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Leigh Botts #1
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Dear Mr. Henshaw,
I wish somebody would stop stealing the good stuff out of my lunchbag. I guess I wish a lot of other things, too. I wish someday Dad and Bandit would pull up in front in the rig ... Dad would yell out of the cab, "Come on, Leigh. Hop in and I'll give you a lift to school."
Leigh Botts has been author Boyd Henshaw's number one fan ever since he was in second grade. Now in sixth grade, Leigh lives with his mother and is the new kid at school. He's lonely, troubled by the absence of his father, a cross-country trucker, and angry because a mysterious thief steals from his lunchbag. Then Leigh's teacher assigns a letter-writing project. Naturally Leigh chooses to write to Mr. Henshaw, whose surprising answer changes Leigh's life.
I wish somebody would stop stealing the good stuff out of my lunchbag. I guess I wish a lot of other things, too. I wish someday Dad and Bandit would pull up in front in the rig ... Dad would yell out of the cab, "Come on, Leigh. Hop in and I'll give you a lift to school."
Leigh Botts has been author Boyd Henshaw's number one fan ever since he was in second grade. Now in sixth grade, Leigh lives with his mother and is the new kid at school. He's lonely, troubled by the absence of his father, a cross-country trucker, and angry because a mysterious thief steals from his lunchbag. Then Leigh's teacher assigns a letter-writing project. Naturally Leigh chooses to write to Mr. Henshaw, whose surprising answer changes Leigh's life.
2 pages, Audiobook
First published August 22, 1983
556 people are currently reading
11728 people want to read
About the author
Beverly Cleary
262 books3,347 followersBeverly Atlee Cleary was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction. One of America's most successful authors, 91 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide since her first book was published in 1950. Some of her best known characters are Ramona Quimby and Beezus Quimby, Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, and Ralph S. Mouse.
The majority of Cleary's books are set in the Grant Park neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, where she was raised, and she has been credited as one of the first authors of children's literature to figure emotional realism in the narratives of her characters, often children in middle-class families. Her first children's book was Henry Huggins after a question from a kid when Cleary was a librarian. Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother and the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. For her lifetime contributions to American literature, she received the National Medal of Arts, recognition as a Library of Congress Living Legend, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the Association for Library Service to Children. The Beverly Cleary School, a public school in Portland, was named after her, and several statues of her most famous characters were erected in Grant Park in 1995. Cleary died on March 25, 2021, at the age of 104.
The majority of Cleary's books are set in the Grant Park neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, where she was raised, and she has been credited as one of the first authors of children's literature to figure emotional realism in the narratives of her characters, often children in middle-class families. Her first children's book was Henry Huggins after a question from a kid when Cleary was a librarian. Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother and the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. For her lifetime contributions to American literature, she received the National Medal of Arts, recognition as a Library of Congress Living Legend, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the Association for Library Service to Children. The Beverly Cleary School, a public school in Portland, was named after her, and several statues of her most famous characters were erected in Grant Park in 1995. Cleary died on March 25, 2021, at the age of 104.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,161 reviews
May 24, 2016
I like to imagine the replies from Mr. Henshaw. "Dear Leigh, Please stop writing to me every single day. I'm glad I impressed you, but you must cease and desist."
June 5, 2025
2025: Nothing compares with the comfort of receiving a letter. A theme of my reading this year is epistolary books and I have been rereading through my favorites. In the case of Leigh Botts, he navigates his parents’ divorce by writing to the author Boyd Henshaw and keeping a journal. I’m sure I read this for the first time in early elementary school. I still own a copy, and this remains one of my favorite childhood comfort reads. Beverly Cleary wrote about real kids with real issues. She discussed mental health when it did not exist, and Leigh Botts was my favorite of her characters because he was an author and had a relationship with an actual author. Mr Henshaw was his safe space but so was the school janitor Mr Fridley. These men in various capacities took Leigh under their wing so that he could survive adolescence in a non traditional environment. Kudos to both of them and to Cleary for creating their personas. I had an hour of extra time one day this week so I devoured this book yet again. Leigh’s life- pining for his dad, setting an alarm on his lunchbox, and eating mashed potatoes with chicken bones- always brings a smile to my face. There is little wonder to me that I still own that copy and place it in the Parthenon of childhood favorite books.
2017: One of my comfort reads as a kid was Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary. I read my copy enough times to leave the pages tattered. This week my first grader brought a copy home from her school library, and I could not resist reading along with her. As it is always a struggle to for me to find quality books for kids, I figured it was time for a trip down memory lane, and, as always, Beverly Cleary does not disappoint her readers.
Leigh Botts is a fifth grader whose parents have just gotten divorced. His mother Bonnie comes from a small town outside of Bakersfield, California, a town so small that she says the lights of Bakersfield look as bright as Paris. After graduating from high school, she was smitten with Bill Botts, a long distance trucker, and the two married without many thoughts in the world. Yet, they were not compatible as Bill was more in love with her truck and driving than he was with Bonnie. After attempts to hold together as a family for the sake of their son Leigh, the couple divorced, Bill taking his truck and dog Bandit and Bonnie taking Leigh in hopes of creating a stable life for them.
Bonnie moves Leigh to coastal Pacific Grove and starts working at a catering service and enrolling in a local community college. Leigh becomes a latch key kid and has issues fitting in at his new school, the most crucial one being that mean kids steal items from his lunch. To cope with his lack of both friends and a father figure, Leigh starts writing letters to Boyd Henshaw, an author whose books he has enjoyed. Sensing that all may not be happy in Leigh's life, Henshaw writes back, starting an unlikely friendship that lasts the duration of the book. Henshaw encourages Leigh to keep a diary and offers him tips on how to be a good writer. Leigh takes these to heart and admits that writing has helped him with both school and life. While Henshaw along with school custodian Mr. Fridley can not replace Leigh's father, their life lessons help Leigh cope with his parents' divorce.
I remember reading many of Cleary's books as a kid, either on my own or with my dad reading them to me before bed. Yet, I remember these books as fun stories, not ones that would impart life lessons. Dear Mr. Henshaw stood out from all of these books even as a kid most likely because the protagonist was a kid who enjoyed reading and writing, and Leigh stood out for me. Reading this story through adult eyes has given me a greater appreciation for Beverly Cleary's books for elementary school readers. Not only does she create well fleshed out characters, she has given children a protagonist who is not a superhero or super athlete, but an everyday kid who is coping with real life problems that they can relate to.
While the subject matter may be a touch over my first grader's head, I am glad that she brought Dear Mr. Henshaw home so that I could relive a childhood favorite. I remember touching scenes like eating fried chicken in the rain and the lunchbox alarm as though I read the book yesterday, and have gained a deeper appreciation for Beverly Cleary from reading her work through adult eyes. I have found out that there is a follow up book Strider which I may or may not have read, but I will be looking for it now to see where Cleary takes Leigh on his journey through life.
5 stars
2017: One of my comfort reads as a kid was Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary. I read my copy enough times to leave the pages tattered. This week my first grader brought a copy home from her school library, and I could not resist reading along with her. As it is always a struggle to for me to find quality books for kids, I figured it was time for a trip down memory lane, and, as always, Beverly Cleary does not disappoint her readers.
