Module Four: Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

Bibliography

Cleary, B. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Summary

Leigh Botts begins writing to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw -- first, as a fan letter, but later because he enjoys the process of writing. Through his letters, which later become diary entries upon Mr. Henshaw's suggestion, the reader sees Leigh's true thoughts unfold as he begins to find his voice. Abandoned by his truck driver father, Leigh's mother struggles to support them on her own. Leigh feels isolated and lonely at his new school, and one of the few highlights of his day are the delicious treats his mother includes in his lunch bag, which someone has been stealing. As he continues his letters to Mr. Henshaw, though, Leigh is able to work out his feelings and frustrations with his father, his new school, and his life. Eventually, he develops not only a skill for writing, but also the maturity to understand and forgive.

 

My Impressions

At first, I was a bit thrown off by the letter-writing format, but I was soon drawn into Leigh Botts' world, melancholy though it was in the beginning. The more Leigh opens up through his letters, however, the more I understood his sadness and frustration, which stems primarily from his parents' divorce and his father's absence. Divorce is hard enough for kids, but the fact that his father doesn't call when he's promised to and is late with child support payments leaves Leigh feeling forgotten and abandoned. During one phone conversation with his father, Leigh overhears another child in the background, and it's the last straw for him. He hangs up the phone, feeling even more dejected because his father appears to have moved on. Here, instead of withdrawing farther into despair, Leigh becomes stronger through his writing and the people around him. A particularly apt assessment from the school custodian helps to set Leigh on the right path at school. He suggests to Leigh that the boy is friendless because he seems angry and frowns so much. This had never occurred to Leigh before, and he begins to consider how his behavior might be affecting those around him. This is a poignant, funny story chronicling one boy's acceptance of those things he can't change, and his willingness to alter the things he can.

Review 

Journal of Education

"Dear Mr. Henshaw, Beverly Cleary's 27th novel, has become a classic for middle graders that brings to life the power of engaging with an authentic and meaningful task. In her rich repertoire of books for young readers, Dear Mr. Henshaw remains one of the most endearing and enduring stories. Natalie Babbitt, another award-winning author of books for young readers, wrote in The New York Times Book Review (1983),

'Beverly Cleary has written many very good books over the years. This one is the best. It is a first-rate, poignant story in the forms of letters and a diary -- a new construction for a Cleary book -- and there is so much in it, all presented so simply, that it's hard to find a way to do it justice' (p. 34).

This review helps us to understand why after nearly three decades readers are still drawn to this novel about a young boy finding his voice through writing.

This story is told completely through the letters of Leigh Botts, beginning in second grade when he writes a simple fan letter to his favorite author "Mr. Henshaw." His short note, a simple text riddled with the misspellings common to young writers states, "Dear Mr. Henshaw, My teacher read your book about the dog to the class. It was funny. We licked it" (p. l).The reader follows Leigh as he progresses through the grades, writing to Mr. Henshaw as his school assignments dictate. Through his connection to one of Mr. Henshaw's books, we begin to learn about Leigh as a person. He explains that his name is indeed a boy's name, and he sends a picture to prove it. He has a dog, named Bandit, who howls like the dog in the book. At Mr. Henshaw's urging (which is only implied in the book), Leigh reads another of his favorite author's books.

The tale unfolds further when, as part of an author's study, Leigh writes to Mr. Henshaw to ask several questions. Mr. Henshaw answers the questions, but insists that, in return, Leigh answer the questions he poses to him. At first Leigh rebels against answering; he sees the task as extra work that he shouldn't have to do. He knows that responding will take time, but slowly he relents. As he addresses Mr. Henshaw's questions, the length of his letters increases, and the reader gains a sense that Leigh is losing himself in the process of writing. In his real life situation, Leigh faces many challenges; his parents are divorced, and his dad is driving a truck across the country, Leigh's dog in tow. In his father's absence his mother works hard to make ends meet. Although she manages to include treats in his lunch, the tastiest morsels are often stolen. Given these burdens, Leigh is lonely and has a hard time making friends. However, as he begins to experience the release found in writing, he heeds Mr. Henshaw's advice to keep the letter format but to write in the pages of a journal.

Throughout the book, Leigh comments on the writing advice that the invisible Mr. Henshaw provides. He begins to note how people talk and writes dialogue in his journal. After producing a story that fails to be fully realized, Leigh decides to listen to Mr. Henshaw and to write about what he knows in the form of a description of his father on the road, driving his truck. It becomes evident that Leigh, a former reluctant writer, is using his writing for a variety of purposes -- to work through his anger at his father, to connect with a caring mentor, and to develop his own writing skills. By the end of the novel Leigh has come into his own as an engaged writer.

The letter format that Cleary chose allows the reader to understand the events of Leigh's life, and the few scratchy pen illustrations by Paul O. Zelinsky show Leigh at various stages in the composing process as he scowls, thinks, and writes across the pages. Cleary's novel demonstrates how a boy highly resistant to writing might ultimately discover the joy of putting pencil to page when encouraged to write in a way that is meaningful, personal, and authentic. Beverly Cleary's classic stands the test of time."

Use in Library

Dear Mr. Henshaw would be an excellent vehicle through which to discuss the repercussions and emotions involved with divorce through a summer reading program for late elementary school and middle school children. Librarians could open the discussion with comments about Leigh's situation and how he responded, and then invite children to share their own experiences. Some children may hesitate to share such personal information, so librarians should be aware that they might need to redirect conversation back to the book itself.

This book could be used as an inspiration for a creative writing program for the age group discussed above. First, librarians could have students read the novel and discuss the effect writing letters and journal entries had on Leigh's life. Then students could be encouraged to start their own letter writing/journaling experience and continue to discuss the process and their writing throughout the program.


Dear Mr. Henshaw. (2011). [Review of the book Dear Mr. Henshaw]. Journal of Education, 191(2), 76-77.

Image from http://teacherwillrunforbooks.blogspot.com/2010/11/dear-mr-henshaw.html