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The Dadmag Guide To Children's Books
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Charlotte's Web
(Ages 9-12)
Charlotte's speech about why she values Wilbur's friendship near the end of Charlotte's Web rarely fails if you're trying to demonstrate how it's all right for a grown man to cry. The spider Charlotte, a paragon of clear thinking, rises above life's sometimes-unavoidable shoddiness, through her very intelligent devotion to her friend, a pig. Can you think of a better example for a kid? If that's not enough, E.B.White conjures up the sacred quality of a barn, the essence of a rat, and our culture's devotion to advertising better than anyone ever will again. Garth Williams' line drawings nearly equal the charm of White's prose.
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