Whittington

Charlotte's Web meets Al Capone Does My Shorts

Armstrong, Alan. Whittington. New York : Random House,  2005.

Plot: After fleeing his home, Whittington the tattered tomcat finds a ramshackle farm. The cat eventually befriends the barn dwellers under the guidance of the Lady, the duck leader of the animals. Eventually, even the farmer's two grandchildren also find him. However, Ben, the grandson, is struggling in school, especially reading. The last time Whittington saw such behavior, his family broke apart. Determined to save his new home from the fate Whittington left, Lady encourages Ben to study and take chances at school. Whittington helps the boy through the story of another child, who his ancestor met long before.

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Animals

Reading Level: Grades 4-9

Similar Titles: Time Cat, Charlotte's Web

Personal Thoughts: The novel blends biology, historical fact, popular folktales, and modern remedies to create a memorable story. Animals display human characteristics, but also share information about their natural behaviors. Folktales become believable through accurate descriptions of popular society and everyday culture from the Age of Exploration. Even Ben's lessons rely on actual courses offed to dyslexic children.

Sensitive readers may need to be warned, since many characters, particularly Lady and Whittington, have tragic backstories.