Module 4 - Dear Mr. Henshaw

Citation: Cleary, B. (1997). Dear Mr. Henshaw. Littleton, MA.: Sundance.


Book Summary: Leigh Botts starts up a friendship with an author named Mr. Henshaw by writing him letters.  He continues to write to Mr. Henshaw as he grows up even though he doesn't hear back from him. When Mr. Henshaw finally writes back, he becomes a father figure to Leigh.  He gives him advice and helps him deal with deal with kids who are stealing food out of his lunchbox at school.  Henshaw encourages him to pursue his dream of becoming an author.

My Impressions:  This is an entertaining book that also teaches kids how to deal with difficult problems without being too direct about the message.  It is easy for most kids to find a way to relate to Leigh because many kids have gotten picked on at school or have divorced parents.  Cleary does a good job of dealing with these issues in a light heated and humorous way.  I vaguely remember reading this book in third grade, but I remember it was one of the first chapter books that I enjoyed reading.  I enjoyed reading it again for this class!

Professional Review:  Gr. 4-7 - Cleary succeeds again.  Leigh Botts lives with his recently divorced mother and writes to his favorite author, Boyd Henshaw.  When Henshaw answers his letters and encourages him to keep a journal, he does so, and in the process solves the mystery of who is stealing food from his lunchbox, invents an alarm for said lunchbox, tries to write a novel, and in the end, writes a prize-winning short story about an experience with his father.  The semi-epistolary style, at first between Leigh and Mr. Henshaw, then exclusively in Leigh's journal, gives a clear sense of his life, his thinking process, and his coming to grips with his father's absence.  His resolution to continue loving his difficult-to-love father and to try to get along and make friends in a new home and school will certainly move young readers, regardless of their own situations.  And, as usual, Cleary's sense of humor leavens and lightens what might otherwise be a heavy work of social realism.

MacDonald, R. K. (1983, January). [Review of the book Dear Mr. Henshaw, by B. Cleary]. School Library Journal, 30(1), 120. Retrieved from www.schoollibraryjournal.com.

Library Uses: The librarian could have students write letters or emails to their favorite authors.  The kids could tell the author what their favorite book is and why they like it.  They could also ask for advice on becoming an author.  It would be important to explain to the kids that many of them will probably not hear back from the author, but it is still a good experience for them to be able to write them a letter.