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E.B. White Biography

Nov 05, 2015

Birthdate: July 11, 1899
Birthplace: Mount Vernon, NY

E.B. White has warmed your hearts with his classic children's tales. His most famous book, Charlotte's Web, has been made into a movie and is set to hit the silver screen in December 2006. Read more about this wonderful author!

E.B. White - Early Beginnings

Elwyn Brooks White was the youngest child of a large family. His parents loved kids - that's probably where his passion for writing children's books came from! He graduated from Cornell University in 1921 and worked as a reporter at various publications including The New Yorker, where he fell in love with his editor, Katharine Sergeant Angell, who he later married.

E.B. White - From Stuart to Charlotte

E.B. White went on to become the most important contributor to The New Yorker during the '30s. Though he was best known for his articles and essays, he tried his hand at writing children's books at the suggestion of his niece. He wrote his first story in 1945, about a boy named Stuart Little who was the size of a mouse! In 1952, he wrote one of the most beloved children's books of all time, Charlotte's Web. Both books won the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, which is a major award in children's literature. His third and final children's book was The Trumpet of the Swan, which is about a trumpeter swan that's born without a voice. So what does he do? He learns to play the trumpet! After a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, E.B. White passed away on October 1, 1985 - but his classic tales will live on forever.

E.B. White - Did U Know?

  • E.B. White lived on a farm, and on that farm there was a barn that inspired many of the characters in his stories.
  • E.B. White had severe stage fright.
  • E.B. White suffered from hypochondria, which is the fear of imaginary illnesses.
  • All three of E.B. White's children's books have been made into movies. Michael J. Fox was the man behind the voice of Stuart Little, The Trumpet of the Swan featured Reese Witherspoon, and Julia Roberts will be the voice of Charlotte the spider in the upcoming flick!

E.B. White Says...

"We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry."

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