I found a girl from Yamhill while cleaning my room the other day. I was looking for books to give my sister, the kind that I read when I was her age. Although I love reading now, I wasn’t one of the kids that read War and Peace when they were five. No, I would barely read Diary of a wimpy kid, and that was only because I liked the movies. But, one fateful day, when I sat down on the scratchy carpet, preparing myself for the torture that was read aloud, my teacher announced that we would be reading a new book. And it was called Beezus and Ramona. After a few pages, I found myself actually enjoying it. Then, I started looking forward to it. Listening to what new scheme Ramona Quimby had planned for her older sister really resonated with me. After we finished the book, and moved on, I couldn’t help but want more. I loved it so much that I even made the trip to a foreign land, the library, and checked out every single Ramona book in existence. And I loved them. Beverly Cleary has a special place in my heart, because I read almost every book she wrote. Except for this one. A girl from Yamhill. A girl from Yamhill is a memoir by Beverly Cleary. As far as I have read into it, it’s a book about Cleary’s childhood. She was born in 1916, so it’s interesting to juxtapose her life growing up on an Oregon farm with my own. There are lots of parts, especially in the beginning, where I can’t help seeing Ramona Quimby. It is important to note that although most of Cleary’s books have protagonists with very happy childhoods, her’s was actually very complicated. Her family is constantly worried about money, especially after their farm fails, and her parents relationship is anything but strong. Another thing that I feel I should talk about is this line. “All my life, Mother had told me to use my imagination, but I had never expected to be asked, or even allowed, to use it in school.” This makes me reflect on my own childhood, and brings me back to the days of read aloud. It’s interesting to see that just like young me, young Beverly Cleary didn’t much enjoy reading, or the education system. I haven’t finished the book yet, but if you are a Beverly Cleary fan, like I am, or you just want a window into the Great Depression and beyond, I recommend this book.