On Beverly Cleary's "Dear Mr. Henshaw": Leigh Botts begins writing to novelist Boyd Henshaw in the second grade. Because he is a small kid, Leigh has special trouble with his "long vowel" sounds, and instead of writing that he "likes" Boyd's novel, he writes that he "licks" it. A correspondence begins. Henshaw gently encourages Leigh to begin to reflect on his own life. Leigh is surly and impossible, because he is a kid, and specifically because he is in pain; his parents have divorced, and his (overwhelmed?) father is never around. This novel won't give us a solution to Leigh's deep family problem, but it will pursue other fascinating matters. For example, how can you make sure that your unusually tasty lunch (Mom works for a caterer) won't get stolen? Thieves don't think very deeply, so if you put a false name on the front of the lunch, you're safe, at least for a while. It's boring to arrive at ...