Dear Mr. Henshaw Theme of Perseverance

You know what they say: when the going gets tough, the tough go shopping.

That's not how the saying goes? Sorry, it must have been an old joke we heard once. Let's try that again.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Perseverance, persistence, tenacity, grit—whatever you call it, it means sticking with something even when it's hard and doesn't work out at first. In Dear Mr. Henshaw, Leigh perseveres in this story with his writing, communicating with Mr. Henshaw, fighting the lunchbox bandit, and figuring out what his relationship with his dad will look like after the divorce. Persevering is hard work, but it pays off with a writing award, a close relationship with Mr. Henshaw, a safe lunch, and a better understanding of his dad.

Keep on keepin' on: that's what our guy does. Leigh is a perseverance superhero.

1. What are all the things Leigh perseveres at? Does everything end in success?
2. What do Leigh, Mom, and Dad want badly enough to pursue even when it's tough? If you could give them a Perseverance Rating from 1 to 10, how would you rate each of them and why?
3. How does the ability to persevere help Leigh grow up?

If Leigh hadn't bugged Mr. Henshaw with endless letters, he would have never heard from him.

At first, Leigh's mom has to provide constant motivation for Leigh to answer Mr. Henshaw's questions. It's a sign of his growing maturity that eventually he writes in his diary every couple of days.