Dear Mr. Henshaw L-I-T Guide Literature In Teaching By Beverly Cleary My Diary A Study Guide for Grades 3 to 6 Prepared by Charlotte S. Jaffe and Barbara T. Doherty Illustrated by Karen Sigler
The purchase of this book entitles the individual teacher to reproduce copies of the student pages for use in his or her classroom exclusively. The reproduction of any part of the work for an entire school or school system or for commercial use is prohibited. ISBN 1-56644-019-X 1998 Educational Impressions, Inc., Hawthorne, NJ EDUCATIONAL IMPRESSIONS, INC. Hawthorne, NJ 07507 Printed in the United States of America. This study guide is based on the book Dear Mr. Henshaw Copyright 1983 by Beverly Cleary Published by William Morrow and Company, Inc.
Dear Mr. Henshaw Written by Beverly Cleary STORY SUMMARY Eleven-year-old Leigh Botts lives with his mother in Pacific Grove, California, following his parents divorce. Leigh is learning to cope with the recent divorce, his new home, his new neighborhood, and his new school. He is also adjusting to life without his dog. His teacher gives the class an assignment of writing to an author. Leigh reluctantly writes to the author of Ways to Amuse a Dog, Mr. Boyd Henshaw. Mr. Henshaw answers Leigh s letter, and Leigh fulfills the assignment; however, Mr. Henshaw asks Leigh some questions of his own. This becomes the beginning of a correspondence friendship between Leigh and Mr. Henshaw. Mr. Henshaw encourages Leigh to keep a journal. He also gives him writing tips and offers other tokens of friendship. Very slowly and painfully Leigh adjusts to his new life. He describes himself as the mediumest boy in class to Mr. Henshaw. When he invents an alarm system for his lunchbox, he finally feels special. Through writing, Leigh starts to express his feelings. Finally, he discusses these feelings with both his mother and father. Encouraged by his teachers, Leigh enters a writing contest. Working through the problems of what to write and how to develop his story takes Leigh s mind off his other problems. As it turns out, he gets an Honorable Mention for his entry and gets recognition from a professional author. He comes to terms with his parents divorce, his father s way of life, and not having his dog. Educational Impressions, Inc. Dear Mr. Henshaw 3
Meet the Author Beverly Cleary Beverly Cleary s love of books and talent as a writer surfaced when she was just a girl. Born on April 12, 1916, in McMinnville, Oregon, Beverly lived on the family farm in the nearby small town of Yamhill. I lived on a farm and could be wild and free, she remembered. Her mother started the first library in Yamhill, and Beverly spent many Saturdays in the library helping out and enjoying the books. The author and her family moved to Portland when she was about six years old. At first, her adjustment to school and city life was difficult; however, by third grade, Beverly began to feel as though she belonged. Her first article was published at that time. It was a review of The Story of Doctor Doolittle, and it appeared in a local newspaper. Her sixth-grade teacher was convinced that Beverly possessed special talent in writing and predicted that when she grew up she would become an author. After high school, Beverly attended Chaffee Jr. College in California and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1938 with a B.A. degree. She then decided to become a librarian and continued her education at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she earned a degree in Library Science. The author began her career as a librarian in Yakima, Washington. When she married Clarence Cleary in 1940, the couple moved to California, and Beverly continued her library work at the Oakland Army Hospital. Beverly s experience as a librarian motivated her to create her own books for children. She decided to write about ordinary children and their everyday problems and adventures. Her first published book was Henry Huggins. I get my ideas from experience, imagination, and the world around me, stated Cleary. In Henry Huggins, the author used her observation of two children carrying a wet dog onto a trolley. Dear Mr. Henshaw received the Newbery Award in 1984. Leigh Botts, the troubled main character, relates his story through diary entries and letters to his favorite author. Other popular books by Beverly Cleary include the Ramona series, Ribsy, Ellen Tibbits, Runaway Ralph, and Strider. Some of her books are being made into movies for television. Cleary still uses a composition book to record her ideas and experiences. The author has two grown children, Malcolm and Marianne, who are twins. In her free time, she enjoys long walks and creating original handicrafts. 4 Dear Mr. Henshaw Educational Impressions, Inc.
Pre-Reading Information The Amazing Monarch Found in most of the United States and parts of Canada, the monarch butterfly migrates to Mexico and California for the winter. For some monarchs this means a flight of over four thousand miles! After arriving at their winter home, the butterflies remain relatively inactive. They store up body fat, gaining strength and energy for their later flight to their summer homes. Monarch butterflies like milkweed. This gives them an unpleasant taste to predators. Birds and other enemies, therefore, don t like to eat them. In fact, the viceroy butterfly mimics the monarch in coloring to make its predators think that it, too, will taste bad. Monarch Migration Canada Western Monarchs Eastern Monarchs California Mexico Florida Monarch Habitat Heavy y PopulationP Winter Homes Educational Impressions, Inc. Dear Mr. Henshaw 5
Pre-Reading Information Metamorphosis These are the stages of a caterpillar s metamorphosis into a butterfly. 1. The egg is deposited on the leaf. 2. The egg hatches into a caterpillar (larva). 3. A chrysalis forms. Inside the chrysalis a butterfly is forming. 4. After two weeks the developed butterfly emerges. The limp, moist wings will spread and dry. 6 Dear Mr. Henshaw Educational Impressions, Inc.