Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

Cleary, B.  Dear Mr. Henshaw.

Mr. Boyd Henshaw has been Leigh Botts' favorite author since second grade.  Read this book to find out how Mr. Henshaw and Mr. Fridley (the custodian) help Leigh deal with some personal issues he is having.

It started in second grade when Leigh Botts' teacher read his class a book by Mr. Boyd Henshaw, who became Leigh's favorite author. Leigh continues to write to Mr. Henshaw, and when he gets to sixth grade, he has an assignment to write about a favorite author, so he automatically thinks about Mr. Henshaw and asks him about his life and career. Mr. Henshaw advises Leigh to keep a journal to help with his writing. It is through these letters and Mr. Henshaw's responses that Leigh deals with his parents' divorce, being the new kid in school, and not having any friends (except Mr. Fridley the custodian), and trying to figure out who is taking his lunch. This book is told through Leigh's letters to Mr. Henshaw and entries in Leigh's journal. These letters, his journal, and Mr. Fridley help Leigh realize that if he wants things to change, he is going to have to change a little bit of himself as well. Things will not happen unless he does something to help make them happen.
I liked the way this book was written-a series of letters and jounal entries. We never actually read Mr. Henshaw's responses to Leigh's questions or letters, but we infer what he said from Leigh's other letters. I think this is a good book to read if someone is dealing with divorce and being new to a school. Things will not just be handed to you simply because you want them; you have to work at what you want to get what you want.  The title refers to how Leigh starts his letters to Mr. Henshaw and how Leigh looks to Mr. Henshaw for solace, comfort, and advice with the different events that are happening to him and around him.

This book won the John Newbery Award.  Learn about Beverly Cleary by visitng her website at http://www.beverlycleary.com/.  Click on the books tab to see other books she has written including the books of the Ramona Series, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, and Henry and Ribsy.