Dear Mr. Henshaw

Children’s literature once shied away from deeply emotional topics and avoided controversial subject matter. Modern authors now see the value in crafting storylines that include characters grappling with challenging circumstances and navigating life-altering events. Beverly Cleary created Dear Mr. Henshaw in response to her young readers’ request that she write a book about divorce, and though the topic was rarely seen in children’s books at the time, Cleary took on the challenge. Through Leigh Botts, Cleary highlights the emotional intricacies of children experiencing trauma and offers a highly nuanced and personal view of one child’s experience of divorce and its effects on his family. Cleary doesn’t portray divorce in simplistic terms or dilute the narrative for her younger audience but instead explores the complexities of family dynamics and the emotional impact divorce has on children. When the narrative begins, Leigh’s letters to Mr. Henshaw reveal a young, innocent child swept up in his love of books and dogs. If his parents have issues, he is blissfully unaware of them, and his narration indicates that he is generally happy in his life.

Leigh reveals the divorce when he answers Mr. Henshaw’s questionnaire, and the

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