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    Dear Mr. Henshaw
    Dear Mr. Henshaw
    Dear Mr. Henshaw
    Audiobook1 hour

    Dear Mr. Henshaw

    Written by Beverly Cleary

    Narrated by Pedro Pascal

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Newbery Medal Winner * Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children * ALA Notable Children’s Book

    Beverly Cleary’s timeless Newbery Medal-winning book explores difficult topics like divorce, insecurity, and bullying through the thoughts and emotions of a sixth-grade boy as he writes to his favorite author, Boyd Henshaw.

    After his parents separate, Leigh Botts moves to a new town with his mother. Struggling to make friends and deal with his anger toward his absent father, Leigh loses himself in a class assignment in which he must write to his favorite author. When Mr. Henshaw responds, the two form an unexpected friendship that will change Leigh’s life forever.

    From the beloved author of the Henry Huggins, Ramona Quimby, and Ralph S. Mouse series comes an epistolary novel about how to navigate and heal from life’s growing pains.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateApr 28, 2009
    ISBN9780061762666
    Author

    Beverly Cleary

    Beverly Cleary is one of America's most beloved authors. As a child, she struggled with reading and writing. But by third grade, after spending much time in her public library in Portland, Oregon, she found her skills had greatly improved. Before long, her school librarian was saying that she should write children's books when she grew up. Instead she became a librarian. When a young boy asked her, ""Where are the books about kids like us?"" she remembered her teacher's encouragement and was inspired to write the books she'd longed to read but couldn't find when she was younger. She based her funny stories on her own neighborhood experiences and the sort of children she knew. And so, the Klickitat Street gang was born! Mrs. Cleary's books have earned her many prestigious awards, including the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, presented to her in recognition of her lasting contribution to children's literature. Dear Mr. Henshaw won the Newbery Medal, and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. Her characters, including Beezus and Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Ralph, the motorcycle-riding mouse, have delighted children for generations.

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    Reviews for Dear Mr. Henshaw

    4.5/5

    125 ratings67 reviews

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    • 2/5
      At least twice during school, my reading textbook contained an excerpt from this. And both times it was the part where the boy gets to go to lunch with an author. Now I finally read it.That excerpt is nothing like the book.Well, maybe a little. It is about a young boy who writes letters to an author. They start as “fan mail/questions”. Then it becomes personal stuff about his life–way too personal–that transforms into essentially a diary, or shouting into the wind. And it’s in epistolary format, so it’s fun to see his writing style evolve over time. I was under the impression that Mr. Henshaw never responds to the boy, but in fact he does. You just don’t see those responses. But writing is not what the book is about.It’s about his coming to terms with his parents’ divorce and his deadbeat truck driver father. A bit cliche now, but not so much when this was written. I don’t know why, but something felt off about this book. Maybe it was my expectations that it would be about a boy becoming a writer and then being delivered a bildrungsoman. Maybe I couldn’t much relate to the boy. He’s living in a trailer and he’s constantly talking about his father–if he’s going to come visit, if he’s going to call, what he’s doing with their dog, who was that woman who answered the phone, and so on. Something’s lacking–either charm or wit or levity. It seems bleak. It seems like the moral is “adults are shits and there’s nothing you can do about it, kid”. It’s a solid idea, but lacks plot. So it comes off whiny. I imagine this is the kid who grew up to become J.D. Salinger.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      from building rainbows
      In his letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world.
      In this story, a boy named Leigh Botts writes to a man named Mr.Henshaw. It doesn't tell his first name in the story. Leigh Botts has always written to Mr.Henshaw since he was in the third grade. It's funny how every time Leigh moves to a different grade he has to do the same work. He had to write to a writer in all his grades from third to sixth grade.

      Mr.Henshaw is a professional writer and Leigh Botts has read every one of his books. Leigh Botts wrote a letter to Mr.Henshaw about books that Mr. Henshaw had written called "Moose On Toast" and "Ways To Amuse a Dog." Mr. Henshaw did write back but with a typewriter. Leigh Botts sent Mr. Henshaw some questions and he never answered them until Leigh Botts wrote to him again.

