Dear Mr. Henshaw

Cleary, B. (1983). Dear mr. henshaw. New York: HarperTrophy.

Through a collection of letters, Leigh Botts shares his story. He idolizes the author of his favorite book and proceeds to write him numerous letters. Leigh shares his situation of being in a divorced family, being neglected and let down by his father and the difficulties of being the new kid at school. The author, Mr. Henshaw, encourages his writing, so Leigh begins keeping a diary of letters as well. Writing become a therapeutic way for Leigh to express his emotions. Telling the story through a sequence of letters gives the book an interesting perspective. A real connection with Leigh can be felt due to the personal nature of letter writing. As Leigh grows older and matures, he begins to makes friends and focus on the positives he has in his life rather than just his pain.