Leigh Botts is a fifth grader whose parents have just gotten divorced. His mother Bonnie comes from a small town outside of Bakersfield, California, a town so small that she says the lights of Bakersfield look as bright as Paris. After graduating from high school, she was smitten with Bill Botts, a long distance trucker, and the two married without many thoughts in the world. Yet, they were not compatible as Bill was more in love with her truck and driving than he was with Bonnie. After attempts to hold together as a family for the sake of their son Leigh, the couple divorced, Bill taking his truck and dog Bandit and Bonnie taking Leigh in hopes of creating a stable life for them.
Bonnie moves Leigh to coastal Pacific Grove and starts working at a catering service and enrolling in a local community college. Leigh becomes a latch key kid and has issues fitting in at his new school, the most crucial one being that mean kids steal items from his lunch. To cope with his lack of both friends and a father figure, Leigh starts writing letters to Boyd Henshaw, an author whose books he has enjoyed. Sensing that all may not be happy in Leigh's life, Henshaw writes back, starting an unlikely friendship that lasts the duration of the book. Henshaw encourages Leigh to keep a diary and offers him tips on how to be a good writer. Leigh takes these to heart and admits that writing has helped him with both school and life. While Henshaw along with school custodian Mr. Fridley can not replace Leigh's father, their life lessons help Leigh cope with his parents' divorce.
I remember reading many of Cleary's books as a kid, either on my own or with my dad reading them to me before bed. Yet, I remember these books as fun stories, not ones that would impart life lessons. Dear Mr. Henshaw stood out from all of these books even as a kid most likely because the protagonist was a kid who enjoyed reading and writing, and Leigh stood out for me. Reading this story through adult eyes has given me a greater appreciation for Beverly Cleary's books for elementary school readers. Not only does she create well fleshed out characters, she has given children a protagonist who is not a superhero or super athlete, but an everyday kid who is coping with real life problems that they can relate to.
While the subject matter may be a touch over my first grader's head, I am glad that she brought Dear Mr. Henshaw home so that I could relive a childhood favorite. I remember touching scenes like eating fried chicken in the rain and the lunchbox alarm as though I read the book yesterday, and have gained a deeper appreciation for Beverly Cleary from reading her work through adult eyes. I have found out that there is a follow up book Strider which I may or may not have read, but I will be looking for it now to see where Cleary takes Leigh on his journey through life.
5 stars
November 8, 2025
Started as a middling read that quietly grew on me as I progressed. Under the outward appearance of a boy coming to terms with his parents’ divorce, lies another deeper theme of the importance of a connection with others to help guide and reframe perspectives, establish friendship, and provide a sense of togetherness.
I felt sorry for Leigh, a boy that is average and unremarkable, friendless in a new school, lonely, and bored at home and with life in general. Mr. Fridley, the janitor seems to blame it on his melancholic mood, and advises him to think positive, but things don’t really begin to look up for Leigh until the people around him start to notice him for who he is. He finds a project to focus on, makes a friend or two, and receives acknowledgement and encouragement in his quest to become a writer. He also learns more about his parents’ marriage and divorce, and a bit about each of them as individuals.
You can’t help but think about how many other people, kids and adults, are in the same situation, just waiting for someone to take an interest in them, to see that piece of them that stands out as remarkable. I liked this book for the realistic portrayal of a family moving forward after divorce and for the thoughtful regard to connections lost and found.
I felt sorry for Leigh, a boy that is average and unremarkable, friendless in a new school, lonely, and bored at home and with life in general. Mr. Fridley, the janitor seems to blame it on his melancholic mood, and advises him to think positive, but things don’t really begin to look up for Leigh until the people around him start to notice him for who he is. He finds a project to focus on, makes a friend or two, and receives acknowledgement and encouragement in his quest to become a writer. He also learns more about his parents’ marriage and divorce, and a bit about each of them as individuals.
You can’t help but think about how many other people, kids and adults, are in the same situation, just waiting for someone to take an interest in them, to see that piece of them that stands out as remarkable. I liked this book for the realistic portrayal of a family moving forward after divorce and for the thoughtful regard to connections lost and found.
August 6, 2022
یکی از بهترین کتابهایی که در حوزهی ادبیات نوجوان خوندم. کتاب مجموعهای از نامههای پسر نوجوانی است به نویسندهی محبوبش که در این نامهها علاوه بر اینکه شرحی از زندگیاش میدهد، برای نویسنده توضیح میدهد که به نویسندگی علاقه دارد. پسر نوجوان صادقانه به بیان احساساتش میپردازد. گرچه شاید پایان داستان چیزی نبود که انتظارش را بکشم ولی نشان داد که چطور یک پسر نوجوان میتواند رشد کند، ناملایمتیهای زندگی را درک کند و آن ها را بپذیرد.
June 8, 2011
This cunningly-woven allegory of the Cold War's nuclear buildup is simple and gripping enough for children to understand, if a bit fleshless. Our adolescent narrator, one Leigh Botts of California (both an immediate reference to Harvard President and Interim Committee member James Bryant Conant and a deep frappe indeed to the testicles-or-vagina of Bridge to Terebithia's androgynous lead character), devoid of a father figure (the waning British Empire, their ocean-spanning fleet here captured in Botts Senior's beet-trucking service), has his lunch repeatedly stolen (bombed) by unknown (presumed Japanese, un-interred and dangerous) students or perhaps external forces (Rome-Berlin Axis, spreading spectre of Bolshevism, Reverse Trilateral Commission, etc). Ms. Botts strikes an elegant and delightful, at times even eerie, Kittie Oppenheimer throughout. Leigh launches an all-out crash program to develop an alarm system (note the reference to Teller's "Alarm Clock" (failed) layered thermonuclear device, prior to the Teller-Ulam application of reradiation, plasma and finally ablation), sparing no expense (a jowly local electronics store owner's a passable cameo for General Leslie Groves). Finally, with the weapon system complete, Leigh flies a bus we may as well dub the Enola Gay to school...only to find that, as the sole remaining hyperpower, his defenses have become his undoing. We dream of a world without the threat of nuclear extinction and shed a tear as Leigh opens his lunchbox, assaulting friends, foe, and self with literally hundreds of millipascals of acoustic overpressure in a scene that disturbingly anticipates the 9/11 incidents and perhaps also steroids in baseball.
Let Leigh Bott's alarm be an alarm for all of us.
There was also something about butterflies, the details of which I've forgotten. Maybe that was just Jurassic Park. No...no. Anyway, doesn't matter, a classic tale of love in the chivalric era.
Let Leigh Bott's alarm be an alarm for all of us.
There was also something about butterflies, the details of which I've forgotten. Maybe that was just Jurassic Park. No...no. Anyway, doesn't matter, a classic tale of love in the chivalric era.
September 17, 2019
Holy cow, why didn't I read this as a kid?? I was working on the Bookmobile recently and saw this come through. I thought, "You know, I should probably read that." So I gave it a quick read and was immediately angry at myself for not picking it up sooner. I was Leigh when I was a kid. I was a quiet nerdy kid who loved to read and wanted to be an author and had divorced parents. I would have related to this book so much. It might have even helped me in some way, made me feel less lonely. But at least I can say I've read it.
This thing put me through many different emotions. It's just so honest and real. And sad, but hopeful at the same time, yet it doesn't try too hard. I loved it.
This thing put me through many different emotions. It's just so honest and real. And sad, but hopeful at the same time, yet it doesn't try too hard. I loved it.
