Gail Herman - Who Was E. B. White?

Elwyn Brooks White was born over one hundred years ago, in 1899. Andy always said he was lucky, and it started with his birth. The date was July 11, or 7/11two numbers thought to bring good fortune.

Back then, people didnt have radios or TVs. There were few cars. Big families were common. Andy had three older sisters and two older brothers. He was the baby of the White family. He joked that his mother had run out of names by the time he was born. Growing up, he was called En for short. He didnt like his real name, or the shortened one.

A 1920s family listening to the radio

The White family lived in a big comfortable house in Mount Vernon, New York. There were ponds, woods, and hills in Andys neighborhood. Most families had stables or a barn, where they kept horses for riding.

It was only a half-hour train ride from Mount Vernon to New York City. Andy liked family visits there. All in all, he thought he had the best of both worlds.

Andys father, Samuel, was the head of a piano company. Music filled the Whites home. The six children were practically a ready-made band, Andy explained in an introduction to one of his books. All we lacked was talent.

At times, Andy felt lonely. His sisters and brothers were too old to play with him. But Andy had his imagination to engage him and the great outdoors to explore. He hiked through the woods. He rode his bike everywhere. Andy loved going wherever he pleased and seeing nature up close. He brought home lizards and turtles, snakes and rabbits. Sometimes he felt closer to animals than to people.

One day, Samuel brought home fifty eggs. He put them in an incubator, a big device that gave off heat so the eggs could hatch. Young Andy had to stand on tiptoe to see anything at all. Once the eggs began to crack, tiny beaks poked through! He never forgot those baby chicksor the importance of a simple egg, holding life.

When Andy was about five years old, he started to suffer from allergies. Douse his head in cold water every morning before breakfast, one doctor said. But that odd advice didnt help. Instead, Samuel decided to take the family to Maine for the summer. He believed the fresh air would do Andy good.