Dear Mr. Henshaw

Leigh Botts writes a letter to Mr. Henshaw, the author of the book Ways to Amuse a Dog. Leigh says his teacher read the book to his second-grade class, and he enjoyed it.

In his next letter, Leigh is in third grade and reminds Mr. Henshaw that he wrote him a letter last year. He is proud to tell Mr. Henshaw that his book is “the first thick book with chapters that I have read” (1). Leigh enjoys Ways to Amuse a Dog because he has a dog named Bandit. Leigh asks Mr. Henshaw to respond to his letter so he can get recognized by his teacher. Leigh shares with Mr. Henshaw the trick he learned for correctly spelling “friend.”

Leigh writes to Mr. Henshaw again in fourth grade as part of a “Book Week” at school. Mr. Henshaw sent a typed response to Leigh’s last letter, but Leigh asks the author to send a handwritten response next time. Leigh says that the dog in Ways to Amuse a Dog reminds him of Bandit.