      Finally Leigh gets answers to his questions.

      This book was published in 1983 and I cannot believe it took me this many years to read this wonderful book. I read it in one sitting. It deals with tough topics but topics very real to our students today.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Realistic (but never gritty) this interesting coming-of-age story doesn't have a plot so much as a focus on Leigh's character development. Exploring themes of friendship, self-confidence, parental relationships, and the importance of creative expression, "Dear Mr. Henshaw" is another great book from an awesome author.
    • 5/5
      I loved every second of this especially that it’s narrated by Pedro pascal.
    • 1/5
      bad rellay bad i hated it . so did my friends.
    • 5/5
      This book is about Leigh Botts who's family is going through a divorce. Leigh is having trouble adjusting to this so he begins to write letters about his assignments to Mr. Henshaw. Leigh barley gets to see his mother who is struggling to pay the bills, and hardly gets calls from his father who is behind on payments, while this is occurring Leigh starts to write to Mr. Henshaw about his family issues. Mr. Henshaw writes back sarcastically by telling Leigh to keep a diary to vent and build his writing skills. Leigh later enters a young authors contest and gets honorable mention and also an award to get to meet a famous author. Leigh forms a relationship with his father, but also realizes that his family will never be the way it was or he wants it to be.I had never read a Beverly Cleary Book, but choose one that is non like her others. This is a well written book with a common happening among children. This is a great book for all children. I would read this book aloud to a class for many reasons, some being so they would realize that no family is "normal". I would also read it aloud to see how many students had a family that was the same as this book this way the students could share their feelings and maybe so other students could also vent about things in their families. It will be a very difficult subject but it is important to let the children know that it is ok and people are around for them to talk to if they need. Also letting the class start a vent journal is a great way for children to get their feelings out and a good tool to keep with them along the years.
    • 4/5
      A grade 2 assignment leads Leigh Boots to write to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw. Leigh wants to become a writer like Mr. Henshaw, and so this marks the beginning of a letter-writing relationship that extends into junior high school. During the course of this relationship, Mr. Henshaw encourages Leigh to keep a diary. Through a series of letters and diary entries, Beverly Cleary shares the poignant story of Leigh's struggles growing up: coming to terms with his parent's divorce, a lunch thief, moving to a new school, and not having any friends. Although I missed the tactile experience of holding the book in my hands, George Guidall's soothing narration provided thought-provoking road-trip entertainment. Although the story may seem somewhat dated to modern readers, the themes are universal.
    • 4/5
      This Newbery Award winner of 1984 can still be used to inspire young student writers, children whose parents have difficulty getting along or are divorced, and children who are picked on. The book is structured around what starts out as a correspondence between 6th grader Leigh Botts and a writer that he admires, Mr. Henshaw. When Mr. Henshaw suggests that he can’t keep up a correspondence with the boy, he suggests Leigh keep a journal in which to write his thoughts and ideas. This transition from writing fan letters to keeping a journal where the author becomes less important occurs effectively and believably. Leigh’s observations and expressions of his feelings regarding his parents and ongoing frustrations with his lunch thief sound authentically 6th grade, even though the book is close to being 30 years old. Leigh’s growth and maturation make this story a good choice especially for boys who might have frustrations of their own. It is positive without being sappy. Target audience grades 4-6. Cleary, B., Zelinsky, P. O., & Juvenile Collection (Library of Congress). (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York: Morrow.
    • 4/5
      I read this book when I was in 5th grade and, now having picked it up again I really did not remember it being so deep. Divorce, a strained relationships with parents and just having to move on as things change. To me, this is to boys what Esperanza Rising is to girls. My only complaint about the story is that the in oder to convey Voice to the narrator, the text and tone are dumbed-down (somewhat). That said, there was a lot of potential for a sad story, however, it comes off as a sweet testament to the trials of life. The big idea here is that life doesn't always give us the answers we are looking for in a clear path. Sometimes it takes a while and sometimes we may not really know. Great Book!
