"Charlotte's Web" by E.B.White

book club choice: "Charlotte's Web"
  I love the fact that that one of my book clubs chooses a children's classic every year, along with several adult classics.  I found this book about that very topic: "The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an Adult".  It was interesting to remember all those wonderful early novels for children, as well as picture books.

  Garth Williams, who wrote the foreword for "Charlotte's Web", admits to not reading this book as a child because the cover made him feel that the book 'guaranteed misery'.
   I agree that the cover is not great for children.  So I searched for other covers.  I found these:

***********************************************************************************************************

    

   I like this cover, since it features Wilbur, who is the main character in the story.



   
  
   The second cover illustrates the power of friendship, one of the themes in the novel. 




   
   The last cover was published after the movie was made.  It is similar to the original but the expressions on the faces of Fern and the animals are much more serene.


   E.B.White (Elwyn Brooks) was a writer for the New Yorker Magazine, as well as the author of children's novels. He wrote "Stuart Little" and "The Trumpet of the Swans".
   Obviously, he enjoyed animals. He gave them interesting characteristics.  He also enjoyed nature and describes the changing of the seasons in lovely detail.

"All that I hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say, 

is that I love the world". 

 (E.B.White 1899 - 1985)