Some Writer! The Story of E B White

"SOME PIG," Charlotte the spider's praise for Wilbur, is just one fondly remembered snippet from E. B. White's Charlotte's Web. In 'Some Writer!', the two-time Caldecott Honor winner Melissa Sweet mixes White's personal letters, photos, and family ephemera with her own exquisite artwork to tell his story, from his birth in 1899 to his death in 1985. Budding young writers will be fascinated and inspired by the journalist, New Yorker contributor, and children's book author who loved words his whole life. This authorized tribute is the first fully illustrated biography of E. B. White and includes an afterword by Martha White, E. B. White's granddaughter. AGES: 7-10 AUTHOR: Melissa Sweet is the Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator of many fine children's books including 'Balloons Over Broadway', a Sibert winner, and 'The Right Word' and 'A River of Words', both Caldecott Honors. Reviewers have described her unique mixed-media illustrations as "exuberant," "outstanding," and "a creative delight." Melissa lives on the beautiful coast of Maine, not far from E.B. White's famous barn and farm. In addition to writing and painting, she enjoys gardening, hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing. For more information about the author and her work,

“ "Sweet ties together elements of White's life in both pleasantly rambling prose and enchanting illustrations, constructed from found objects, collage, and watercolor scenes. Photos, handwritten letters, early drafts, and other ephemera, along with artfully typed out quotes from White's work, layer over each inviting page... This beautiful piece of bookmaking with enchanting artwork will easily draw in young readers, and the warm account of the adored author will keep them turning pages." --Booklist, STARRED review "Like Charlotte, Sweet spins a terrific story. A masterful biography that will enchant young readers." --Kirkus, STARRED review”

2018 Boston Globe-Horn Book Nonfiction Honor Award Amazon Top 20 Children's Books of 2016 Booklist Editors' Choice 2016 Book Links' Lasting Connections 2016 Book Page Best of 2016 Bulletin Blue Ribbon 2016 Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books of 2016 Horn Book Fanfare Kirkus Best of 2016 Nerdy Book Club Nerdies 2016 Longform Nonfiction New York Times Bestseller People Best Children's Books of 2016 Publishers Weekly Best of 2016 Raleigh News & Observer Best of 2016 San Francisco Chronicle Best of 2016 School Library Journal Best of 2016 Shelf Awareness Best Books of the Year Nonfiction Detectives: Best of 2016 Washington Post Best of 2016 ? "E. B. White is such a fixture in the children's literature landscape that it's hard to think of him as a regular person. Fortunately, Melissa Sweet comes to the rescue in this individual, creative, and thoroughly artistic chronicle of the noted writer's life." --Bulletin, starred review ? "An excellent guide to the life of a celebrated writer." --Publishers Weekly, starred review ? "Like Charlotte, Sweet spins a terrific story. A masterful biography." --Kirkus, starred review "Melissa Sweet's beguiling biography of the author of Charlotte's Web deserves to be savored by anyone who has ever loved White's words." --Columbus Dispatch "An E. B. White biography like no other." --BookPage "Whether the name E. B. White is a new discovery or a much-loved author, Some Writer! will captivate readers of all ages." --Christian Science Monitor ? "Drop everything and share widely." --School Library Journal, starred review ? "Sweet raises her collage skills to new heights while bringing her love and admiration for fellow Mainer E. B. White to the page for everyone to appreciate. Just as her astounding collages blend materials that might have been found in a barn in Maine, the text carefully blends her words with those of the beloved writer of children's books... Sweet has written and drawn a fast-moving, thorough, deeply researched, and accessible biography." --Horn Book, starred review ? " This beautiful piece of bookmaking with enchanting artwork will easily draw in young readers, and the warm account of the adored author will keep them turning pages." --Booklist, starred review "What elevates this book to the stratosphere is the art. Practically glowing, it turns a very fine biography into something original, creative, and marvelous." --NerdyBookClub.com --

Melissa Sweet celebrates the natural world, E. B. White-style, with her winsome mixed-media artwork. She received a Sibert Medal for Balloons Over Broadway and Caldecott Honors for both The Right Word and A River of Words by Jen Bryant. She lives on the Maine coast. Visit her website at

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