    • 4/5
      This book would provide an excellent example for children about how to make journal entried and write letters to important people. Children reading or listening to this story would hear the appropriate way to write and what good writing sounds like when read out loud. This book is an excellent model in that way, and the writing children are reading tells a full story by the end of the book!
    • 4/5
      I think this is a fantastic book to read in the classroom when teaching students about letter-writing. In this novel Leigh is writing to his favorite author Mr. Henshaw for a school assignment. Mr. Henshaw writes back to Leigh and asks him questions to get to know Leigh better. During this process Leigh starts to keep a journal and writes about his everyday experiences at school and home. Leigh's parents are divorced and his dad is a truck driver and his mother works at a catering business and supports Leigh on her own. Children with divorced parents could relate to this novel. This novel is also very gender neutral. It is not a book that only girls will identify with or only boys.
    • 4/5
      A profoundly simple and real story about a lonely and isolated boy who starts to write to his favorite author, Boyd Henshaw - he writes back and an unusual friendship by letters is established. Leigh Botts faces several problems - the big one is understanding his parents divorce and coping with an absent dad who seems more interested driving around the country in his truck than in him - another one is how to become a writer - an author - and yet another one is to understand how his lunch is stolen every day. Some funny episodes here. I loved this little gem. With the limited vocabulary and understated style it’s easy to imagine this being the writings of a young boy.
    • 4/5
      It won the Notable Children's Books and the Newbery Medal Award
    • 5/5
      12 year old Leigh has been writing to Mr. Henshaw off and on since a school assignment in 2nd grade mandated he contact a published author. Now in 6th grade, Leigh begins writing in earnest--ostensibly for another school project-- revealing the unhappy details of his life. It is Mr Henshaw's brief, but thoughtful, response that leads Leigh to start keeping a letter-journal and it is through these letters--some sent (Dear Real Mr. Henshaw) and some journaled (Dear Fake Mr. Henshaw) that we learn about his struggle with his parents recent divorce and separation, the move to a new house, a new school, his loneliness, and the unreliable father that he loves and misses. As in real life, things improve for Leigh by the end of the book--he meets a new friend and comes to terms with the new living situation but, just as important, there is no happily ever after and his parents do not get back together----instead, they all move on. Well written and brilliant--this is a great book for individual reading and for book club and class room discussions. The issues of divorce and unhappiness and alienation are very common in YA books, but much less so for this age level--when many children are aware of family issues but do not know how to talk about them, leaving them full of fear and anxiety. Thoughtful and moving, Dear Mr. Henshaw is popular and well received by children and adults and serves as a great introduction to the works of Beverly Cleary. Recommended.
    • 4/5
      This was definitely a good book and interesting in that it offered some concrete suggestions for how to deal with kid problems, other than just - live through it. It was amusing to read the letters to the author, it sounded as though Cleary might just have been sifting through a stack of old letters written to her by her fans.
    • 5/5
      Endearing story; true to life.good for all children, not just those of divorce, but those who worry about divorce, as so many do. Good for encouraging student journaling.
    • 4/5
      In this endearing book, written entirely in letters and journal entries, we meet Leigh Botts, a sixth grader who is going through some big changes in his life. These upheavals are revealed in his letters to Mr. Henshaw, his favorite author. Leigh writes to Mr. Henshaw a couple of times when he is younger, but then in sixth grade he is given the assignment of writing to an author with a series of questions. Of course Leigh chooses Henshaw, but he is surprised with the response. Henshaw does reply, not quite meeting the school's deadline, but his answers are funny and mischievous, and he requires Leigh to answer the same questions that he sent to Henshaw. At first Leigh is irritated - why couldn't his author just answer his questions normally, like the other authors? - but he starts writing, because his mom insists. And as he answers the questions and sends more and more letters to Mr. Henshaw, we learn more about Leigh's life. Such as the fact that his parents have recently separated and are getting a divorce, he and his mom have moved to a new town and he is the new kid at school, and someone is stealing food out of his lunch bag.As Leigh continues his