Dear Mr. Henshaw

Given the homework assignment of writing to a famous author, sixth-grader Leigh Botts writes to Boyd Henshaw, the author of his favorite book, WAYS TO AMUSE A DOG. Mr. Henshaw's reply includes some silly answers to Leigh's questions about a writer's life, but he also encloses a series of questions about Leigh that Leigh must answer and send back to him. At first Leigh is insulted by Mr. Henshaw's request, but at his mother's insistence, he takes the time to answer the questions--thus beginning an epistolary friendship with Mr. Henshaw. Slowly, Leigh's letters reveal the difficulties of his life, especially his parents' divorce and the fact that his self-absorbed trucker father seems to have forgotten all about him. By writing to Mr. Henshaw, and later by following Mr. Henshaw's advice to keep a journal, Leigh is able to overcome some of the difficulties in his life and also come to terms with some things that he can't change or control. Told entirely via Leigh's letters and journal entries, DEAR MR. HENSHAW is illustrated with occasional B&W drawings and was the winner of the 1984 Newbery Medal. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.