Charlotte's Web
The most widely recognized introduction to White's children's fiction, combining imaginative storytelling with emotional depth.
Author guide
E. B. White Books in Order
Elwyn Brooks White (1899–1985) was an American writer whose career included nearly six decades of essays, humor, poetry, journalism, and editorial work for The New Yorker. He also wrote influential nonfiction, co-authored Is Sex Necessary? with James Thurber, substantially revised William Strunk Jr.'s The Elements of Style, and created three enduring children's classics: Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web, and The Trumpet of the Swan.
children's literatureessaynonfictionhumorpoetryjournalismstyle guidecorrespondence
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Stuart Little
The first of White's three children's novels and an accessible entry to his distinctive fantasy.
One Man's Meat
A representative collection of White's celebrated personal essays and observations of rural Maine.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (6)
- Is Sex Necessary? Or, Why You Feel the Way You Do
nonfiction · 1929
- World Government and Peace: Selected Notes and Comment, 1943–1945
nonfiction · 1945
- Stuart Little
novel · 1945
This is the first children's book by the distinguished author E. B. White. Stuart Little, the hero, is a mouse in the family of Frederick C. Little and is a pleasantly debonair little character, with a shy, engaging manner and a somewhat…
- Charlotte's Web
novel · 1952
Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high up in Zuckerman's barn. Charlotte's spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl…
- The Elements of Style
nonfiction · 1959
- The Trumpet of the Swan
novel · 1970
Swan Song Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena…
Essays and speeches (11)
- Alice Through the Cellophane
pamphlet · 1933
- Every Day Is Saturday
essays · 1934
- Farewell to Model T
essays · 1936
- Quo Vadimus? Or, The Case for the Bicycle
essays · 1939
- One Man's Meat
essays · 1942
- Here Is New York
essay · 1949
Perceptive, funny, and nostalgic, E. B. White's stroll around Manhattan remains the quintessential love letter to the city, written by one of America's foremost literary figures. The New York Times has named Here is New York one of the…
- The Second Tree from the Corner
essays · 1954
A selection of E.B. White's penetrating and thoughtful observations on the conditions of life
- The Points of My Compass: Letters from the East, the West, the North, the South
essays · 1962
A collection of eighteen essays, reports and reminiscences (all but one of which have previously appeared in The New Yorker as a "Letter from the East" or some other compass point). Author writes of coons, and how a swallow builds a nest,…
- Topics: Our New Countryman at the U.N.
pamphlet · 1968
- Essays of E. B. White
essays · 1977
When E.B. White received the Gold Medal for Essays and Criticism from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the following citation, here quoted in part, accompanied the award: "If we are remembered as a civilized era, I think it will…
Poetry (3)
- The Lady Is Cold
poetry · 1929
- The Fox of Peapack and Other Poems
poetry · 1938
- Poems and Sketches of E. B. White
poetry · 1981
Offers a collection of approximately fifty poems and thirty-five sketches, stories, parodies, and commentary, selected by the author from a lifetime of writing.
Other (4)
- Ho-Hum: Newsbreaks from the New Yorker
humor · 1931
- Another Ho-Hum: More Newsbreaks from the New Yorker
humor · 1932
- Letters of E. B. White
correspondence · 1976
Frequently asked questions about E. B. White
Who was E.B. White, and what was his full name?
E.B. White was the professional name of Elwyn Brooks White, an American essayist, humorist, editor, and author of children’s literature who lived from 1899 to 1985.
Sources: biography.com (opens in a new tab)rare.library.cornell.edu (opens in a new tab)
How did The New Yorker shape E.B. White’s career?
White contributed to The New Yorker from 1925 onward and remained associated with the magazine for decades as a writer and contributing editor. His essays and magazine pieces established him as a major American literary voice.
Sources: pulitzer.org (opens in a new tab)rare.library.cornell.edu (opens in a new tab)
Who influenced E.B. White’s writing style?
William Strunk Jr., White’s former English professor at Cornell, had a lasting influence on his prose. White later updated and expanded Strunk’s concise guide to grammar and usage.
What major awards did E.B. White receive?
White received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963, the National Medal for Literature in 1971, and a 1978 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation for his letters, essays, and full body of work.
Sources: pulitzer.org (opens in a new tab)pulitzer.org (opens in a new tab)
Why is E.B. White still remembered?
White’s legacy combines influential adult prose with enduring children’s literature. His manuscripts and correspondence are preserved by Cornell, while his writing guide has remained widely used in classrooms and newsrooms.
Sources: rare.library.cornell.edu (opens in a new tab)pulitzer.org (opens in a new tab)