Dear Mr. Henshaw

 Cleary, B. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York, NY: W. Morrow. 

Leigh Botts started writing to Mr. Henshaw since he was in second grade. It all begun with Leigh writing to his favorite author because his teacher had assign it as an assignment. He continued writing throughout the year and Mr. Henshaw would respond to him. As the years passed by Liegh never realized that he was unconsciously writing to Mr. Henshaw about his own problems. His parents had divorced when he was in sixth grade and had a lot of trouble going through that difficult time. He went on to live with his mother and even moved to a new town. So, when the teacher assigned another assignment about writing to their favorite author, he could only think about writing to Mr. Henshaw. It was a good way to dismiss all the anger he had toward his father. He was even upset because his father was not responsible in sending the child support payment. Mr. Henshaw suggested for him to begin his own personal diary as a way of him expressing his feelings. At the end, he realized that he couldn’t control the situation with his father, but rather be happy for his life and time with his mother. 

Very relatable topic with students now a days. The format of the book is conducive and could be used as a mentor text for journal writing. It is also great to promote students to write and show them how writing helps them express themselves.

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuEQKFc6NqQ

Teaching Guide: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/dear-mr-henshaw-teaching-plan and https://app.box.com/s/919q21vinxqk0qvw31ihwd22vek4updf