Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
Winner, 1984 Newbery Award
Quick Summary
In letters to his favorite author, sixth grader Leigh reveals his problems with his parents' divorce and fitting in at a new school.
Favorite Quote
My story is about a man ten feet tall who drives a big truck, the kind my Dad drives. The man is made of wax, and every time he crosses the desert, he melts a little.
About the Author
Beverly Cleary is the author of numerous popular children's books. Ramona and Her Father was a Newbery Honor book in 1978 and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 was a 1982 Newbery Honor book. In 2000, she was named a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress. She's written two memoirs, A Girl from Yamhill and My Own Two Feet, which I highly recommend.
My Project
While Leigh starts by writing letters to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw, he gradually starts keeping a journal in a yellow composition book with a wire spiral binding. I made a version of this notebook complete with ruled notebook paper inside and his message about privacy on the front. The date is written in pencil.
Final Thoughts
I read this book when it first came out in 1983. I was older than the intended audience, but Beverly Cleary was (and still is) one of my favorite authors. I remember that I didn't love this book at the time as much as the Ramona and Beezus series, likely because I wasn't interested in books with boy protagonists.
As an adult, I found the main plot idea of a child writing to a favorite author more compelling than I did back then, as I've been looking at a lot of author websites and find that this is still a common school assignment. (You can always tell by looking at the FAQs of those sites the degree to which the author finds those assignments exasperating.) I also loved the end of the book with all the librarians, especially the descriptions like this: "The other librarians were busy talking and laughing with Mr. Badger [the husband of the famous author] who seemed to be a lot of fun." It made me think of the many children's movies that manage to operate on two levels, giving both children and adults something different to laugh about. Leigh's struggles as a growing writer ring true no matter what your age: "Every time I try and think up a story, it turns out to be like something someone else has written, usually you."
If you read this book, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments.