Stuart Little by E. B. White Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Stuart Little
Book Review: A Look Back On A Great Book
Summary: 5 Stars
The story Stuart, Little is a great five star book.This book is about a little mouse named Stuart. The little faimly adopted Stuart. Their cat, Snowball, isn't that friendly when she encounters Stuart. Margalo is a little bird that flies into the Littles window. She turns out to be Stuart's best friend in the end. In the middle of the story, Stuart takes off in search of the bird that he adores. Stuart goes through many towns in his little car that he took from his older brother George. I would recommend this story to 4th through 6th grade students because of the mischievous adventures that Stuart encounters on his long journey to find his long lost friend Margalo. You will never be able to put this story down. Find out what happens to Margalo.Book Review: A Pure Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
E.B. White's books shaped my childhood and continue to affect me even today. The first book I ever remember reading and re-reading is Charlotte's Web, but Stuart Little is close behind. I first read Stuart when I was 7 or 8 and I distinctly remember exactly where I was and how I felt as though it were yesterday. Any child (or adult) who has ever felt a little bit different from their peers will identify with White's characters...and draw strength from them. His books convey tremendously powerful messages in simple, touching prose: it's okay to be different, and love and friendship are more important than anything in the world. If all children learned these lessons early in life, the world would be a better place. Thanks to Mr. White for teaching them to me, over and over again!Book Review: A classic, entertaining story that delights in the absurd
Summary: 4 Stars
E.B. White takes his first stab at writing children's books, and Stuart Little was such a success that 55 years after publication, his book was still popular enough to merit a dreadful Hollywood film adaptation.
Stuart Little is the story of a mouse born to human parents, who eventually runs away from home and relies on his indomitable pluck to carry him on a journey to find Margalo, a bird who has mysteriously disappeared after a short layover in the Little home. Along the way, Stuart has adventures aplenty, including a one-day stint as a substitute teacher, and a toy sailboat race.
Generally, children's authors who write fantasy either bring a spot of magic into the real world, said magic being a source of amazement for all who experience it, or they create an entirely fantastic world in which magic (or futuristic or spiritual) things happen. White has taken the road less travelled, in that he has brought fantastic elements into the real world that, absurdly, everyone takes in stride.
This approach leads to some great scenes in which the everyday world incorporates a mouse who can talk and drive, a model car that runs on gasoline and can turn invisible at the touch of a button, and a talking bird can wander in from the skies. People are interested to see these things, but treat them as the same type of curiosity as an exotic animal or unusual hat.
The book is also suffused with well-done humor, often based on engaging wordplay or clever logic. The jokes range from the broadest to the most subtle, ensuring that the book will appeal to you whether you are hearing it read aloud, reading it yourself, or reading it to a youngster.
The scene in which Stuart teaches a classroom of children is particularly funny, with Stuart turning the lesson into a spirited banter that involves testing out how life out to be.
This novel lacks the poignant emotional appeal of Charlotte's Web, but the willingness to flaunt the rules of children's books nearly makes up for this. Children will love the strong visual images that they take from the book (helped along by the illustrations which adorn nearly every page), and adults will come to appreciate the audaciousness of Stuart, who is always ready to jump into a daunting situation with only his wits about him.
This is definitely a classic, and should be on every child's bookshelf.
Book Review: A dated disappointment
Summary: 1 Stars
Having never read this book as a child I looked forward to reading this book as a teacher and possibly sharing it with my students. I have changed my mind. I think many kids will be turned off by the lack of action and the dated, jargon filled language. Even the most exciting part of the book, the boat race, was so filled with sailing jargon that I found it hard to get really interested. Plus, I found the ending very disappointing. I was saddened by my reaction since I dearly love E.B. White's other books. I think that unless a student is a motivated, high reader they won't truly enjoy or even finish this book.Book Review: A delightful book to read to early elementary kids
Summary: 5 Stars
I just spent a great week reading Stuart Little to my kindergarten daughter at bedtime. She wasn't too excited at first, since this was the first book we're read together without pictures on each page, but she -- and I -- soon got caught up in Stuart's adventures. I hadn't read this book since my own childhood, but parts of it came back to me as we went along, and it was a joy. Great imagery, language, and story.