Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

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

Leigh is such a huge fan of Mr. Henshaw’s book, Ways to Amuse a Dog, so when his class is given an assignment to write to a famous author, naturally he chooses him.  What he doesn’t expect is that not only does Mr. Henshaw write back, but he sends Leigh a few questions of his own.  After his initial reluctance to answer the questions, he finally does and begins his journey to becoming a great writer.  Through his letters to Mr. Henshaw, and later his diary entries, we learn that Leigh is dealing with the divorce of this parents, including his mother’s struggle to provide enough for them to just get by and the fact that his father is never around and doesn’t even call when he says he will.  We also witness his struggles with being the new kid in school, the loneliness he feels with no friends and the fact that someone keeps stealing his lunch.  Through all the ups and downs we watch as Leigh grows as both a person and a writer.

Evaluation Criteria: Characters and Plot

Leigh is a 10-year-old aspiring writer who is struggling with his parent’s divorce and life at a new school.  Why did his mom divorce his dad?  Why won’t his dad visit or call when he says he will.  And who keeps taking all the good food out of his lunch?!   Young readers will find this plot realistic as it explores conflicts that many young children face.  As we read through both Leigh’s letters to Mr. Henshaw and his journal entries, we can see that he evolves not only as a writer, but from a lonely and angry young boy to an understanding and more self-assured young man who comes to terms with the fact that his parents will not be getting back together.

Lesson Plan Ideas for use with Dear Mr. Henshaw

Interview with Beverly Cleary