Dear Mr. Henshaw

STYLE & THEME

In her 1984 Newberry Award winning novel, Dear Mr. Henshaw, Beverly Cleary tracks the emotional and mental growth of Leigh Botts through a series of letters and journal entries.  The style she chooses differentiates itself from similarly styled books because the reader is able to see the gradual change in Leigh’s writing as well as his outlook on life. 

Thirty years later, this style still hooks children’s attention. This happens because Leigh is made more relatable to young readers because of his less-than-perfect writing. After all, what 2nd grader writes perfect sentences?

The theme that probably strikes the deepest chord is that of understanding others.  Divorce is never easy and is especially hard on children.  Leigh must deal with the sorrow over his dad’s leaving and how lonely and tired his mom is.  The theme crystalizes when Leigh allows his beloved dog, Bandit, to leave with his father; he does this so that his dad will not be so lonely.

Cleary, B., & Zelinsky, P. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York: Morrow.