Dear Mr. Henshaw Characters

Meet Leigh Botts, the "mediumest boy in class" (10.5), according to himself. He's a normal kid with normal kid problems, plus a few more. His parents are divorced, and Leigh's relationship with his...

Mom Botts is a little powerhouse. Seriously, Leigh tells us that she's "so little compared to most moms, and she works so hard" (30.4). She puts in long hours at her catering job and she's taking c...

There are some great dads out there. They go to their kids' soccer games, fix broken bikes, and tell silly jokes.Just like Leigh's dad.Not. Since the divorce, Leigh can't even get a weekly phone ca...

As the alter ego of real author Beverly Cleary, fictional children's author Boyd Henshaw is a hoot. In the beginning of the story, Leigh is doing an author study and asks Mr. Henshaw, his favorite...

We've gotta say, Mr. Fridley wins our vote for Best Character Description:Sort of baggy and comfortable. (32.5)Comfy ol' Mr. Fridley is the custodian who "keeps an eye on just about everything arou...

No friends, strange faces everywhere, worries about whether people will like you—that's what it's like being the new kid in school. We don't meet Barry until Chapter 49, but he's important becaus...

Miss Neely, the school librarian, is one of the first to notice Leigh at the new school: She handed me your new book and said I could be the first to read it. [...] She said she knew how much I lov...

Mrs. Badger is the "mystery author" that the winning students get to have lunch with. Leigh is over the moon that "she called me an author. A real live author called me an author" (58.12). How cool...

Bow chicka wow wow. We suspect that's what Bandit says as he cruises down the highway, ears blowing in the wind, nose sniffing freedom in the air. Actually, Bandit doesn't say anything. He doesn't...