Dear Mr. Henshaw Letters 11-15 Summary

Mom won't fix the TV, so Leigh decides to answer another of Mr. Henshaw's questions.
Question #3: what is your family like?
Leigh's family used to live in a mobile home in Bakersfield, California, but his parents got divorced and Dad and Bandit (the dog) now live in a trailer.
Dad drives a big truck for work.
He used to drive for someone else but dreamed of owning his own truck until he went out and bought one.
The truck is why Leigh's parents got divorced: his mom said she never knew where Dad was, and he spent so much money on the truck that they'd never get out of the mobile home.
Dad's rig is spectacular, has a bunk in it and 10 wheels, and can haul anything. Leigh definitely knows a lot about big trucks.

Leigh leaves off the "dear" in this letter's greeting since Mr. Henshaw is "the reason I'm stuck with all this work" (12.1).
This letter finishes answering question #3 by describing Bonnie Botts, Leigh's mom.
She works part-time for Catering by Katy. Katy is someone she grew up with in Taft, California.
Mom and Katy make all kinds of goodies for weddings and parties, things like cheesecakes and apple strudel.
Leigh loves his mom's cooking but wishes she'd cook more at home. At least Katy sends stuff home with Mom to put in Leigh's lunches.
His mom is also studying to be a LVN (licensed vocational nurse) at the community college.
Leigh signs the letter with "your ex-friend."
He's still answering these letters under protest.

Question #4: where do you live?
Mom and Leigh moved after the divorce from Bakersfield to Pacific Grove, which is close to the coast and the sugar refinery Dad used to haul sugar beets for.
There are lots of ocean breezes (which his mom loves), fog, and golf courses, but no crops.
Leigh and his mom live in a really tiny house that used to be a summer cottage. It's cheap and falling apart, but his mom is glad it can't be hauled away like a mobile home.
Leigh has his own room, but his mom sleeps on the couch.
Next door is a gas station that goes "ping ping" like a video game when a car drives in.
There are a bunch of other shops on the street, like a thrift store, fast food, and "a couple of junk stores they call antique shops" (13.4).
Mom fixed up the house real nice from things she bought in the shops.
When the gas station isn't pinging, Leigh can hear the ocean. The barking sea lions remind him of Bandit.
Leigh will write some more unless the TV gets fixed.

The TV is still out, so Leigh answers some more questions.
Question #5: do you have any pets?
Nope. When his parents got divorced, Mom got Leigh and Dad got the dog.
Leigh is okay with this, though, because Bandit would've been lying around all day and Leigh remembers how the dad in Ways to Amuse a Dog said that dogs have to be amused.
Besides, his dad likes having Bandit to keep him company when he's driving, and Bandit likes to ride.
One day when his dad was at a truck stop in Nevada, Bandit just jumped into his cab and stayed there. He was wearing a red bandanna instead of a collar, hence the name Bandit.
With a cramping hand, Leigh signs off.

Get ready for question #6: do you like school? (Leigh promises to never send another list of questions to an author. Ever. No matter what.)
School's okay.
The best thing about sixth grade is that he'll get out of it.
Question #7: who are your friends?
Apparently, being the new guy hasn't netted him many friends. Maybe because, at least in his mom's opinion, Leigh is a loner.
No one pays much attention to Leigh, but he wishes they would.
All they seem interested in are the lunches Katy and his mom make for him.
Question #8: who is your favorite teacher?
Leigh doesn't have a favorite, but he does like Mr. Fridley, the custodian who's friendly and fair to all the students.
Leigh shares an anecdote about Mr. Fridley not getting grossed out when a kid threw up in school. It reminds Leigh how his mom got mad at his dad for spending too much time at the truck stop.