We are currently preparing for our concluding E.B. White project. Many of us have read all three of E.B. White’s novels for children, along with several articles and essays by and about the author. We have started to look for similarities in theme across all three novels. We first met in book groups depending on whether we had focused on Trumpet of the Swan or Stuart Little as our second EB novel. We created charts that showed the similarities and differences. Then as a class we developed a larger Venn diagram that looked at all three books.

So what did we decide these books have in common?

• Each book features many different types of animals.
• The animals display human characteristics.
• The animals have friendly relationships with children who take care of them.
• In each book, a life is in danger and then it is saved.
• Each book has an element of adventure and adventurous characters.
• There are deep, caring friendships and lots of love.
• Each book develops the themes of change and life and death

We are currently writing essay paragraphs on the many similarities we have found. Next we will take these ideas and, inspired by the work of Joseph Cornell, create E.B. White themed collage boxes. Stay tuned for some well-thought out art work!