Charlotte's Web

See also: phonics reading list

Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White, is a classic tale and a superb book for early readers, preferably using a large-print, illustrated edition. The 1997 Barnes & Noble Books edition, published by aranngement with HarperCollins Children's Books, is superb.

It contains about 32,000 words, and is rated under the Lexile measure at 680L. This book often assigned reading for the the 4th and 5th grades, but a proficient 1st or 2nd grader can work through this book with a patient instructor. At about 800 words a day, this can be completed in 40 days.cr

Vocabulary

• scythe (Chapter 3), pronounced sithe with a long "i" and a silent "c", meaning a long curved blade attached to long stick as its handle for chopping grass, weeds, or crops

Minor criticisms

Even after multiple editions, there are a few grammatical errors, such as two early in Chapter V (p. 34 of the large print, illustrated edition): "she sat with [a] head tucked under a wing" and "He examined the window ledge, [and] stared up at the ceiling."