Junior College for two years, matriculating to U Cal Berkeley, studying at the U of Washington after graduating from Berkeley to become a librarian, marrying Clarence Cleary (her strained relationship with her mother because of it) and working as a librarian at the US Army's Camp Knight and Oakland Regional Hospital during WWII, writing and publishing her first children's book. Many B&W photos of family and friends are included. I highly recommend MY OWN TWO FEET.


Highly enjoyable window to the past.   July 5, 2000
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I loved Beverly Cleary's fictional books when I was a boy. More recently, I enjoyed reading her first memoir "A Girl from Yamhill." Therefore, I just had to read her second memoir, "My Own Two Feet" which chronicles her life through college, her work as a librarian, her marriage, and the beginning of her life as a children's author. I loved it! It not only provides a wonderful insight into the mindset and character of its author; but also presents a vivid, sometimes very nostalgic, look at life in the 30's and 40's. It describes an America that has disappeared. A college social life that revolved around a seemingly endless number of dances and a strict code of decorum on how young women should dress and act. A small town opposed to the idea of having two married librarians since jobs were so scarce during the Depression that it was considered fair enough for just the husband to have a job. Also as a Catholic, I was amused by Beverly's parents' opposition to her marriage to Clarence Cleary simply because he was Catholic.

There's also some fun information for the fans of her fictional books. Readers will learn how Ribsy and Ramona got their names and what was Mrs. Cleary's original ending to "Henry Huggins." It's also interesting to note that the character of Ramona Quimby, which is arguably Mrs. Cleary's most beloved, was created simply as an afterthought to keep all her characters from being only children. I absolutely loved this book, and was disappointed it was so short!


A very heartwarming book   February 14, 2000
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I read a lot of Beverly Cleary's books as a little girl and loved them. As an adult, I loved her autobiographies. This book not only described her college life, how she met her husband, and became a writer, but what life was like during the Depression and WWII. She described her battles with a difficult mother without being overly resentful. I am amazed at how well she gets along with kids and how she can write so well for kids, considering her own mother didn't really express her love for Beverly when she was growing up.

From this book, I could also see little anecdotes in her autobiography, which showed up in her books. She described how when she was a librarian and when kids applied for library cards, one kid mentioned that her dad mowed the lawn when asked what he did. I remember reading this as Ramona's response in one of the Ramona books.

Is Beverly Cleary still alive? She must be up there in years. At any rate, I loved her autobiographies, and when I have children, I will not hesitate in encouraging my kids to read her books.