Heavy with the emotions of his parents divorcing and starting at a new school, Leigh Botts writes letters to his favorite author, as well as keeps a diary, to work through his feelings and figure out his new path in life. Through the ups and downs, including a father who struggles with staying connected, Leigh soon learns that his problems aren't the biggest in the world (and maybe he will never know who is stealing his lunch).
Cleary, B., & Zelinsky, P. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York, NY: W. Morrow.
- Evaluation Criteria
- Style and characters are how this novel meets the criteria for a contemporary piece of realistic fiction. This novel transitions smoothly between first person letters written to an author and first person diary entries. Because of the plot of the book, which revolves around a child's admiration of an author and their struggle to deal with the great changes in their life, including the split of his parents, both personal letters and journal entries will make an easy connection with the audience. Leigh Botts' situation as a child in the middle of a divorce, being the new kid in school, and struggling to cope are all topics that many children can relate to and feel the struggle that he feels. He is a very dynamic character who grows from an angry young man to an understanding and caring person who just happens to be suffering from an unfortunate life event.
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