Dear Mr. Henshaw Literature and Writing Quotes

Even as a little boy, Leigh loves books so much he wants to write to the author. He can't spell, but he gets his main points across: he liked the book, and he's a boy. Right off the bat, Beverly Cleary is letting us know what this book is going to be about.

By fourth grade, Leigh knows he wants to be an author. Writing is his passion, and he's got someone to look up to and emulate, beard and all.

This is great advice for everyone who writes (which is all of us at one time or another). It's about being observant and thoughtful and then getting it all down on paper (or the computer). The last tip is the most important. Mr. H. isn't talking about just writing once, but about the practice of writing. Just like an Olympic skater doesn't wake up on the day of the games and expect to win without practicing a ton beforehand, a writer can't write one draft and expect it to be brilliant. That's why your English teachers are always bugging you to revise, revise, revise. Keep that in mind next time you're wishing that Smaug would kidnap all the English teachers until June.