Cover of Dear Mr. Henshaw

Dear Mr. Henshaw

by Beverly Cleary

Widely assigned — 4 curriculum lists · 3 states

On reading-award lists:Newbery MedalVermont Golden Dome Book AwardOklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book AwardNēnē Award (Hawai'i)

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary is assigned in US schools at grades 4–6. It appears across 4 curriculum references and 3 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Dear Mr. Henshaw is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

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Grade range
Grades 4–6
Age range
Ages 9–11
Pages
142
Reading time
about 2h 35m (est.)
First published
1983
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780590503167

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade · What is the Newbery Medal?

More formats & details

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About this book

Beverly Cleary's 1984 Newbery Medal winner is told entirely through the letters and diary entries of Leigh Botts, a lonely boy writing to his favorite author as he copes with his parents' divorce, a new school, and a lunchbox thief. Quiet and honest, it captures a child finding his own voice on the page.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Dear Mr. Henshaw→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 4–6. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on family and identity; cited across 4 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

family · identity · growing up · grief

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Dear Mr. Henshaw?
Dear Mr. Henshaw is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–6. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read Dear Mr. Henshaw?
It takes about 2h 35m to read Dear Mr. Henshaw (142 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 155 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Dear Mr. Henshaw?
Dear Mr. Henshaw appears on reading lists for Newbery Medal, Nēnē Award (Hawai'i), Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award, and 1 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Dear Mr. Henshaw banned in schools?
Dear Mr. Henshaw does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
What themes does Dear Mr. Henshaw explore?
Central themes in Dear Mr. Henshaw include family, identity, growing up, grief. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 4–6 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 4 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 3 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club.

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