Dear Mr. Henshaw

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

Leigh Botts who writes a series of letters to his favorite author Mr. Henshaw starting in second grade and finishing in sixth grade. Over time the letters go from being generic letters to Leigh sharing his feelings and concerns about his parent’s divorce. Mr. Henshaw also encourages Leigh to write, so Leigh starts to write in a diary addressed to “Pretend Mr. Henshaw”. He discusses his concerns over his father and the thief who takes treats out of his lunch. With Mr. Henshaw's encouragement, Leigh writes a story that wins honorable mention in a competition and he gets to have lunch with a real author.

This fictional novel covers the heavy topic of divorce and how divorce changes Leigh’s life. Through the letters to Mr. Henshaw, the reader sees Leigh’s struggles at a new school, his mother working, not seeing his dad and not having his dog. The target audience would be older elementary age. Even though the novel was written over 30 years ago, it is a timeless classic that shares all the heartache of divorce.

 1984 Newberry Award Winner