correspondence, and then switches over to a journal (at the prompting of Mr. Henshaw, who we can infer from Leigh's letters is irritable with Leigh for always pestering him with letters, which made me annoyed with his character because Leigh is so clearly looking for a father figure and he is an amazing boy, and why the author doesn't appreciate that more I just can't understand), we see a young boy navigating the rough waters of heart break and loneliness, and proving that he is a smart and ingenious kid who can handle the challenges life throws at him. Leigh comes to accept his parent's divorce even though it continues to make him sad, he buys a new lunch box and devises an alarm to scare off his pesky lunch thief, and he makes a new friend. Leigh is an amazing kid, and I began to root for him from the first letter he wrote. The novel draws the reader in right away, considering the intimacy of the letter format, and it handles its delicate topics with a deft touch that makes them accessible to the intended young readers of the book. I read through this book quickly, enjoyed it a great deal, and only cried a little. It is heartfelt and fantastic, and well deserving of the Newbery award it won.
    • 3/5
      I liked it but i don't know if it was Newbery Winner material. It was a good book for kids to see journaling and writing to authors. It was great that Leigh had a favorite author to inspire him. I guess it was a good book for the age group.
    • 4/5
      While reading “Dear Mr. Henshaw”, I got so caught up in the story of Leigh’s life as it unfolded in letters that I forgot the book wasn’t really written by its main character, Leigh but by Beverly Cleary – she is just that talented. Beginning in second grade and continuing for the next four years, Leigh writes letters to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw. Some of the letters he mails others he doesn’t and these function as his diary. Leigh uses his correspondence with Mr. Henshaw as a way to work through family and school problems large and small.
    • 4/5
      This tells the story of a young boy, who is experiencing, divorce, moving to a new home, town, and school. He writes to an author because he has to for a school assignment. The author writes back several times and encourages him to start a diary, the boy becomes more interested in writing because of this. We learn about the boy, his family, and his school. He pours out his feelings in his diary, which helps him to cope with his life situation.To be honest, I thought this book would be very boring, and the first few pages lived up to this prediction. How surprised I was when it became more and more interesting. Ms. Cleary was very skilled at drawing me into the story.What a great book to use for raising interest in diary, and letter writing. This book would certainly help children struggling with divorce in their families.
    • 3/5
      Dear Mr. Henshaw is a story about the pains of growing up- dealing with parents divorcing, new school, making friends and feeling all alone. Beverly Cleary writes this story through the voice of 6th grader, Leigh Botts. The story is composed of letters, written by Leigh to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw, and his diary entries. We learn that his parents are recently divorced, he lives with his mother, his father is an absentee traveling truck driver, he wants to be a famous author and he misses his dad and dog named Bandit. The time span within the novel is cleverly shown through dates of entries and letters, which make Leigh's experiences realistic. Readers will be able to identify with Leigh's reactions to his circumstances as he sorts out his emotions through writing. The struggles that Leigh encounters are universal and common, whether it be dealing with divorce parents or feeling lonely. Through writing, Leigh vents and processes his experiences- providing possible comfort and outlets for readers experiencing similar issues. The outcome of Leigh's situations are viable; not every story has a fairy tale outcome. Yet, at the end, Leigh does get some type of reconciliation assuring the readers that he will be okay. There is not much humor and little to no suspense or fast action. This book is a bit somber, but worth to have in a collection to help readers find comfort in similar situations.Age Appropriate: 3rd to 6th grade
    • 3/5
      Dear Mr. Henshaw is a book about a young boy who has gone through the divorce of his parents and is struggling to deal with the divorce. Leigh writes to his favorite author Mr. Henshaw explaining his feelings to him about the divorce and other problems he is facing. I love this book and I remember reading it when I was ten years old. Beverley Clearly was one of my favorite authors when I was younger and I still enjoyed reading this book again. Leigh finds his own way to feel better by expressing himself in his journal. I think this book would be a good book for children whose parents are going through a divorce and are having a hard time expressing how they feel. I think a good idea would be for each student to have their own personal journal to express their feelings.
