My Favorite Books: Charlotte's Web

As you've probably guessed by now, I'm an old school middle grade reader. While I like a lot of today's middle grade titles, I grew up with many of the older books that today are considered "classics". These books are what influenced me most in shaping my own writing style.

Take Charlotte's Web for example. The first time I read this book was when our teacher read it to us in 5th grade. I think today it may be considered 4th or even 3rd grade reading material, but I really enjoyed it as a 5th grader. I loved the idea that animals could talk and had their little own secret society in Farmer Zuckerman's barnyard.

E.B. White was such a great writer and had such command of the language. I could see the whole book playing out before my eyes so clearly. The emotions were vivid. He brought it all to life. The book had been so real that when I visited Sturbridge Village that fall, I was almost disappointed that the pigs and cattle and oxen didn't speak as they had in the book.

The values in the book also made an impression on me. Charlotte went to extremes to save her friend Wilbur's life, even as her life was ending. Wilbur paid back the favor by guarding Charlotte's eggs until they hatched. The book is truly a great story of
 friendship.

I was quite surprised when E.B. White popped up again when I was in college. I had never known much about his life, so I was surprised when his Elements of Style cropped up in an English class. Was this the E.B. White of Charlotte and Stuart Little? Yes by golly it was. Freaky. Then a little later on, I found out about his career at the New Yorker. I was astounded again. Clearly here was one talented writer for readers of all ages.

As an author I can learn a lot from E.B. White. I can not only admire the stories he wrote that appeal to both young and old, but learn from him as I peruse Elements of Style from time to time, cringing as he reminds me of some bad habits I've picked up over the years.

Yes, Charlotte's Web is a classic book written by an accomplished author who brought the world so much. That's why it's one of my favorite books.

Did You Know? Charlotte's Web

After yesterday's interview with Charlotte, I thought it would be a good idea to see what interesting facts I could dig up about Charlotte's Web and it's author, E.B. White. Let's see what I found out.

Did You Know...

• Publishers Weekly named Charlotte's Web the best selling children's book of all time?
• Charlotte's full name, Charlotte A. Cavatica, was based on the scientific name for a barn spider, Araneus cavaticus?
• Illustrator Garth Williams originally drew Charlotte with a ladies head, but E.B. White wanted her drawn as a regular spider?
• The book originally started in the barnyard, but White added the what became the opening scenes with Fern and her family?
• White's Maine farmhouse and barn were the inspiration for the book? His will stipulated that it remain off limits to the public to preserve the property.
• The E.B. stands for Elwyn Brooks?
• He wound up marrying the editor that hired him for The New Yorker magazine, Katharine Angell?
• He updated and edited The Elements of Style? Today, it's known as Strunk & White's Elements of Style, the most commonly used grammar and usage guide.
• White won an honorary Pulitzer Prize for his writing, including Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and Trumpet of the Swan?

Here's the trailer from the animated version of Charlotte's Web. I love Templeton. Paul Lynde was great:

Monday Interview Series: Charlotte

Hi, I hope everyone's Thanksgiving break was very nice and you all got a chance to eat some good food and catch up with family and friends. This week, I was trying to think of someone extra special to interview. Then I saw someone just hanging around, and I knew I'd found the perfect person. I'm talking about everyone's favorite arachnid, Charlotte. Let's see what she had to say.

Greg:  Welcome, Charlotte. Thanks for taking some time out to talk with us.

Charlotte:  Not at all. Salutations to you and all your readers. It is such good fun to be here having a dialog with you.

Greg:  Oh yes, you like large words. You speak beautifully. What is your full name, if I may ask?

Charlotte:  Indeed you may. My full name is Charlotte A. Cavatica. It is a splendid name, don't you think?

Greg:  Yes, yes it is. I was wondering, why did you save Wilbur?

Charlotte:  Why? Because he is my friend. We became friends on his first night in thee barnyard. He was sad because his friend Fern had sold him to farmer Zuckerman. He was so lonely. I was lonely as well. He is such a dear. He befriended me, no questions asked.

Greg:  I see. How did you come up with the idea of messages in your web as a means of salvation?

Charlotte:  I knew that I had to make Wilbur famous, so famous that Zuckerman would not be able to slaughter Wilbur. People will not kill the goose that lays the golden egg is they have any sense at all. Now Zuckerman might not have a lot, but he does have common sense in abundance, so I thought it reasonable to assume that Wilbur's life would be spared if Zuckerman stood to benefit.

Greg:  A reasonable assumption, and one that turned out to be correct. But how did you learn to weave words into your web? Most spiders that I know can't even spell.

Charlotte:  Really? How odd. All spiders as a rule are exceptionally intelligent. I am dumbfounded that you have met any illiterate spiders. They weren't black widows were they? Black widows are intelligent, but they pretend not to be. It's their nature to be contrary, it comes with the name I believe.

Now, to answer your question. Spelling is one thing--most humans can do it--but spinning words into a web is quite another. Wilbur tried it once, but he did not get far. He lacked know how and spinnerets. I was lucky because I come from a long line of spellers, who are by nature most acrobatic. 

Greg:  It was fortunate that you were there for Wilbur.

Charlotte:  Yes, I suppose. It was also fortunate for me, because Wilbur gave me a very special gift.

Greg:  And what was that?

Charlotte:  Friendship. It is a gift that no one had given me until Wilbur, and it made all the difference in my life. So, naturally, I tried to make a difference in his life, too. When it comes down to it, that is the most that any one of us can hope to accomplish, to help make the lives of others a little better.

Greg:  Well, thank you for that though Charlotte. Please come back and visit us soon.

Charlotte:  Thank you. I enjoyed my time here. Now, I've got to be moving along. Templeton promised to find me some more words, just in case I need them in the future. He can be a real rat sometimes, but underneath it all, he's got the heart of an arachnid!