Cleary, B. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. NY: Morrow.
Never in his life did Leigh Botts think that by writing to his favorite author he would be finding a friend. Unbelievable, huh? And so cool! In writing back and forth to Mr. Henshaw, Leigh finds a confidente. He is a troubled young boy who without realizing it, needs someone to bring him comfort. In suggesting solutions to his dilemmas, and giving him advice from time to time, Mr. Henshaw makes Leigh realize he has a new friend. His parents divorce, his ackward relationship with his father, being new in school gives Leigh a little bit of all the worse things that can happen to a kid his age. Lucky for him, he is not alone in this, and even though Mr. Henshaw is just a pen pal, he finds a true friend in him.
I was about eleven or twelve the summer I read Dear Mr. Henshaw the first time and quite frankly I didn't understand much from it. During that time I was still struggling to learn the language and I was not very fluent. When I saw the opportunity to read it again, I was eager to finally understand what it was about! It was the first one I picked up from the stack of books from the list. And I absolutely loved it. It gave me a feeling of melancholy but in a good way. I guess I saw a lot of my students in little Leigh. Heartbreak and hope at its best...
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