    • 5/5
      Lee is a lonely little boy dealing with his parents' divorce. He begins a correspondence with his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw. This letter writing helps Lee understand himself better.
    • 5/5
      Leigh Botts is a young boy who wrote his first letter to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw, when he was in second grade. The story is made up of letters Leigh wrote to Mr. Henshaw or in his diary mostly while in the sixth grade. Leigh's parents have divorced and Leigh is struggling to become an author. Some of his letters are quite angry and some are seeking out help from Mr. Henshaw. The emotions of a young boy going through a lot of changes and learning ways to work through problems are clearly apparent.I felt sympathy for Leigh because he was dealing with quilt and hurt from his parents divorce. He was also trying to become a good writer. He was trying to find a good balance in his life. Good classroom extensions would be in helping children work through dealing with the divorce of their parents. Leigh was also growing up and trying to replace a now absent father figure. He was struggling to become more independent. The emotions were sometimes overwhelming.
    • 4/5
      The subject of letter writing may seem like history, but this book actually made me want to reach out to someone using paper and pencil, like it used to be in the old days. I don't know that I can explain why, maybe it was the fact that the child stuck to what he was doing, even though in the beginning adults were pushing him when he wasn't really feeling it. This alone is proof to young readers that though you might not like something at first, you may find you enjoy it in the end.The story of Leigh's life isn't an easy one. He is dealing with his parents being divorced, he is dealing with the struggles of the living situation that comes with divorce, but it isn't a heavy or weighted book. There are down times and there are moments of enjoyment, there are times when he becomes angry, but there are times when things seem to be going okay and there is nothing to be frustrated about. Through the letter writing we learn a lot about Leigh's situation, his feelings, and his desire to be a writer.An excellent book for young readers who want to be authors some day or for children in single parent households. The unique style of the writing (the book is basically a collection of letters and diary entries) helps to encourage the reader to envision themselves as a part of the story or to apply it to their lives. Easy to see why it won the Newbery Award.
    • 5/5
      "Dear Mr. Henshaw" is about a young boy named Leigh who wrote to his favorite author Mr. Henshaw over the course of two years. He started sending the letters for class assignments but then started telling about his personal struggles and his family life. Mr. Henshaw suggested that Leigh should start keeping a diary to vent and develop his writing skills. The diary was theraputic for Leigh and did indeed increase his writing abilities. In the end he recieved an honorabble mention for one of his stories and was able to come to terms with his family life.I realy enjoyed this book. I think it touches on a lot of problems many children face. I enjoyed seeing how Leigh's spelling and grammar progressed throughout the book.I would make this book appart of my curriculum. For an asignment I would ask my student to start keeping a journal which would be submitted a few times a week.
    • 1/5
      it was stupid.
    • 3/5
      This is the tale of Leigh Botts, a school aged boy and wannabe writer, as told in a series of letters to Boyd Henshaw, the author of Leigh's favorite book. It's an interesting twist and Ms. Cleary makes it work well. It was a pleasure to read, though I didn't find the heart of the story, Leigh coping with his parents' divorce, to be exceptionally enthralling.--J.
    • 3/5
      Leigh Botts is given a class assignment to write to his favorite author. Instead of answering all of his questions the author, Mr. Henshaw, asks him to answer some questions about himself. In turn a correspondence between the two ensues and continues over the years. Although it is mostly one sided and Leigh does most of the correspondence, by writing he is able to better cope with life's frustrations and begins to discover who he is.
    • 4/5
      This is a good example of realistic fiction because Leigh is a fictional character, but his experiences happen today to children. He struggles ranged from his lunch getting taken every day to his distant father losing his dog, all of which are events that children can relate to in their real lives. Leigh Botts is the protaganist and is a very round character. He grows a lot throughout the book, which spans several years. He is very real to the reader, who empathizes with him. His emotions go up and down, and he expresses his anger, frustration, and joy in his letter. Through these experiences, he becomes a round character.