Dear Mr. Henshaw

“We licked it.”

In his first letter to Mr. Henshaw, second-grader Leigh misspells the word “like.” Misspellings and misunderstandings due to language are common motifs in Beverly Cleary’s writing. Leigh’s mistake adds humor to the narrative but also delineates his young age at the time.

“My teacher taught me a trick about friends. The i goes before e so that at the end it will spell end.”

Another hallmark of Cleary’s writing is emphasizing the relationship between student and teacher. Other characters in Cleary’s novels learn similar spelling tricks from their teachers. This quote demonstrates Leigh’s growth as he is learning to spell properly.

“I hate living in a mobile home park.”

This quote marks the first instance of Leigh being vulnerable in his letters to Mr. Henshaw and sharing his feelings. Leigh’s revelation about where his family lives also clues the reader into his socioeconomic status and is the first indication that Leigh is unhappy in his life.