Cleary, B. (1983). Dear mr. henshaw. N.Y., N.Y.: Avon
Books.
Summary:
(Newberry Book)
Exposition: Leigh Botts, a young boy, writes letters to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw. He asks him a series of questions for a class assignment. The author responds with slight sarcasim but encourages Botts to start writing in a journal.
Conflict: Leigh Botts struggles with his parent's divorce and wishes they would get remarried. He
also has a strained relationship witth his father.
Rising
Action: Leigh Botts begins to keep a journal and express his disappointment with how his father
does not keep in touch and breaks his promises. He also creates a lunch box alarm to prevent the lunch burglar from taking his food.
Climax: Leigh Botts matures as he comes to understand that his parents will never remarry. He also gains confidence in his writing ability.
Resolution: Leigh's father comes to see him and Bott's feels better knowing that his father still loves them.
Literary Elements:
Tone: Beverly Cleary creates a serious tone as Leigh expresses his thoughts in his journal writing.
He is sad that his father doesn't make time to be with him yet he struggles to find the words to
let his father know how he feels. She clearly expresses the difficulty that some children go
through in having to adjust to the changes that divorce may cause.
Point
of View: Cleary's choice to use first person point of view was very effective because the reader is able to empathize with Leigh more. The reader learns how much Leigh wants to have a stronger relationship with his father and how he fears losing him to another family.
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