Dear Mr. Henshaw

"A first-rate, poignant story ... a lovely, well-crafted, three-dimensional work." -- The New York Times Book Review

Cleary, B. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York, N.Y.: Scholastic Inc.

Leigh Botts, a second grader, writes a list of questions to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw, in order to complete a school assignment.Mr. Henshaw answers the questions and asks Leigh some of his own. Through Leigh's answers, the reader learns about his personal life and struggles he faces. As Leigh writes his answers, he learns that he cannot change some things in his life, but must accept them instead.

Reading Level: 910L
Suggested Delivery: Small Group

Electronic Resources:

Dear (author): This website gives students various activities they can complete after reading Dear Mr. Henshaw. One activity asks readers to answer a few questions about their favorite author. It asks questions such as: Which of the author's books have you read? Which was your favorite? Why? Students can use their answers to compose a letter to that author.

Discussion Questions: This website offers several activities students can complete. It also has questions that can be answered in student journals. There are questions for every 10-15 pages. This can be used to keep students focused on their reading. If they know they need to answer questions periodically, they may be more willing to read carefully.

Vocabulary: idiom, mobile home, flat beds, gondola, potluck, demonstration, duplex, splendid, interstate, postage, wrath, prose, snoop, canape, loner, broker, halyard, nuisance, mimeographed, fictitious, refinery

Reading Strategies:

• Before Reading: (Text impression/text structure). Flip through the book and ask students what they think the book is going to be about. Is it laid out differently than other books they have read? Does that change the possible meaning of the text? Discuss when and how letters are used. Are they written differently than other forms of writing?
• During Reading: As students read and gain knowledge about various characters in the book, have them complete a character graphic organizer. They can include physical traits, a character's behavior, thoughts, or any other information they discover through Leigh's writing. 
• After Reading: Create a voki from the point of view of one the characters from the graphic organizer. Use the information in the graphic organizer to write a script from the character's point of view. Leigh Voki

Inferential Comprehension: How does answering Mr. Henshaw's questions help Leigh? What does he discover about himself?