First Field Guide to Australian Insects & Spiders by Pat Slater & Steve Parish

This book is all about Arthropods. Insects, spiders, scorpions, centipedes, millipedes and crays all belong to this group of animals. The little field guide will help you discover where they live, how to find them and how to study them. On each page there is a photo of the subject, information about its physical characteristics, its habitat, some notes and information on similar creatures. There is a useful glossary at the back as well as an index and checklist. Steve Parish is a multi-award winning photographer and pioneer of photographic publishing in Australia. Pat Slater spent the majority of her life looking at animals and trying to discover what they are and how they live. She was an equine photojournalist and a gifted natural history writer and poet. Sadly she passed away recently but will live on in publications such as this one.

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

This would have to be one of my all time favourites. I did it as a book study when I was in grade 7. I also love the film in which Dakota Fanning stars as Fern. I have added a link to the trailer and also to an interview with Dakota who incidentally has always loved this classic. The book begins when John Arable's sow gives birth to a litter of piglets. One of them is a runt and he decides to kill it. However, Fern is outraged, and Wilbur, as she names him, becomes her pet. However, later on Wilbur discovers he is going to be eaten at Christmas and luckily Charlotte his spider friend writes a message praising Wilbur "Some Pig" which amazes all he he can live a little longer. Templeton, the rat, keeps the story interesting. What eventually happens to Wilbur and Charlotte? Read the book to find out. There are now three copies of this novel in the Little Library of Rescued Books, so you could read it with a couple of your friends.

Film Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCHDS_a_4Ms

Dakota Fanning interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3PHVqn2Gvg&NR=1&feature=fvwp