Timeless books for the whole family

Farmyard Fiction

Charlotte’s Web

E.B. White
First published 1952

Charlotte’s Web debuted in 1952, but, until now, I’d never read the beloved classic featuring a barnyard full of talking animals. When 8-year-old Fern learns her father intends to kill the runt of the new pig litter, she saves the piglet and names him Wilbur. But Wilbur’s situation remains precarious as Fern’s uncle plans to slaughter him when he grows larger. A kind and wise gray barn spider named Charlotte befriends Wilbur. Charlotte devises a plan to save him by writing messages in her web to make Wilbur seem exceptional and worth keeping. They are supported by a cast of sheep, geese, and one shifty rat, adorably illustrated by Garth Williams. This story reflects the realities of farm life and the inevitability of change. But Charlotte’s care for Wilbur models timeless lessons of loyalty and everlasting friendship. The ending is bittersweet. I despise spiders with all my heart, but while reading Charlotte’s Web, I cried over one. —Sandy Barwick

Coming-of-Age Tale

Where the Red Fern Grows

Wilson Rawls
First published 1961

“I looked at his grave and, with tears in my eyes, I voiced these words: ‘You were worth it, old friend, and a thousand times over.’” Those poignant lines encapsulate Wilson Rawls’ Where the Red Fern Grows, a classic family read-aloud that boasts adventure, heart, and wholesomeness. Set in the rich, fertile, and wild Ozark Mountains, this Depression-era coming-of-age novel tells the story of 10-year-old Billy Coleman and the unbreakable bond he has with his two coonhounds, Old Dan and Little Ann. Billy saves enough money to buy his own pups after two years of hard work, heartfelt prayer, and a little help from his tough but tenderhearted grandpa. One can almost hear Old Dan and Little Ann “bawl” as they wholeheartedly and tirelessly pursue their life’s purpose (raccoon hunting) while their passionate and loving young owner is hot on their tails, encouraging them on with his own whoops and hollers. Readers may “bawl,” too, as they (spoiler alert) mourn with Billy the eventual loss of his two best friends. —Whitney Williams

Historical Fiction

A Lantern in Her Hand

Bess Streeter Aldrich
First published 1928

With her promising voice and knack for painting, young Abbie Mackenzie could really go places. But when faced with the decision to marry up or marry a good man, Abbie chooses the latter, though she still hopes for the finer things. After becoming pregnant with their second child, Abbie follows her husband Will Deal to a Nebraska homestead. Crops fail, grasshoppers gobble every leaf for miles, babies keep coming, and Abbie discovers a new dream. For young adults who once enjoyed the Little House on the Prairie series, this book provides a segue into something more substantial. Older teens might be the best audience, since the story includes a few instances of mild, bad language and a brief but passionate kissing scene. Unlike most romances, A Lantern in Her Hand boldly proclaims that love demands commitment, patience, and sacrifice. Looking back on her long life, Abbie finds it better than she could have imagined: “Isn’t motherhood itself an accomplishment?” —Bekah McCallum

Poetry

Love That Dog

Sharon Creech
First published 2001

Jack says he doesn’t want to write poetry. He thinks boys don’t write poems—girls do. But this slim, rereadable novel in verse tells another story. Jack is a poet falling in love with poetry for the first time, and readers can’t help but fall in love with it alongside him. While unfolding Jack’s personal story through his classroom poem journal, Creech teaches the reader a series of essential poems from the likes of Robert Frost, Valerie Worth, Walter Dean Myers, William Blake, and William Carlos Williams. With each poem Jack composes in imitation of these poets, the reader gets deeper into the story that played out between Jack and his dog Sky. In writing Jack’s poems, Creech somehow manages to channel a child’s wonder while giving proper homage to the poets he studies. Keep tissues nearby. —Chelsea Boes

Family Read-Aloud

Watership Down

Richard Adams
First published 1972

Is Watership Down a children’s novel? Its poetic language and political themes provide a meal for grown-up readers, but its epic sense of adventure and its heroes—common countryside rabbits—lend well to younger readers, too. The plot follows a band of rabbits fleeing the destruction of their warren in search of a new home. Author Richard Adams weaves a whole lexicon of rabbit mythology, equal parts European-style folklore and actual rabbit biology. For example: Rabbits often freeze up in the face of danger. Scientists call this “tonic immobility.” The rabbits of Watership Down call this state “tharn.” Watership Down doesn’t take place in a fantasy world, but its rabbit’s-­eye perspective renders the quaint English Downs into someplace magical, where the calmest groves become deep forests rank with danger. The novel provides powerful lessons in leadership, friendship, and courage, making it a book for kids of all ages. —Jonathan Boes

Early Reader

Three By the Sea

Edward Marshall
First published 1981

The beginning of this early reader book at first could be mistaken for a ho-hum, one-dimensional plot. Lolly, Sam, and Spider are at the beach telling each other stories. Lolly reads aloud from her storybook: “The rat saw the cat and the dog. ‘I see them,’ said the rat.” But then Sam one-ups Lolly. Using the same rat and cat characters, he crafts an ironic tale that hinges on the final page turn in his story. Spider then closes the book with a ditty that reminds us never to take kids, or their invented monsters, too seriously. The fact that Marshall writes with only first grade level grammar and words shows off his skill and cleverness as a children’s book author. Families interested in a silly audio retelling of the story should search for the 1983 episode of PBS’ Reading Rainbow, which introduced Three by the Sea to this reviewer and helped make it a classic. —Juliana Chan Erikson