- Dear Mr. Henshaw
-
Dear Mr. Henshaw 
Dear Mr. Henshaw book coverAuthor(s) Beverly Cleary Translator Beverly Cleary Illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky Cover artist Paul O. Zelinsky Country United States Language English Series 1-10 Genre(s) Young adult Publisher HarperCollins Publication date August 1983 Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback) Pages 144 pp ISBN ISBN 0-688-02405-X OCLC Number 9371228 LC Classification PZ7.C5792 De 1983 Followed by Strider Dear Mr. Henshaw is a juvenile epistolary novel by Beverly Cleary which was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1984.[1]
Plot summary
Dear Mr. Henshaw begins with the book's main character, Leigh Botts, writing 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, Leigh's personal matters are revealed, 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.
By writing to Mr. Henshaw, Leigh Botts must learn to accept that he cannot change parts of his life; that, for example, his parents never will re-marry, people will continue to steal his lunch, and that he can never count on his father to be available when he is needed. He must deal with problems that many other children also have to cope with: feeling lonely because he is new in town, school assignments, etc.[2][3]
Sequel
A sequel, titled Strider, was released in 1991.
References
Awards Preceded by
Dicey's SongNewbery Medal recipient
1984Succeeded by
The Hero and the CrownCategories:- Children's novel stubs
- 1983 books
- Newbery Medal winners (book)
- Novels by Beverly Cleary
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