Dear Mr. Henshaw--by Beverly Cleary ISBN#0-688-02406-8

Clearly, B. (1981). Dr. Mr. Henshaw. N. Y., N. Y.: William Morrow and Company Inc.

This book can serve as a great guide into adolescence. In second grade, the protagonist, Leigh Botts, starts a correspondence with his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw. With these letters, and later with a diary we watch Leigh grow up. It is not an easy row to hoe when your parents are divorced, but Leigh makes the best of it. He is in a new school, so it is hard to make friends, and the best parts of his lunch keep getting stolen, but Leigh perseveres. Through a friendship with the school custodian and a fancy burglar alarm on his lunch pale, things seem to look up.

A poignant theme is this book is Leigh’s struggle with a dad who is gone. Beverly Cleary handles this situation with care, empathy, and a deep understanding how an eleven-year-old boy feels in this situation. Leigh has a constant battle with love and anger, and the writing makes this very clear. Any tween going through a divorce must feel safer when they read this book.

Kindness is a very important part of this book. All the characters show it: the custodian, Leigh’s mother, the principal, Mr. Henshaw, and at times Leigh’s father. Cleary builds Leigh’s father’s character as a tragic figure that you love and hate at the same time. Leigh’s journey is handled with great realism and an abundant amount of humor. This is a very enjoyable read, and I am sure I will read this book again.