Strider

by Beverly Cleary

Paperback, 2000

Status

Available

Local notes

PB Cle

Barcode

1237

Publication

HarperCollins (2000), Edition: Reissue, 176 pages

Description

In a series of diary entries, Leigh tells how he comes to terms with his parents' divorce, acquires joint custody of an abandoned dog, and joins the track team at school.

Awards

Nebraska Golden Sower Award (Nominee — 1994)
Texas Bluebonnet Award (Nominee — 1993)
Young Hoosier Book Award (Nominee — Middle Grade — 1994)
Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — Children's Fiction — 1993)
Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 1995)
Nutmeg Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 1997)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 1994)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Nominee — Grades 4-6 — 1993)
Flicker Tale Award (Nominee — Picture Books — 1995)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

1991

Physical description

176 p.; 5.13 inches

User reviews

LibraryThing member anneofia
This cute little sequel to Dear Mr. Henshaw is just as good as the original book. If you haven't read the first one, it stands very nicely by itself. Both books speak poignantly about how divorce, in this case an absent father, can affect a child. In this book the main character, Leigh, two years
Show More
older, is more comfortable with the way things are, and is well on the way in learning to accept his parents as they are and still managing to be all boy.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jlowens4
The chapter book "Strider" is a good book. The book uses the same character from the book, "Dear Mr. Henshaw." Leigh and his mother now live apartments, where Leigh and his friend Barry find a dog. They named the dog Stider. Since the both found the dog together they decided to have joint custody.
Show More
This causes tension between the boys because Leight does not want Barry to have his time with Strider. Leigh uses Strider to fill other voids that he has in his life. Overall I felt as though this was a good story and a great addition to any teachers library.
Show Less
LibraryThing member francescadefreitas
I was amazing to find there was more to Leigh's story! I had the horrors that it would end up being a dead dog story, but this was a sweet coming of age tale of a boy fighting free of his feckless father, and negotiating friendships.
LibraryThing member fuzzi
"Strider" is a worthy sequel to the excellent "Dear Mr. Henshaw".

Leigh is two years older, and handling life with his divorced mother better than when he was only 12. While on the beach with his best friend, Barry, they come across a dog that is sitting there, looking as if he's lost his best
Show More
friend.

Apparently the dog has been abandoned, and the boys decide to adopt "Strider", with join custody.

But more is happening to Leigh than just a new dog: his father is still trying to get back with his ex-wife, Leigh's mother, who is not interested, his English teacher is making him crazy, and there's a new boy who takes issue with Leigh's new shirt.

This is not just a "feel good" story, but a story about adolescence and how one boy handles the changes in his life. I was really impressed with how Ms. Cleary handled an older subject (Leigh is 14) and the serious subjects of divorce and friendship.

Highly recommended, but read "Dear Mr. Henshaw" first.
Show Less
LibraryThing member CassieWinters
While I did enjoy this book, I felt that "Dear Mr. Henshaw" (the first book in the series) was a stronger book with a very different thematic feel to it. I was expecting somewhat similar in feel and this was definitely not that. It was a more watered down version of what I was expecting based on
Show More
the feeling of maturity in the other one.
Show Less
LibraryThing member fingerpost
Leigh (boy) Botts and his friend Barry acquire a dog, of which they assume joint custody. Leigh loves Strider, as they name him. He also loves running and joins the school track team.
Does this story line sound fascinating to you? Because there really isn't much more to this book than that. There
Show More
are the usual parental troubles, teacher troubles and spats with friends, but all in all, this tale was exceedingly dull. I have thoroughly enjoyed a number of Beverly Cleary's books, but this one was weak.
Show Less

Similar in this library

Pages

176

Rating

½ (70 ratings; 3.7)
Page: 0.6599 seconds