Henry And Beezus

Analyze Henry’s complicated relationship with his neighbor Scooter. How does their relationship influence the events of the story? In what ways are the two characters different or similar to one another?

Cleary often uses humor as one of her storytelling techniques. How does the novel create humor through tone, plot points, and/or dialogue?

Analyze Beezus and her role in the story. How is she characterized? What is her wider significance in the text? How does her behavior challenge some of Henry’s unflattering assumptions about girls and femininity?

Henry has many misadventures in the story. Choose one misadventure and explain how Henry tried to fix his problem. How does the incident illustrate the theme of The Power of Creative Problem-Solving?

Compare and contrast Henry and Beezus with one of the other novels in the Henry Huggins series (See: Background). What key themes and ideas do the two novels have in common? How does Henry and Beezus fit into the series as a whole?

Henry and Beezus is set in the 1950s, when the story was written. How is the setting and time period described in the novel? How is it different from or similar to contemporary children’s literature set in small-town USA?

Summarize your favorite scene from the book and explain why it is an important part of the story. How does the scene advance the plot and/or reveal important aspects of characterization?

Henry is hardworking and sticks with his goal of saving up for a bike. What are some of the important lessons he learns along the way, from both his successes and failures?