Dear Mr. Henshaw

Title: Dear Mr. Henshaw

Author: Beverly Cleary

Publisher: HarperCollins 

Date: August 1983

Number of pages: 160 pages

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Genre: Young Adult

Summary: The main character. Leigh Botts, writes a letter as part of a second grade classroom assignment, to his favorite author, Boyd Henshaw. Mr. Henshaw writes back with some questions for Leigh, and his mother demands he answer. Through Leigh's answers to Mr. Henshaw, we learn about personal matters, such as his struggles with his parents' divorce, his complex relationship with his father, his being the new kid in town, etc. Later, Mr. Henshaw encourages Leigh to keep a diary of his thoughts and feelings, and the book then switches from a letter format to a diary format. Following the plot of the book, we see that Leigh Botts must learn to accept that he cannot change parts of his life; that, for example, his parents never will re-marry, and that he can never count on his father to be available when he is needed. We also learn that he must deal with problems that most young adults must deal with such as: feeling lonely because he is new in town, school assignments, etc.

My reaction: Dear Mr. Henshaw is a touching story, kind of a "coming-of-age" tale for an elementary school child. It's a wonderful book for kids, but also a terrific read for adults. Beverly Cleary never disappoints.

Potential problems: Brings up ill-emotions about divorce. Also harbors negative emotions towards parent figures.

My recommendation: Dear Mr. Henshaw is a great book for kids that are having troubles with their life, like everyday children. Reading this book as an adult I associated it with my personal life. I think it should be shared with all young adults who are struggling to find their identity. I remember reading "Dear Mr. Henshaw" when I was a kid and would highly recommend it to other children around seven and up.