Cover of Dear Mr. Henshaw

Dear Mr. Henshaw

by Beverly Cleary · Grades 4–6 · Realistic Fiction

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary is on US reading lists at grades 4–6. It appears on 4 lists: 4 book-award lists, across 3 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 9–11 · Grades 4–6 · 142 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780590503167). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Widely assigned — 4 curriculum lists · 3 states

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Newbery MedalVermont Golden Dome Book AwardOklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book AwardHawai'i Nēnē Award

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.

Reading level at a glance

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

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-07-07; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

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

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About this book

Book facts and sources (4)
Award won
On award reading lists
Catalog record
First published 1983 · 142 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

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

Why widely assigned

This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 4–6. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on family and identity; cited on 4 lists: 4 book-award lists.

Themes

family · identity · growing up · grief

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is Dear Mr. Henshaw?
Dear Mr. Henshaw is listed for grades 4–6. It appears on 4 book-award lists across 3 states, from grade 3 to grade 7. Exact placement varies by school and district.
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 Hawai'i Nēnē Award, Newbery Medal, 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.

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 the book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 4 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
On state book-award lists in 3 states (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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