August 10, 2020
شاید تنها قسمت جذاب زندگی یه بچه در شرایط فعلی دسترسیاش به انواع کتابهای داستان باشه. وقتی نوجوون بودم بهجز کانون پرورش فکری که چندان هم به خونه نزدیک نبود، راههای سختی برای پیدا کردن یه کتاب مناسب سنم داشتم. اغلب ناچار بودم کتابهای فهیمه رحیمی و نسرین ثامنی رو که خالههام از کتابخونه میگرفتن، بخونم اونم با کلی نقونوق که توی دوازده سیزده ساله چرا ازین کتابای عاشقانه خوشت میاد؟ در حالیکه من ازون کتابا خوشم نمیاومد. فقط گزینهی بهتری نداشتم. بگذریم. میخوام بگم اگه در نوجوونی این رمان رو میخوندم مطمئنم خیلی کیف میکردم. مطمئنم منم تصمیم میگرفتم توی اون سررسیدهایی که یادداشت روزانه مینوشتم، داستان بنویسم. احتمالاً شیوهی پسر توی داستان رو برمیداشتم و یاد میگرفتم چطور میشه شروع کرد به نوشتن داستان. خلاصه که آه از فقدان کتاب مناسب در زمان مناسب.
July 4, 2009
Rereading this book, I was struck with how Cleary manages to convey her narrator's complex of feelings in the limited vocabulary and understated style of Leigh Botts, a lonely and isolated young boy. Leigh faces several problems in the narrative--his lunch is stolen, he doesn't understand his parents' divorce, he resents a "pizza boy" whose mother Leigh's father seems to be dating--but none are neatly solved; Cleary refuses to resolve them conclusively and instead shows Leigh struggling to address them as best as he can, reflecting Leigh's use of his writing to understand and, perhaps, learn from the experiences. Eventually Leigh's interest in writing leads him to enter a contest by writing a "story"--a description, rather, of a ride in his father's truck--that only wins "Honorable Mention" and fails to attract the attention of his schoolmates, but a visiting author notices it and compliments Leigh for writing honestly about something he knows and has feelings about. Likewise, this novel is an honest account of what seem to be a genuine young boy's complex of feelings.
June 17, 2025
I've always loved Beverly Cleary, but somehow missed this one when I was reading them to my daughter, probably because she loved the Ramona books so much. I came across a copy of this one and devoted an afternoon to reading it. Other than transporting me back to those Scholastic Book Fairs and monthly orders in elementary school, it was a moving story about a boy coming to grips with difficulties caused by his parent's divorce, written in diary and letter form. Sometimes children's books are just what is needed.
August 26, 2014
Watching the movie "Stuck in Love" a character makes reference to this book as his favorite while the hard character of his affection felt the same. It is now one of my favorites as it has so many parallels to my life as a young boy. It doesn't bother me this is Jr. Fiction, what bothers me is, it took so long for me to find.
February 22, 2017
بچه که بودم کتابو خوندم و یه مدت خیلی دنبالش گشتم تا یکی از دوستام دوباره بهم هدیه دادش. کتاب داستان لی پسربچه ی تنهاییه که برای آقای هنشاو، نویسنده ی شوخ طبع موردعلاقه ش نامه می نویسه و کم کم بین این دو نفر یه دوستی مکاتبه ای شکل می گیره.
چقدر دوست دارم همه چیز این کتابو
بهترین گزینه برای هدیه دادن به بچه هایی که خاطره نویسی می کنن.
چقدر دوست دارم همه چیز این کتابو
بهترین گزینه برای هدیه دادن به بچه هایی که خاطره نویسی می کنن.
December 26, 2025
Mi puntuación es puramente sentimental.
En una escena de Un invierno en la playa (Stuck in Love, 2012), dos escritores en ciernes, jovencísimos, interpretados por Lilly Collins y Logan Lerman, charlan después de encontrarse en un bar. Apenas se conocen; sus conversaciones hasta entonces han sido muy tensas. A él le interesa ella pero a ella no le interesa él y se pone a la defensiva. Él propone hablar de libros.
—Los dos somos escritores. Nos interesan los libros.
—Vale. ¿Cuáles son tus favoritos?
—No, no. Yo te he preguntado antes.
—Me has preguntado porque quieres tener ventaja. Si yo digo un par de títulos, tú vas a decir otros que te ayuden a hacerme creer que somos almas gemelas, o vas a intentar convencerme de que uno de mis favoritos también está en tu lista.
—Vaya. Eres dura de roer.
—Y tú estás obsesionado conmigo.
—No estoy obsesionado contigo.
—De acuerdo. Hablemos de libros. Pero sé un poco original, no me vengas con El guardián del centeno o El lamento de Portnoy.
—Vale. Yo escribo novela negra. En ese género me gustan Elmore Leonard, James Lee Burk, Ed Brubaker.
—No, de verdad. Di tu libro favorito. Sin pensarlo. El primero que te venga a la cabeza.
—Querido señor Henshaw, de Beverly Cleary. Mi favorito desde niño. Lo habré leído unas cien veces. Es el libro que me hizo querer ser escritor.
A ella le cambia el gesto. Podemos intuir que las barreras han caído.
Y a mí, viendo esta escena, se me desbloquea un recuerdo. De pequeño, yo también leí Querido señor Henshaw, también se convirtió en uno de mis favoritos y también me hizo querer ser escritor.
Lo he vuelto a leer ahora, después de mil años (cosas del retorno al hogar paterno en Navidad), y ha sido como abrir un cajón de la memoria y encontrarse un recuerdo intacto. Y aunque el tiempo se ha encargado de dejar un cierto olor a ilusión perdida —no, no he conseguido ser escritor (al menos no en el sentido convencional)—no puedo sino estar agradecido a esta novela por alentar el sueño.
En una escena de Un invierno en la playa (Stuck in Love, 2012), dos escritores en ciernes, jovencísimos, interpretados por Lilly Collins y Logan Lerman, charlan después de encontrarse en un bar. Apenas se conocen; sus conversaciones hasta entonces han sido muy tensas. A él le interesa ella pero a ella no le interesa él y se pone a la defensiva. Él propone hablar de libros.
—Los dos somos escritores. Nos interesan los libros.
—Vale. ¿Cuáles son tus favoritos?
—No, no. Yo te he preguntado antes.
—Me has preguntado porque quieres tener ventaja. Si yo digo un par de títulos, tú vas a decir otros que te ayuden a hacerme creer que somos almas gemelas, o vas a intentar convencerme de que uno de mis favoritos también está en tu lista.
—Vaya. Eres dura de roer.
—Y tú estás obsesionado conmigo.
—No estoy obsesionado contigo.
—De acuerdo. Hablemos de libros. Pero sé un poco original, no me vengas con El guardián del centeno o El lamento de Portnoy.
—Vale. Yo escribo novela negra. En ese género me gustan Elmore Leonard, James Lee Burk, Ed Brubaker.
—No, de verdad. Di tu libro favorito. Sin pensarlo. El primero que te venga a la cabeza.
—Querido señor Henshaw, de Beverly Cleary. Mi favorito desde niño. Lo habré leído unas cien veces. Es el libro que me hizo querer ser escritor.
A ella le cambia el gesto. Podemos intuir que las barreras han caído.
Y a mí, viendo esta escena, se me desbloquea un recuerdo. De pequeño, yo también leí Querido señor Henshaw, también se convirtió en uno de mis favoritos y también me hizo querer ser escritor.
Lo he vuelto a leer ahora, después de mil años (cosas del retorno al hogar paterno en Navidad), y ha sido como abrir un cajón de la memoria y encontrarse un recuerdo intacto. Y aunque el tiempo se ha encargado de dejar un cierto olor a ilusión perdida —no, no he conseguido ser escritor (al menos no en el sentido convencional)—no puedo sino estar agradecido a esta novela por alentar el sueño.
