My four-year-old son is starting to have an attention span that allows me to read longer books to him in installments. I typically read to him for about thirty minutes each night just before I tuck him into bed. Over the last month or two we've read nearly all of the two original Winnie the Pooh books, but Charlotte's Web is the first chapter book we've finished.

It was a mixed success. Kevin didn't care much for Wilbur, but he couldn't wait to hear about the spider web. After the rather dark climax, we had a long discussion about death — a topic we probably could have put off for a bit.

Charlotte's Web is very good on several levels. It's written exactly as you'd expect from the coauthor of The Elements of Style — there's not a word out of place. It's exceedingly easy to read aloud, much moreso than Winnie the Pooh. The story has a terrific arc, the pacing is good, and it deals with important issues — friendship and death. The illustrations are also quite good, and they were paced well enough to keep my son engaged. Charlotte's Web is a classic for good reason.