I never read Charlotte’s Web as a kid. Mrs. Parrish, the librarian at Featherbed Lane Elementary School did present the book to us. It had just been published and was getting all kinds of recognition. That was partly due to the fact that a main character died in the book. This was unheard of in books written for younger children. Mrs. Parrish did not mention that, instead she said it was about some animals in a farmyard. Well, I grew up on a farm so I know all about animals in a farmyard. We had pigs, turkeys, chickens, cows, and horses. There was a field between our house and the main farmhouse, however, the pig pen was at the edge of that field. When the wind was going a certain way, which thankfully didn’t happen often you would get that lovely smell. We always hoped that wouldn’t happen we had friends over and were playing ball in the backyard.
I was intrigued by a farm story but then Mrs. Parrish said something about the animals talking. And for me that was the kiss of death. I did not want to read that book. I had read pictures books about animals talking, The Story of Babar for instance, though that book scared me. I had just got that reading thing down and now I was afraid that all books were going to be written in cursive! I was relieved when I was assured that was not the case. When I used this book in my third grade class, I purposely used the older edition with the cursive but quickly let my students know that not all books were written in cursive.
I then, did not read Charlotte’s Web when in elementary school. I did not read it when I took a college literature class. When I became a librarian, I didn’t read it either, nor when I starting reading all the Caldecott and Newbery award winners, including many of the honor books. But my view of talking animals was changing. My brother got me into C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia and then J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and I found I loved fantasy, talking animals and all. So one day I picked up Charlotte’s Web and it has been a love affair since. I used it in my third grade class. I actually have read some passages to my 11th grade class when making a point about writing.
In addition, I use Strunk and White’s classic The Elements of Style with the high school. I also have the 11th graders read at least one of E. B. White’s essays. He wrote for The New Yorker long before he wrote his children’s books. The Ring of Time is considered one of his classic essays.
The Chronicle of Higher Education had an article, The Nature of E. B. White last week that got me thinking more about him. The author, Michael Sims who has written The Story of Charlotte Web, gives insights into E. B. White’s ease with animals and how he used his stories “to write about the most important issues in his life.” I am glad he did.
Is there a children’s book you have never read? Why not put it on your summer reading list?