August 2, 2025
✰ 3.75 stars ✰
┏━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┓
I was in the fifth grade when my school library hosted the first ever Battle of the Books tournament between the fourth and fifth graders. Our grades were divided into two sections, so the four sections were each given one list of library books that would be featured in the competition. Unanimously, my class voted me as the leader of our six participating contestants. ✌️📚
*thank you thank you very much*
The funny thing is - while I have a distinct memory of the actual day of the competition, I have only a vague recollection of the list of books provided to us. However, what my memory remembers with vivid clarity is the name of the two books that almost cost us the competition, simply because I was not that familiar with, and none of my other classmates was as voracious -obsessed - politely invested a reader as I was to save us from that fumble.
In case you were wondering, though - we still won. 🥇⭐
As if there was any doubt. 😤 I mean, c'mon - I'm on the team, I would never be able to live it down if we had lost!!! 😆😆
*ahem*
Yet, even with that sweet taste of victory, the name of those two offending books that I had been stumped by would forever be engraved in my memory - ones that I would do whatever it took to finally read them no matter what - Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt and Dear Mr. Crenshaw.
It would be a few more years before I would finally chance upon reading both of the culprits, and now I can proudly say that I am an owner of Beverly Clearly's Newbery Award winning book. 💪🏻
┗━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┛
As someone who grew up on Beezus and Ramona's sisterly theatrics, Clearly has always had a gift for writing with heart and humor and relatable realism, from a child's perspective, which I've always enjoyed. Leigh's letter-exchange with Mr. Henshaw made me laugh and smile, for how it reminded me of my own brief exchange with two authors, who I admired as a young adult reader (blame the internet for giving me email access)! 😅
“I suppose I could pretend to write to Dad, but I used to write to him and he never answered.”
I liked Leigh Botts; I liked his humor, his honesty, his openness and his genuine just yearning to somehow take a literary figure he respects and admires to somehow fill the void that is life by his father, when he's still in this quasi-state of not really coming to terms that his mother and father are no longer together. 🥺 To cope with his absence, to understand that he's not always going to be there. It's that quiet innate realization that the reader picks up on, but gets to see Leigh grow as a person and a writer in humorous and wholesome ways that makes you relate to his pain and connect to him as a person.
“I still feel terrible. If Dad loves all those things so much, why can’t he love me?”
And Mr. Henshaw is that kind of mentor who exists afar, but in his own way is teaching Leigh to learn from his sadness and channel it into constructive outlets. Writing out his thoughts and emotions and feelings is a challenge for Leigh, but it really does help him voice his frustrations and anger he feels towards his father, his concern for his beloved dog, Bandit, as well as the most illustrious, if not amusing ways of signing off his letters, venting his annoyances with Mr. Henshaw'sdisregard encouragement of his writing. 🥲 And I think that's why this simple middle-grade book speaks still to readers is the way Leigh sees the changes in his life and finds a way to live with it, without being hurt by it.
“Dad looked tired and sad in a way I had never seen him look before.”
Besides it's not only about feelings either; it's really fun to see Leigh tackle his way through being a real writer, the fuddles and bumbles, and the quirky ways in which Mr. Henshaw evades Leigh's questions, all the while still encouraging and motivating Leigh to read, look, listen, think and write and be inspired from it. And Clearly captures Leigh's growth in a believable and relatable way that left me feeling hopeful of what awaits him. ❤️🩹❤️🩹 I felt sad and a whole lot better at the same time. Not only around those who care for him, but also believing in his own written prowess to someday maybe be the one a young reader will write to as their favorite author.
P.S. I do want to point out that maybe in the 70s when it was published, this term was alright, but really threw me off in a children's book. 😕 I tried looking up if it was the correct way to describe it, but came up empty; but if it is alright, then no harm, no foul. 🦋
P.P.S. OMG, I didn't know this had a sequel with Leigh having another dog, Strider! Ah, time to find it and read it!! 🥹
┏━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┓
So ever since that day in 1999, our school would host an annual Battle of the Books for the fourth and fifth graders. And whenever I passed the plaque that was displayed in the library with the winning section's grades engraved, it was always with a flicker of pride and fondness that washed over me. That even in a small amount, there was something that I played a part in - especially for something that means so much to me - reading. 📖
┗━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┛
“... it was written by a boy who wrote honestly about something he knew and had strong feelings about.”
┏━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┓
I was in the fifth grade when my school library hosted the first ever Battle of the Books tournament between the fourth and fifth graders. Our grades were divided into two sections, so the four sections were each given one list of library books that would be featured in the competition. Unanimously, my class voted me as the leader of our six participating contestants. ✌️📚
*thank you thank you very much*
The funny thing is - while I have a distinct memory of the actual day of the competition, I have only a vague recollection of the list of books provided to us. However, what my memory remembers with vivid clarity is the name of the two books that almost cost us the competition, simply because I was not that familiar with, and none of my other classmates was as voracious -
In case you were wondering, though - we still won. 🥇⭐
As if there was any doubt. 😤 I mean, c'mon - I'm on the team, I would never be able to live it down if we had lost!!! 😆😆
*ahem*
Yet, even with that sweet taste of victory, the name of those two offending books that I had been stumped by would forever be engraved in my memory - ones that I would do whatever it took to finally read them no matter what - Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt and Dear Mr. Crenshaw.
It would be a few more years before I would finally chance upon reading both of the culprits, and now I can proudly say that I am an owner of Beverly Clearly's Newbery Award winning book. 💪🏻
┗━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┛
As someone who grew up on Beezus and Ramona's sisterly theatrics, Clearly has always had a gift for writing with heart and humor and relatable realism, from a child's perspective, which I've always enjoyed. Leigh's letter-exchange with Mr. Henshaw made me laugh and smile, for how it reminded me of my own brief exchange with two authors, who I admired as a young adult reader (blame the internet for giving me email access)! 😅
“I suppose I could pretend to write to Dad, but I used to write to him and he never answered.”
I liked Leigh Botts; I liked his humor, his honesty, his openness and his genuine just yearning to somehow take a literary figure he respects and admires to somehow fill the void that is life by his father, when he's still in this quasi-state of not really coming to terms that his mother and father are no longer together. 🥺 To cope with his absence, to understand that he's not always going to be there. It's that quiet innate realization that the reader picks up on, but gets to see Leigh grow as a person and a writer in humorous and wholesome ways that makes you relate to his pain and connect to him as a person.
“I still feel terrible. If Dad loves all those things so much, why can’t he love me?”
And Mr. Henshaw is that kind of mentor who exists afar, but in his own way is teaching Leigh to learn from his sadness and channel it into constructive outlets. Writing out his thoughts and emotions and feelings is a challenge for Leigh, but it really does help him voice his frustrations and anger he feels towards his father, his concern for his beloved dog, Bandit, as well as the most illustrious, if not amusing ways of signing off his letters, venting his annoyances with Mr. Henshaw's
“Dad looked tired and sad in a way I had never seen him look before.”
Besides it's not only about feelings either; it's really fun to see Leigh tackle his way through being a real writer, the fuddles and bumbles, and the quirky ways in which Mr. Henshaw evades Leigh's questions, all the while still encouraging and motivating Leigh to read, look, listen, think and write and be inspired from it. And Clearly captures Leigh's growth in a believable and relatable way that left me feeling hopeful of what awaits him. ❤️🩹❤️🩹 I felt sad and a whole lot better at the same time. Not only around those who care for him, but also believing in his own written prowess to someday maybe be the one a young reader will write to as their favorite author.
