Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

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     Dear Mr. Henshaw, by Beverly Cleary, is a wonderful example of what modern life is like for many adolescent boys. Mrs. Cleary introduces Leigh Botts, a young boy living in a shabby cottage near a gas station in central California. Leigh’s parents have recently divorced, which has taken a toll on his lonely life, and Leigh’s only distraction is his aspiration of becoming a writer. Urged on by a school assignment, Leigh writes to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw, and through these letters, and his personal journal entries, we are introduced to Leigh’s inner feelings, likes and dislikes, hopes and insecurities, and the very different characters that are his mother and father. As Leigh continues to write in his journal, the reader is able to watch him navigate life as best as he can, and in turn, find small successes that help him grow. The format of this novel, all written through letters or journal entries, makes it a unique read and illustrates just how lonely Leigh Botts is, his biggest confidant being his personal journal instead of friends and family. It can be very difficult to pull off a well-rounded character without any real dialogue or other points of view, but through Leigh’s journal entries, Mrs. Cleary manages to shape Leigh’s character fully, as he opens up about his feelings regarding school, his parents, and himself.

Evaluative Criteria: Characters and Style (included in review)

Cleary, B., & Zelinsky, P. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York, NY: W. Morrow. 

-Ms. J 

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban

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      Zoe Elias is a 10 year old girl with aspirations of becoming a child piano prodigy, playing to audiences at Carnegie Hall. Instead of receiving a baby grand piano from her zany and agoraphobic father, she is gifted with a wheezy Perfectone-60 organ. A Crooked Kind of Perfect, by Linda Urban, is filled with characters that are charming, believable, and flawed. From ten-year-old Zoe, to her mentally ill father, and her workaholic mother, the characters are crystal clear and their motivations are believable. Zoe slowly deals with the hand she has been dealt in life through practicing on her organ.  Despite the fact that it was not the instrument she had envisioned for herself, Zoe decides to give it a chance and enters into the annual Perform-O-Rama organ competition.Her organ has transformative powers not only over her in her growing ability to accept things as they are, but also over her father as he dances along to her music. In the end, Zoe realizes that flaws can be embraced, and that it is possible to overcome your fears, and that you should always follow the beat of your own drum. 

Evaluative Criteria: Characters and Theme (included in review)

Urban, L. (2009). A crooked kind of perfect. Boston, MA: Sandpiper.


-Ms. J