Dear Mr. Henshaw, I am sorry I was rude in my last letter... Maybe I was mad about other things, like Dad forgetting to send this month's support payment. Mom tried to phone him at the trailer park where, as Mom says, he hangs his hat.

This Newbery Medal-winning book, by the terrifically popular and prolific Beverly Cleary (Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Runaway Ralph), exhibits a subtlety and sensitivity that will be appreciated by any youngster who feels lonely and troubled during the transition into adolescence. Winner of numerous other awards, including two Newbery Honors, Cleary teams up with Caldecott winner Paul O. Zelinsky, who creates a quiet backdrop for the realistic characters. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

The is poor kid really has it rough: living next door to a gas station; trying to help and cheer up his overworked mom, who never knows when the next child support check will arrive; missing his dog who stays with dad. It gets even worse: his absentee father is a long-distance trucker who rarely keeps his casual promises to his son, whom he only calls "kid." The boy finds himself the frequent victim of a lunchbox thief at school, where his only friend is the custodian.

But wait--this story is not really a tear jerker. Elementary kids should enjoy this short book, since many of the issues are (unfortunately) familiar to many children in our society: single parent homes, loss of a beloved pet; prolonged victimizatin at school; frustration over paternal neglect, and a vague sense of somehow being to blame for the divorce. This is an interesting story for adults too; once we focus on Leigh's 6th grade experiences--when his letters to Dr. Mr. "Pretend" Henshaw graduate to diary status.

Cleary includes good advice and realistic suggestions to children who are considering the writer's trade, as well as creative conflict resolution. Will Leigh ever catch that elusive lunchbox thief? Will he report him even though he does not report the thefts? Nothing like being hungry to contribute to general unhappiness. This book deals with contemporary problems and coming-to-terms with the marital status quo, though Leigh still dreams that his parents will get back together. A short, insightful book which s! hould interest and entertain most elementary readers.


gentle and sympathetic story from the wonderful Cleary   January 21, 2002
 8 out of 12 found this review helpful

Leigh Botts could use a friend. Instead, a lunch thief is taking the best bits out of his lunch bag every day, Leigh's parents are separated, and Leigh's dad has his dog. During a class assignment, Leigh's overwhelming feelings come pouring out to the author of a book he has enjoyed. Told in diary entries and Leigh's series of letters to this distant figure, the story covers several years and organically illustrates Leigh's burgeoning maturity. Originally isolated, Leigh enters into some friendships and begins to value himself. Conversations are realistic and character development is authentic.

I enjoyed the authors works as a kid, and I think she holds up extremely well. This book was originally published in 1983, and is still relevant and accessible.


A Critical Reflection of Dear Mr. Henshaw   December 10, 2000
 7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Cleary, Beverly. Dear Mr. Henshaw. Harper Trophy: New York, 1983.

DeLuca, Geraldine. " 'Composing a Life': The Diary of Leigh Botts." The Lion and the Unicorn: A Critical Journal of Children's Literature 14:2 (1990): 58-65.

Beverly Cleary's novel Dear Mr. Henshaw is about a young boy, Leigh Botts, who begins writing to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw; because the author doesn't have time to answer such frequent letters, he advises Leigh to keep a diary instead. Leigh continues writing to Mr. Henshaw but keeps most of the letters in a diary instead of mailing them. Over the time that Leigh writes in his diary, he learns about himself and his feelings both toward the people around him and the situations he lives with.

The novel seems simple due to its main literary tool, the informal letter, but the message is much more complex and poignant. Many people have seen the powerful effects of journaling, and Leigh Botts's writing is no exception, though he doesn't seem to realize that the writing has helped him overcome some of his troubles. He begins writing to Mr. Henshaw as a school assignment to ask ten questions of an author for a book report. Then, when Mr. Henshaw replies with ten questions of his own for Leigh, Leigh no longer wishes to correspond, but his mother forces him to answer the questions out of courtesy. Some of Mr. Henshaw's questions, such as "What is your family like?" and "Where do you live?" elicit strong feelings about his family situation. Leigh's parents are divorced, and he lives with his mother in a small house with a broken television. His father, a truck driver, took their dog with him and usually neglects to call when he=s promised to. Mr. Henshaw's other questions, "What bothers you?" and "What do you wish?" evoke other feelings about someone continually stealing the "good stuff" from his lunch bag and the fact that his dad never says he misses him or even calls him by his name. The fact that Leigh is writing his thoughts on paper seems to help him through his struggles, even if it is just to vent his anxiety and frustration. Mr. Henshaw's questions help Leigh to focus on some problems in his life that he may have realized but probably otherwise wouldn't have concentrated on without the help of the questions. Some of the first impressive aspects of Leigh's letters to Mr. Henshaw are his honesty and openness about his personal feelings. Even when he writes actual letters to Mr. Henshaw rather than in his diary, Leigh tells him openly about his father and how he feels about his situation.

In her article " 'Composing a Life': The Diary of Leigh Botts," Geraldine DeLuca describes the novel as being modeled like the ideas in a book by David Feinstein and Stanley Krippner, entitled Personal Mythology: The Psychology of Your Evolving Self wherein readers are instructed to write a story composed of three parts: a personal memory of a paradise, a time when the paradise is lost, and finally a time when the paradise is regained. To DeLuca, Leigh lost his paradise when his parents divorced, though the existence of the paradise "is only briefly recorded through Leigh's letters" (DeLuca 59). He finally regains some sense of a paradise when he learns to take control of his life (his lunch-burglar alarm) and realize that he can't always trust his father when he makes promises. As disheartening as that fact is to a child, DeLuca points out, "At least he knows what he knows" (64).

In Dear Mr. Henshaw, Cleary does an excellent job of conveying the story of a young boy whose family is no longer nuclear, and the way he finds strength through writing his thoughts in a diary. The letters are an efficient way to show the point of view of an eleven-year-old boy and show his true character as he changes throughout the novel.


An Outlook on Dear Mr. Henshaw   January 30, 2000
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

Leigh Botts begins to write his favorite author,Mr. Henshaw.Mr. Henshaw's letters inspire Leigh to keep a journal,which help him to become a better writer, while helping him cope withhis parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and finding his own place in the world. Leigh is faced with problems at school when a lunch bag bandit continues to steal treats out of his lunch, problems at home concerning his neglecting father, who doesn't call when he says he will and doesn't visit when he promises.

As a young girl I always loved reading Beverly Cleary books. That's why I chose to review Dear Mr. Henshaw. I really enjoyed reading this book. It is full of many emotions happiness, sadness, cruelty, that can relate to any child in almost any situation. Hardships Leigh experienced, both in school and in his personal family life are very similar to many of the hardships children in this society are facing everyday. Children may be interested in knowing that the hardships they face at home are not uncommon and they are not alone. Children who are more fortunate may be interested in the book as well, they may learn to appreciate their lives a little more. I recommend that children perhaps in grades three through six read a book of this nature and I strongly believe they will find it very enjoyable. This isn't a book I would choose to read aloud, it is something I feel to be quietly read alone. I would definitely read more books by this author. I am already familiar with Beverly Cleary's work and I enjoy reading her novels.