Dear Mr. Henshaw

Cleary, B., Zelinsky, P. O. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York: W. Morrow. Dear Mr. Henshaw is a story about a boy named Leigh Botts. He wants to be just like the author of one of his favorite books, Mr. Henshaw! Through letters the two begin to communicate. Leigh begins to open up revealing to Mr. Henshaw many things from how neglected he feels because of his parents divorcing to the experiences of being the new kid in school! Mr. Henshaw replies back with advice and words of encouragement helping Leigh deal with his conflicts. This starts a flourishing Pen Pal friendship and Leigh learns to grow as a writer as well as grow as a person. Dear Mr. Henshaw is a realistic fiction book written in a unique way! The author creatively uses the format of letters to tell the story of Leigh Botts. After reading this book, it will leave readers reflecting on the negative effects of divorce and bullying. In addition, making this an inspirational read that will influence many people that are going through difficult times in their life to just write! Lessons & Activities http://www.ocde.us/CharacterEd/Documents/mr-henshaw.pdf Book Trailer https://youtu.be/6A3Sa4gFGJA Can’t get enough of Leigh Botts!? Read the Sequel!