P.S. I do want to point out that maybe in the 70s when it was published, this term was alright, but really threw me off in a children's book. 😕 I tried looking up if it was the correct way to describe it, but came up empty; but if it is alright, then no harm, no foul. 🦋
P.P.S. OMG, I didn't know this had a sequel with Leigh having another dog, Strider! Ah, time to find it and read it!! 🥹
┏━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┓
So ever since that day in 1999, our school would host an annual Battle of the Books for the fourth and fifth graders. And whenever I passed the plaque that was displayed in the library with the winning section's grades engraved, it was always with a flicker of pride and fondness that washed over me. That even in a small amount, there was something that I played a part in - especially for something that means so much to me - reading. 📖
┗━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┛
Read
April 18, 2020"De Liver
De Letter
De Sooner
De Better
De Later
De Letter
De Madder
I Getter"
Ever since the second grade, noone has been a bigger fan of author Boyd Henshaw then Leigh Botts. Now in sixth grade, Leigh's life is in upheaval. His parents have split, his cross-country trucker father is absent, and a thief steals from his lunch bag almost every day. So when his teacher assigns a letter writing project, he naturally decides to write to Mr. Henshaw. What if his hero's answer could change his life.
A story of letters, lunchs, and life. A tale of the power of words.
Trigger warnings for divorce and abandonment.
Upset and lonely, Leigh felt like a lost shoe on the highway. It was impossible not to hear the tough yet vulnerable anger in his questions. He wrote of his fears, worries, and want to be noticed, with a distinct voice we've all felt at one point in life. I loved how the state of his writing echoed his journey in processing his feelings about his parents divorce, new school, etc. Leigh was so relatably human.
From his hard-working mother to is primarily absent father, from his literary hero, to a kind janitor, the supporting cast truly impacted Leigh. Although we only saw glimpses of them through his letters, their different relationships with him truly took a toll on the young boy. His stable mother, and the caring Mr. Finely, the janitor, were wonderful, but I absolutely loathed his father. However, the way Mr. Henshaw's background but central advice rippled around Leigh's life was well written.
Opening Dear Mr. Henshaw was a good and bad trip down memory lane. Despite spending my fourth grade Labor Day weekend in tears, completing an overwhelming project about the book that was all for naught, I enjoyed the epistolaries of a young boy coping with divorce. Heartfelt, Beverly Cleary's story of loneliness was met with a healthy, hopeful attempt at laying bare pent-up feelings. Peppered with black and white illustrations, this was a quick, meaningful read.
Dear reader, I hope you have a hero like Mr. Henshaw.
De Letter
De Sooner
De Better
De Later
De Letter
De Madder
I Getter"
Ever since the second grade, noone has been a bigger fan of author Boyd Henshaw then Leigh Botts. Now in sixth grade, Leigh's life is in upheaval. His parents have split, his cross-country trucker father is absent, and a thief steals from his lunch bag almost every day. So when his teacher assigns a letter writing project, he naturally decides to write to Mr. Henshaw. What if his hero's answer could change his life.
A story of letters, lunchs, and life. A tale of the power of words.
Trigger warnings for divorce and abandonment.
Upset and lonely, Leigh felt like a lost shoe on the highway. It was impossible not to hear the tough yet vulnerable anger in his questions. He wrote of his fears, worries, and want to be noticed, with a distinct voice we've all felt at one point in life. I loved how the state of his writing echoed his journey in processing his feelings about his parents divorce, new school, etc. Leigh was so relatably human.
From his hard-working mother to is primarily absent father, from his literary hero, to a kind janitor, the supporting cast truly impacted Leigh. Although we only saw glimpses of them through his letters, their different relationships with him truly took a toll on the young boy. His stable mother, and the caring Mr. Finely, the janitor, were wonderful, but I absolutely loathed his father. However, the way Mr. Henshaw's background but central advice rippled around Leigh's life was well written.
Opening Dear Mr. Henshaw was a good and bad trip down memory lane. Despite spending my fourth grade Labor Day weekend in tears, completing an overwhelming project about the book that was all for naught, I enjoyed the epistolaries of a young boy coping with divorce. Heartfelt, Beverly Cleary's story of loneliness was met with a healthy, hopeful attempt at laying bare pent-up feelings. Peppered with black and white illustrations, this was a quick, meaningful read.
Dear reader, I hope you have a hero like Mr. Henshaw.
October 15, 2019
A sad little bittersweet book. Leigh Botts (boy) is seen here through his letters and journal entries, written both for his own thoughts, and via mail to an author Mr. Henshaw. This book takes place in a West Coast town, near farmlands, and during a decade when a television was discouraged in the homes where children resided. We see four years through Leigh's eyes, but mainly during a time when he's in 6th grade.
Leigh tells his own story forthrightly, and with the intention to be stoic, but he can't disguise his loneliness and confusion, about why is life unfair. Why is his name spelled like a girl's? Why doesn't his dad call more often from the road, just to say hello? How often does his mom worry about her income, and whether she'll be able to pay rent during a given month? Leigh is irritated on a daily basis at school, because someone keeps stealing food from his lunch bag. He doesn't have any friends.
I'm not sure how this book impacts current young readers, if at all. The overall tone is direct yet gentle; not a lot happens in the plot. But the themes are still relevant, undoubtedly. Sadness and loneliness are unavoidable human conditions at any age. I think that with upcoming generations, it's important to keep teaching them to fully acknowledge their feelings and emotions, recognize them as valid, and then find healthy ways to express themselves. This book doesn't have bright illustrations, fireworks, fight scenes, etc. But those emotions were clear and encapsulated, very much worth consideration and meditation.
Leigh tells his own story forthrightly, and with the intention to be stoic, but he can't disguise his loneliness and confusion, about why is life unfair. Why is his name spelled like a girl's? Why doesn't his dad call more often from the road, just to say hello? How often does his mom worry about her income, and whether she'll be able to pay rent during a given month? Leigh is irritated on a daily basis at school, because someone keeps stealing food from his lunch bag. He doesn't have any friends.
I'm not sure how this book impacts current young readers, if at all. The overall tone is direct yet gentle; not a lot happens in the plot. But the themes are still relevant, undoubtedly. Sadness and loneliness are unavoidable human conditions at any age. I think that with upcoming generations, it's important to keep teaching them to fully acknowledge their feelings and emotions, recognize them as valid, and then find healthy ways to express themselves. This book doesn't have bright illustrations, fireworks, fight scenes, etc. But those emotions were clear and encapsulated, very much worth consideration and meditation.
September 17, 2018
فکر میکنم نه، ده ساله بودم که اولین بار با رامونا آشنا شدم. الان کتابهای رامونا به چند ترجمه و اندازه و رنگ همهجا هستند، اما من یک کتاب نارنجی داشتم از کانون پرورش فکری که روی جلدش، رامونا دراز کشیده بود و زل زده بود توی چشمهای پدرش. رامونا و پدرش فارغ از اینکه یکی از اولین کتابهای "واقعی" من بود، یعنی عکسدار نبود و شبیه کتابهای بزرگترها بود، یک لذت دیگر هم داشت: رامونا شبیه من بود. مثل من از روی تخت میپرید تا هیولای زیر تخت شکارش نکند. شبها کتابهای ترسناک را بین کتابها پنهان میکرد و همیشه دوست داشت خمیردندان را تا ته فشار دهد، و البته یک بار این کار را کرد. برای من عجیب بود دختری که دقیقا آن طرف دنیا زندگی میکند، انقدر شبیه من باشد.
