When I started reading as a little kid, some of my favorite first books were from Beverly Cleary's Ramona series. I read each one multiple times. I remember lots of things about them, like the whole "sit here for the present" snafu. And I remember some things that were more subtle, like Ramona's willful insistence on being herself. And her family's ability to weather some stresses and challenges without losing sight of the love they had for each other. These things in particular, when I think back on it, became reassuring models to me in my elementary school years, as I learned how to be true to myself, and also ride out some of the changes my family faced.
There is probably more, but this is what comes to mind most vividly today, on the occasion of Beverly Cleary's 90th birthday. She probably is the author who has had the most influence on me, describing a world that was a lot like my own and helping me grow into it. It therefore seems sort of fitting that I ended up following in her footsteps when I enrolled at UC Berkeley...
So to a Golden Bear of great distinction, happy birthday!