Dear Mr. Henshaw: A Newbery Award Winner

Newbery Medal Winner * Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children * ALA Notable Children’s Book

Beverly Cleary’s timeless Newbery Medal-winning book explores difficult topics like divorce, insecurity, and bullying through the thoughts and emotions of a sixth-grade boy as he writes to his favorite author, Boyd Henshaw. 

After his parents separate, Leigh Botts moves to a new town with his mother. Struggling to make friends and deal with his anger toward his absent father, Leigh loses himself in a class assignment in which he must write to his favorite author. When Mr. Henshaw responds, the two form an unexpected friendship that will change Leigh’s life forever.

From the beloved author of the Henry Huggins, Ramona Quimby, and Ralph S. Mouse series comes an epistolary novel about how to navigate and heal from life’s growing pains.

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Published May 31, 2000

160 pages

Average rating: 7

12 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

BrandeeD
Dec 10, 2025
10/10 stars
Absolutely loved this when I was a kid during my "reading everything that is in letter or diary form" phase. And loved it again now!! Definitely a book that everyone should read at some point in their life :)
abookwanderer
Oct 09, 2025
6/10 stars
3.5 stars. I read this one with my son. He seemed to enjoy the letter-style of the book. And I liked that it tackled a more serious subject, while showing good things can come from hard times.
margardenlady
Dec 27, 2023
10/10 stars
Timeless story about facing unpleasant things while growing up. Writing helped Leigh process them and also helped him keep moving ahead.

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