سالها بعد تمام راموناها بهعلاوهی هنریها را خواندم و عاشق خانم نویسنده با اسم سختش شدم. این کتاب هم از نویسندهی راموناست.
لی باتس گرچه با رامونا خیلی فرق دارد، به همان اندازه واقعی و دوستداشتنیست. کتاب در ابتدا، نامههای لیست به نویسندهی مورد علاقهاش. لی برای یک پروژهی کلاسی چند سوال از آقای هنشاو میپرسد. آقای هنشاو پاسخها را میدهد و چند سوال از لی میپرسد. لی به اصرار مادرش، جواب سوالات آقای هنشاو را میدهد. اما خب، لی ده ساله است، زود خسته میشود. بنابراین نامههایش کوتاه و پرتعدادند. نهایتا آقای هنشاو که احتمالا از کثرت نامهها به ستوه آمده، به لی پیشنهاد میکند به جای نامه، یادداشتهایش را در دفتر خاطرات ادامه دهد. لی که جز نامه نوشتن کار دیگری بلد نیست، یادداشتهایش را به سبک همان نامهها خطاب به آقای هنشاو خیالی مینویسد. لی از زندگیاش مینویسد، از نبودن پدرش، از مدرسهی جدید و از دزدی که هر روز بهترین قسمت نهارش را میدزد...
خیلی لطیف و دوستداشتنیست. ترجمهی خوبی هم دارد.
به شدت توصیه میشود :)
سالها بعد تمام راموناها بهعلاوهی هنریها را خواندم و عاشق خانم نویسنده با اسم سختش شدم. این کتاب هم از نویسندهی راموناست.
لی باتس گرچه با رامونا خیلی فرق دارد، به همان اندازه واقعی و دوستداشتنیست. کتاب در ابتدا، نامههای لیست به نویسندهی مورد علاقهاش. لی برای یک پروژهی کلاسی چند سوال از آقای هنشاو میپرسد. آقای هنشاو پاسخها را میدهد و چند سوال از لی میپرسد. لی به اصرار مادرش، جواب سوالات آقای هنشاو را میدهد. اما خب، لی ده ساله است، زود خسته میشود. بنابراین نامههایش کوتاه و پرتعدادند. نهایتا آقای هنشاو که احتمالا از کثرت نامهها به ستوه آمده، به لی پیشنهاد میکند به جای نامه، یادداشتهایش را در دفتر خاطرات ادامه دهد. لی که جز نامه نوشتن کار دیگری بلد نیست، یادداشتهایش را به سبک همان نامهها خطاب به آقای هنشاو خیالی مینویسد. لی از زندگیاش مینویسد، از نبودن پدرش، از مدرسهی جدید و از دزدی که هر روز بهترین قسمت نهارش را میدزد...
خیلی لطیف و دوستداشتنیست. ترجمهی خوبی هم دارد.
به شدت توصیه میشود :)
June 21, 2024
I adore this book, but it's not one I remember to press on my kids, or recommend to other kids, and I really, really should! I had forgotten about the lunch box alarm, and Bandit . . . so much! Which is funny, because it's a short book! In fact, the audiobook is just 2 hours long. And narrated by Pedro Pascal! Which one of my kids just pointed out to me, and so yesterday afternoon I listened to it, and was charmed all over again by Leigh, and his letters to his favorite author, and his own efforts to become a writer!
July 23, 2013
I love Beverly Cleary's simple, yet eloquent, style of writing. I loved her novels as a young reader many years ago. I read aloud all of her books, including this novel, to my children and they loved them as much as I did.
This novel has a different tone than her previous novels since it deals with more serious issues like divorce, a complex relationship father/son relationship, and being the new kid in town.
This novel has a different tone than her previous novels since it deals with more serious issues like divorce, a complex relationship father/son relationship, and being the new kid in town.
September 2, 2017
A brilliant book! Beverly does a fantastic job of showing how Leigh's writing changes as he keeps writing. At first it is short with little to say and by the end he is getting good at showing what happens. A simple story. This is similar to Crenshaw in several ways. This is a powerful story and I can't believe it took me this long to read it. There are great tips if children really want to be a writer too. Please get kids to read this. It's a story will enjoy.
November 4, 2008
"Are You There God, It's Me Margaret" for boys, well sorta. Boy this book is depressing.
Dear Mr. Henshaw, my errant dad stopped by for his bi-annual visit last night.
Dear Mr. Henshaw, I sleep in the back of a gas station on a forgotton stretch of highway.
Dear Mr. Henshaw, my life is so lonely that the only entity I can think to communicate with is the name of an author I've never met.
Dear Mr. Henshaw, life has no meaning.
The End
Dear Mr. Henshaw, my errant dad stopped by for his bi-annual visit last night.
Dear Mr. Henshaw, I sleep in the back of a gas station on a forgotton stretch of highway.
Dear Mr. Henshaw, my life is so lonely that the only entity I can think to communicate with is the name of an author I've never met.
Dear Mr. Henshaw, life has no meaning.
The End
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2024
آقای هنشاو عزیز ....
چند وقت پیش یه ادیت از یه فیلمی که خیلی وقت پیش دیده بودم، دیدم ... اسم فیلم بود stuck in love و یه سکانس بین سم ( لیلی کالینز) و لو ( لوگان لرمن) هست که تو رستوران نشستن و سم میپرسه:" کتاب مورد علاقه ات چیه" و لو هم جواب میده :" آقای هنشاو عزیز از بورلی کلییرلی .... "
سم که از عاشق شدن میترسه همون لحظه رستوران رو ترک میکنه ... لو به دنبالش میاد و میگه : "کجا داری میری؟ ... چرا ازم فرار میکنی . من میخوام بشناسمت" و سم میگه " این رابطه به هیچ جا نمیرسه و دنیای ما فرق میکنه " و بعد لو میگه :" کتاب آقای هنشاو عزیز کتاب مورد علاقه تو هم هست ؟"
سم نمیدونه چی جواب بده ... چون کتاب اقای هنشاو عزیز دقیقا کتاب مورد علاقه اون هم بوده و از ترس این شباهت و عشق احتمالی، لو رو همونجا میذاره و میره .....
درنتیجه من گفتم که این کتاب رو بخونم و واقعا قشنگ بود
لی باتس برای نویسنده مورد علاقه اش نامه مینویسه و سعی داره با مسئله طلاق والدینش کنار بیاد و تو مدرسه جدیدش هم تو ارتباط گرفتن با دوستاش مشکل داره ... اون یه پسر معمولیه و نه کسی از اون بدش میاد و نه دوسش داره
و هیچ کس علاقه ای به اون نشون نمیده
بیشتر تو این کتاب با این مسئله و حسی که آدما وقتی توجه کافی بهشون نمیشه دارن میپردازه
کاش تو سن کمتری میخوندم
چند وقت پیش یه ادیت از یه فیلمی که خیلی وقت پیش دیده بودم، دیدم ... اسم فیلم بود stuck in love و یه سکانس بین سم ( لیلی کالینز) و لو ( لوگان لرمن) هست که تو رستوران نشستن و سم میپرسه:" کتاب مورد علاقه ات چیه" و لو هم جواب میده :" آقای هنشاو عزیز از بورلی کلییرلی .... "
سم که از عاشق شدن میترسه همون لحظه رستوران رو ترک میکنه ... لو به دنبالش میاد و میگه : "کجا داری میری؟ ... چرا ازم فرار میکنی . من میخوام بشناسمت" و سم میگه " این رابطه به هیچ جا نمیرسه و دنیای ما فرق میکنه " و بعد لو میگه :" کتاب آقای هنشاو عزیز کتاب مورد علاقه تو هم هست ؟"
سم نمیدونه چی جواب بده ... چون کتاب اقای هنشاو عزیز دقیقا کتاب مورد علاقه اون هم بوده و از ترس این شباهت و عشق احتمالی، لو رو همونجا میذاره و میره .....
