We picked up Charlotte's Web early on in Isaiah's homeschool career. I think it was second semester of his Kindergarten year when I realized that he was perfectly capable of listening to chapter books and even liked them...and so did his siblings. Guess I just always figured that picture books were best. Now I wonder what I was thinking because though picture books are wonderful, there is something just as wonderful about the pictures and movies a child plays in his head as he listens. We loved Charlotte's Web though the death of Charlotte was very sad. When the movies came out, the kids watched, but the comment was that the book was better came often. (Thrill of a mommy/teacher's heart.)We listened to Stuart Little (and Mrs. Piggly Wiggly) on a trip to Louisiana later that same spring. What fun we had! Despite a little 5 person car crammed with, well, 5 people and enough stuff and food for a week's trip to Ft. Polk, it was a very enjoyable trip. And on the way home, the kids did so well, that we drove straight through. (OK, that last 2 hours was not so good, but the rest was great!) Why? Mr.E.B. White, in part, that's why. Don't you just love the idea of having a little mouse brother who acts like a little person?
Finally, Trumpet of the Swan has been on my teacher library shelf since my teaching days. I had to reread it recently, having forgotten most of the story. What a fun story of a swan who overcomes obstacles...lots and lots of obstacles. I gave it to Isaiah to read for "literature". That is the distinction I make between "good brain growing books" and "junk food books" like Hank the Cowdog (current favorite). Not bad, just not as good. He LOVED it. In fact, he read it in 3 days (all 210 pages of it). He declared several days as"reading days" when he tries to get me to just let him read and not do anything else. It didn't work his way, but I did let him read for an hour, do the rest of his schoolwork, and then keep reading, and I let him read quite awhile at night. Always nice when they can do that and not get up early the next morning.
So, E. B. White is a great author of wonderful stories that are: fun, adventurous, appeal to inner goodness, well written and employ superb storytelling. These will be "rereads" many times I'm sure. They just don't write many like this anymore.
