Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary- Book Set #3

Cleary, B. (1983).  Dear Mr.Henshaw. New York, NY. Morrow Junior Books.

Leigh Botts writes to the author of his favorite book Mr.Henshaw when he is in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and now 5th grade as part of a variety of author study school assignments.  When Mr.Henshaw writes him back with a series of questions about who he is and what he likes and dislikes, Leigh reluctantly (and only because his mother makes him) replies.  This sparks an interest in writing and fills a void of having a friend and father figure with him.  He continues to write to Mr.Henshaw but then follows the suggestion of continuing his writing in a diary rather than letters.  His writing becomes more frequent and with each entry we discover more about him and his interests, his relationship with his father, and his new and inventive ways of keeping others from stealing his lunch.  Leigh also develops his skill as a writer and even enters a competition where his honorable mention writing piece gets the attention from a "real live author" and she complements him on his honest expression.  All this helps him to deal with the hardships of his parents divorce.  In this contemporary realistic fiction piece, the main character, Leigh, is easy for readers of similar age to identify with, especially boys.  He is going through a number of struggles that any young reader might be going through. This includes  his parents divorcing, moving, missing his friends and dog, being the new kid, being sort of "average" and quiet and living with only one parent. His thoughts and feelings are expressed  through his own writing rather than direct dialog but we can still see the relationships he has with others.  The act of writing regardless of how alone he is helps this character to grow and change and come to accept others and see the positive in life.  The author's unique style of revealing a story through letters and diary entries reveals the strong point of view of one character.  It is appropriate for the purpose of the book as it focuses on his internal thoughts and emotions rather than an exciting plot.  This is a wonderful piece of contemporary realistic fiction for its ability to relate to and style.