Dear Mr. Henshaw

Bibliographic Citation

Cleary, B., & Zelinsky, P. O. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw (1st ed.). HarperCollins.

About the Book

Dear Mr. Henshaw is a classic. It’s a book about a young boy named Leigh Botts, who is going through a difficult time with his parents recent divorce, being a new kid at school, and his mom being very busy with work. The story is mainly told by the letters Leigh writes to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw and a personal diary that he keeps. One of Leigh's goals is to become a writer, throughout the book we witness his character develop his writing and learn to cope with the troubles he faced.

The text in this book is mostly presented in the form of letters. Beverly Cleary does an excellent job making the story flow well despite the limitations that the format of the book may have presented. This novel touches on themes like family, divorce, and coming of age. Several black and white sketches are found throughout the book to illustrate important events in the story.

Connections

Book Trailer

Books with similar themes:

• It's Not the End of the World by Blume, Judy

• Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Other books by author:

• Ramona Quimby, Age 8

• Ramona and Her Father

Teaching ideas:

• Teach the parts of a letter and have students practice their writing skills by writing a letter to their favorite author.

Requirement the Book Meets

• Required book list