Strider
Beverly Cleary
 Strider takes place two years after the end of Dear Mr. Henshaw, and Leigh Botts has grown a lot. At age 14, Leigh writes in his diary about his experiences with his parent's divorce, his friend Barry, a girl named Geneva and a dog named Strider who he and Barry find abandoned on a beach. Leigh and Barry decide to share custody of Strider, in the same way divorced parents share custody of their children. However, as time goes on, Barry does not seem to take good care of Strider, which causes trouble for Leigh. Finally, feeling desperate, Leigh winds up taking custody of the dog. Strider is a dog that loves to run; because of Strider, Leigh Botts finds himself running -- well enough to join the school track team. He also develops and a crush on a red haired girl named Geneva.