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Health & Fitness

Sit Right Down and Read About Writing Letters

Keep your kids' minds fit with some summer reading fun.

By Diane GornellTeacher Librarian

 

 

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Summer is a wonderful time to read, and to write. It’s especially good when kids can do both together. I recommend enjoying part of summers’ days by sharing a great little book with your kids that focuses on both skills.

 

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Dear Mr. Henshaw written by Beverly Cleary and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky appeals to young readers despite its quarter century age. Most of Beverly Cleary’s books have that timeless quality, especially her Ramona Quimby series.

 

In this story second grader, Leigh Botts, writes letters to his favorite author, Mr. Ben Henshaw. Leigh writes again to Henshaw in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades. Now in sixth grade, Leigh’s teacher assigns an author report. Once again Leigh writes to his favorite author with a laundry list of questions that the 6th grader should have researched on his own. So, Mr. Henshaw replies with a list of questions for Leigh to answer! In response to the author’s questions Leigh composes a long trail of missives. Few earn a reply. Leigh writes about his parents’ divorce; the need to move to a new place where he’s the new kid in school; his loneliness, problems he’s having with his mother; missing his father; and especially about the ways in which his father has disappointed him by not calling, visiting or sending the child support checks. This touching and yet amusing story offers parents many potential topics for family dinner-table discussions. Encourage your child to write a letter or note to you, a relative, or a friend!

 

Our school and public libraries carry many good books by Beverly Cleary. Two other books with letter writing themes that you may want to check out for your students are I wanna iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff, and Stringbean’s Trip to the Shining Sea by Vera and Jennifer Williams.

 

Wishing you a summer filled with good reading and good writing!

 

 

Image courtesy of renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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