درنتیجه من گفتم که این کتاب رو بخونم و واقعا قشنگ بود
لی باتس برای نویسنده مورد علاقه اش نامه مینویسه و سعی داره با مسئله طلاق والدینش کنار بیاد و تو مدرسه جدیدش هم تو ارتباط گرفتن با دوستاش مشکل داره ... اون یه پسر معمولیه و نه کسی از اون بدش میاد و نه دوسش داره
و هیچ کس علاقه ای به اون نشون نمیده
بیشتر تو این کتاب با این مسئله و حسی که آدما وقتی توجه کافی بهشون نمیشه دارن میپردازه
کاش تو سن کمتری میخوندم
January 31, 2021
یکی دو روز پیش خیلی اتفاقی فیلمی دیدم به نام stuck in love 2012
دختری که یکی از نقشهای اصلی رو باز میکرد نویسندهای نو قلم بود و در جایی از فیلم دوست پسرش ازش پرسید چه کتابی رو خیلی دوست داری ؟ پاسخ شنید Dear Mr hanshaw.
محرک من برای خواندن کتاب راستش اینی بود که بالا نوشتم.
ولی چه شکار خوبی بود. خیلی خوب بود و بسیار خوش گذشت. از این آثار لطیفی بود که با تمی کودکانه حسابی عواطف و احساسات آدم را به قلیان وا میداشت و اشک را در چشمها جمع میکرد و یک حال اشکی و شیرینی میساخت.
من خیلی لذت بردم. کتاب را در یک ساعت میخوانید و حتما خوش خواهد گذشت.
دختری که یکی از نقشهای اصلی رو باز میکرد نویسندهای نو قلم بود و در جایی از فیلم دوست پسرش ازش پرسید چه کتابی رو خیلی دوست داری ؟ پاسخ شنید Dear Mr hanshaw.
محرک من برای خواندن کتاب راستش اینی بود که بالا نوشتم.
ولی چه شکار خوبی بود. خیلی خوب بود و بسیار خوش گذشت. از این آثار لطیفی بود که با تمی کودکانه حسابی عواطف و احساسات آدم را به قلیان وا میداشت و اشک را در چشمها جمع میکرد و یک حال اشکی و شیرینی میساخت.
من خیلی لذت بردم. کتاب را در یک ساعت میخوانید و حتما خوش خواهد گذشت.
July 13, 2020
چقدر ده صفحهی آخرش رو دوست داشتم. احساسات لی رو خیلی خوب توصیف کرده بود، کامل میتونستم درک کنم، انگار بچگی خودم بود.
March 23, 2025
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary is a heartwarming and thought-provoking coming-of-age story that captures the emotional complexities of growing up, loneliness, and the power of writing. The novel, written for young readers, follows the life of Leigh Botts, a young boy who navigates the challenges of being separated from his father, moving to a new town, and struggling with feelings of isolation.
The story is told through a series of letters and journal entries that Leigh writes to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw, as part of a school assignment. This format gives readers an intimate glimpse into Leigh's inner world, as he confesses his personal troubles, including his strained relationship with his father, his struggles with bullies at school, and his longing for a sense of belonging.
Leigh's letters are both poignant and relatable, offering a raw portrayal of a child's emotional journey as he deals with divorce, family changes, and the challenges of finding his identity. The character of Mr. Henshaw, while not present physically in the story, becomes a kind of mentor to Leigh through his responses, providing guidance and encouragement that helps Leigh navigate his problems.
What makes Dear Mr. Henshaw particularly special is its exploration of the healing power of writing. As Leigh begins to express his thoughts and feelings on paper, he not only finds solace but also begins to better understand himself and his circumstances. This theme encourages young readers to use writing as a tool for self-reflection and emotional growth, making it a powerful read for children and adults alike.
Beverly Cleary’s writing is simple yet engaging, making the book accessible to a younger audience while still resonating with older readers. Her ability to depict complex emotions in a way that feels authentic and honest makes Dear Mr. Henshaw a timeless classic that continues to resonate with readers today.
In conclusion, Dear Mr. Henshaw is a beautifully written and emotionally rich novel that captures the essence of growing up and dealing with life's difficulties. Through Leigh’s journey, readers learn the importance of self-expression, resilience, and the power of communication. It’s a must-read for children and a nostalgic and reflective experience for adults who remember the challenges of adolescence.
The story is told through a series of letters and journal entries that Leigh writes to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw, as part of a school assignment. This format gives readers an intimate glimpse into Leigh's inner world, as he confesses his personal troubles, including his strained relationship with his father, his struggles with bullies at school, and his longing for a sense of belonging.
Leigh's letters are both poignant and relatable, offering a raw portrayal of a child's emotional journey as he deals with divorce, family changes, and the challenges of finding his identity. The character of Mr. Henshaw, while not present physically in the story, becomes a kind of mentor to Leigh through his responses, providing guidance and encouragement that helps Leigh navigate his problems.
What makes Dear Mr. Henshaw particularly special is its exploration of the healing power of writing. As Leigh begins to express his thoughts and feelings on paper, he not only finds solace but also begins to better understand himself and his circumstances. This theme encourages young readers to use writing as a tool for self-reflection and emotional growth, making it a powerful read for children and adults alike.
Beverly Cleary’s writing is simple yet engaging, making the book accessible to a younger audience while still resonating with older readers. Her ability to depict complex emotions in a way that feels authentic and honest makes Dear Mr. Henshaw a timeless classic that continues to resonate with readers today.
In conclusion, Dear Mr. Henshaw is a beautifully written and emotionally rich novel that captures the essence of growing up and dealing with life's difficulties. Through Leigh’s journey, readers learn the importance of self-expression, resilience, and the power of communication. It’s a must-read for children and a nostalgic and reflective experience for adults who remember the challenges of adolescence.
July 20, 2022
Monday, February 5
Dear Mr. Henshaw, (crossed out)
I don't have to pretend to write to Mr. Henshaw anymore. I have learned to say what I think on a piece of paper. And I don't hate my father either. I can't hate him. Maybe things would be easier if I could. (PG. 73)
John Newbery Medal- YA- 1983
The story is a series of letters from Leigh Botts to his favorite author Mr. Henshaw, starting in second grade to currently being in sixth grade. It is the transformation of Leigh's feelings over his parent's divorce, ranging from rage to guilt to sadness and finally acceptance.
Very quick read even when dealing with such a hard topic as divorce. It was... different... I can't imagine Mr. Henshaw being excited to get angry bursts of letters from a kid. I'm sure he was planning to get a restraining order sometime between these years....
