Who wrote the 1984 Newbery Medal winner 'Dear Mr. Henshaw'?

Beverly Cleary wrote the 1984 Newbery Medal winner Dear Mr. Henshaw.

The novel takes the form of letters and diary entries written by Leigh Botts, a boy corresponding with the fictional author Boyd Henshaw. Through Leigh’s writing, Cleary explores his parents’ separation, loneliness, school problems, and the gradual discovery that writing can help him understand difficult experiences. The book’s epistolary structure gives readers a direct view of Leigh’s changing thoughts.

Dear Mr. Henshaw was published in 1983 and received the Newbery Medal in 1984, a distinction often confused with the publication date. Cleary was already a major children’s author, known for characters including Henry Huggins, Beezus and Ramona Quimby. The novel is not autobiographical in a strict sense, though its realistic emotional conflicts reflect Cleary’s interest in children’s everyday lives. Cynthia Voigt, Paula Fox, and Judy Blume were also prominent children’s authors, but none wrote this Newbery winner.