From left are: blues musician Buddy Guy; dancer and artistic director Suzanne Farrell; Bush; children's book author Beverly Cleary; and actor-director Ron Howard. Cleary’s publisher HarperCollins announced Friday that the author died Thursday in Carmel Valley, California, where she had lived since the 1960s. Trained as a librarian, Cleary didn’t start writing books until her early 30s when she wrote “Henry Huggins,” published in 1950. Among the “Henry” titles were “Henry and Ribsy,” “Henry and the Paper Route” and “Henry and Beezus.”AdRamona, perhaps her best-known character, made her debut in “Henry Huggins” with only a brief mention. Ad“Dear Mr. Henshaw,” the touching story of a lonely boy who corresponds with a children’s book author, won the 1984 John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Beverly Cleary, the children's author whose best-known characters include Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, Ramona and Beezus Quimby, and Ralph S. Mouse, is celebrating her 102nd birthday on April 12. In honor of her birthday, take a look at some other famous centenarians. Hide Caption