Dear Mr. Henshaw, (crossed out)
I don't have to pretend to write to Mr. Henshaw anymore. I have learned to say what I think on a piece of paper. And I don't hate my father either. I can't hate him. Maybe things would be easier if I could. (PG. 73)
John Newbery Medal- YA- 1983
The story is a series of letters from Leigh Botts to his favorite author Mr. Henshaw, starting in second grade to currently being in sixth grade. It is the transformation of Leigh's feelings over his parent's divorce, ranging from rage to guilt to sadness and finally acceptance.
Very quick read even when dealing with such a hard topic as divorce. It was... different... I can't imagine Mr. Henshaw being excited to get angry bursts of letters from a kid. I'm sure he was planning to get a restraining order sometime between these years....
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June 3, 2022چی بگم...فضای قشنگی داش دیگه..اروم و اینا بود..داستان خاصی نداشتا ولی حس خوبی داش :)
July 30, 2014
This book was a remarkably easy read, taking me a refreshing few hours to finish. Presenting itself as a series of letters from young Leigh Botts favorite author that later morphs into his private journal, it documents the years of Leigh's life as he undergoes everyday hardships that slowly change and mature him. Throughout the duration of the book, he struggles to cope with the lunch thief, his mom's working hours, their humble house and neighborhood, and most of all, his parents' divorce.
Personally, I did not enjoy this book, mostly because I didn't find Leigh remarkably likable. One thing I will say in this story's defense, however, is its unafraid and unfailing honesty. Beverly Cleary is dealing with a fragile issue - divorce - and she handles it extremely well. There isn't a satisfying end to the book, but life is often like that. No happy endings, just time, going on and on, like always, as if nothing had happened that should have affected the normal flow of things.
Personally, I did not enjoy this book, mostly because I didn't find Leigh remarkably likable. One thing I will say in this story's defense, however, is its unafraid and unfailing honesty. Beverly Cleary is dealing with a fragile issue - divorce - and she handles it extremely well. There isn't a satisfying end to the book, but life is often like that. No happy endings, just time, going on and on, like always, as if nothing had happened that should have affected the normal flow of things.
September 2, 2021
There are essays and thinkpieces aplenty for Ramona Quimby, as there should be, but where are my 10,000 words of meta about Leigh Botts?? I love him. This one and its sequel, Strider, are the most YA of the Cleary books I've read and they're really good. As usual, Cleary nails the minutia of a kid's hopes and worries.
Some observations from grown-up me:
Audiobook: Read by Pedro Pascal and, assuming it's that Pedro Pascal, is 100% why I checked this out of the library, not going to lie. He's good but also he's narrating as a sixth-grader here, so like, DON'T JUDGE ME. Since this book is 100% in the form of letters or the narrator's diary the direction to not go wild with voices was a good one. Pascal managed to capture the often petulant, young kid tone the earlier letters/entries take. Very solid. One minus is that I'm pretty sure this was originally stitched together as multiple CDs and so there was a weird musical break in the middle, presumably through the CD change, with jaunty elevator type music, but... it kept GOING through the start of a chapter, and that chapter was Leigh being really upset about something. The jaunty happy music blaring over the top of the narration was distracting and ill-timed, plus it was hard to hear the narration because the music was so loud. 👎
Some observations from grown-up me:
Audiobook: Read by Pedro Pascal and, assuming it's that Pedro Pascal, is 100% why I checked this out of the library, not going to lie. He's good but also he's narrating as a sixth-grader here, so like, DON'T JUDGE ME. Since this book is 100% in the form of letters or the narrator's diary the direction to not go wild with voices was a good one. Pascal managed to capture the often petulant, young kid tone the earlier letters/entries take. Very solid. One minus is that I'm pretty sure this was originally stitched together as multiple CDs and so there was a weird musical break in the middle, presumably through the CD change, with jaunty elevator type music, but... it kept GOING through the start of a chapter, and that chapter was Leigh being really upset about something. The jaunty happy music blaring over the top of the narration was distracting and ill-timed, plus it was hard to hear the narration because the music was so loud. 👎
August 10, 2011
Dear Mr. Henshaw is Beverly Cleary’s highest award-winner, capturing the Newbery and Christopher Awards in the early 80’s, yet it is one of my least favorites. Written as a series of letters and journal entries, with absolutely no narration, Mrs. Cleary somehow, miraculously, weaves together a plot, a central-California setting and a well-rounded character. This accomplishment is a testament to her craft; the story is emotional and compelling. I simply don’t care for the style.
In a departure from her usual optimistic, fun-and-quirky subjects, Mrs. Cleary introduces us to Leigh Botts, a troubled boy who wants to become a writer. Through a series of letters sent to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw, we catch insights into Leigh’s likes and dislikes, his hopes and insecurities, his absent, immature, truck-driver father, his wonderfully strong and supportive mother, and his loneliness. He quickly catches our hearts and our sympathies.
As Leigh’s first letters are rather insulting and demanding (humorous peeks into a child’s mind), Mr. Henshaw encourages him to keep a journal instead. We watch Leigh’s writing abilities grow stronger and stronger. Though Leigh’s never receives the happy turn of fortune he longs for, he learns, he grows, he meets with some success, and he grows stronger. For a child, this is a story of the triumph of the human spirit. For a parent, it is a wake-up call to consider exactly what adult selfishness and irresponsibility can do to the children who depend on us. One not to be taken lightly.
Though I much prefer traditional narration, the skill, the message, the powerful emotion of Dear Mr. Henshaw prompts me to recommend it.
In a departure from her usual optimistic, fun-and-quirky subjects, Mrs. Cleary introduces us to Leigh Botts, a troubled boy who wants to become a writer. Through a series of letters sent to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw, we catch insights into Leigh’s likes and dislikes, his hopes and insecurities, his absent, immature, truck-driver father, his wonderfully strong and supportive mother, and his loneliness. He quickly catches our hearts and our sympathies.
As Leigh’s first letters are rather insulting and demanding (humorous peeks into a child’s mind), Mr. Henshaw encourages him to keep a journal instead. We watch Leigh’s writing abilities grow stronger and stronger. Though Leigh’s never receives the happy turn of fortune he longs for, he learns, he grows, he meets with some success, and he grows stronger. For a child, this is a story of the triumph of the human spirit. For a parent, it is a wake-up call to consider exactly what adult selfishness and irresponsibility can do to the children who depend on us. One not to be taken lightly.
Though I much prefer traditional narration, the skill, the message, the powerful emotion of Dear Mr. Henshaw prompts me to recommend it.
January 15, 2013
I picked this up in a thrift store thinking that it was another book entirely but when I started it I found that it was charming story told from the point of view of a young man dealing with the fallout of his parent's divorce. The young man is given an assignment in school to write to a favorite author and when the author mails him back a list of questions, he endeavors to answer them in series of letters and then journals as he grows up a bit.
Overall it's a great book for children of middle school age and yet there's a story here that adults might find enjoyable as well. At 132 pages with illustrations thrown in as well, its a lightning fast read and well worth the reading time.
The author is best known for her Henry Huggins stories but this one is a stand-alone that does a fairly nice job of giving youngsters a picture of what some divorces may be like. Given the number of THOSE in this country, the home of DOMA legislation, it's surprising that more children's books don't deal with this subject.
Overall it's a great book for children of middle school age and yet there's a story here that adults might find enjoyable as well. At 132 pages with illustrations thrown in as well, its a lightning fast read and well worth the reading time.
The author is best known for her Henry Huggins stories but this one is a stand-alone that does a fairly nice job of giving youngsters a picture of what some divorces may be like. Given the number of THOSE in this country, the home of DOMA legislation, it's surprising that more children's books don't deal with this subject.
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