Strider

Written by Beverly Cleary

Narrated by Pedro Pascal

This is the ""sequel that could stand on its own"" to Beverly Cleary's beloved, Newbery Award-winning classic, Dear Mr. Henshaw.

Can a stray dog change the life of a teenage boy? It looks as if Strider can. He's a dog that loves to run; because of Strider, Leigh Botts finds himself running—well enough to join the school track team. Strider changes Leigh on the inside, too, as he finally begins to accept his parents' divorce and gets to know a redheaded girl he's been admiring. With Strider's help, Leigh finds that the future he once hated to be asked about now holds something he never expected: hope.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Apr 28, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061762451

Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary is one of America's most beloved authors. As a child, she struggled with reading and writing. But by third grade, after spending much time in her public library in Portland, Oregon, she found her skills had greatly improved. Before long, her school librarian was saying that she should write children's books when she grew up. Instead she became a librarian. When a young boy asked her, "Where are the books about kids like us?" she remembered her teacher's encouragement and was inspired to write the books she'd longed to read but couldn't find when she was younger. She based her funny stories on her own neighborhood experiences and the sort of children she knew. And so, the Klickitat Street gang was born! Mrs. Cleary's books have earned her many prestigious awards, including the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, presented to her in recognition of her lasting contribution to children's literature. Dear Mr. Henshaw won the Newbery Medal, and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. Her characters, including Beezus and Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Ralph, the motorcycle-riding mouse, have delighted children for generations.

Reviews for Strider

[fuzzi_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"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 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.

[fingerpost_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[anneofia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[francescadefreitas · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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.

[cassiewinters-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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 the feeling of maturity in the other one.

[Timothy Hoke · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

It was highly stupid and dumb and I thought it was just horrible

[jlowens4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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. 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.

[Rachel Quesenberry · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a really good book !!!!!I lllllooooovvvvveeeee dogs so it breaks my heart to hear about dogs that are abandoned.but it was a very good book!

It’s the kind of book that make u laugh ? and cry a little ?