book review the book of charlie

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Book review: david von drehle’s excellent ‘the book of charlie’.

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In the 1970s my father, mother, sister and I moved from Boston to Los Angeles. Our mode of transportation was a Ford Country Squire station wagon that, if it had seatbelts, were not used. Hopefully it goes without saying that there were no car seats even though I was three and my sister six. The real problem wasn’t the lack of safety features in the car, but that it had no air conditioning. And we drove west in the summer.

The relatively primitive standard of living in the 1970s is a regular driver of conversation with my six-year old daughter and three-year old son today, simply because they have no idea. The world they’ve entered into is another century in the literal sense, but it’s similarly other in the figurative sense.

The conversations with my kids came to mind a great deal while reading Washington Post columnist David Von Drehle’s excellent new book, The Book of Charlie: Wisdom From the Remarkable American Life Of a 109-Year Old Man . Though people of all ages have and will enjoy the book (it’s selling very well), Von Drehle wrote this slim accounting of an amazing life, one “bereft of wizards, crime-solving orphans, time travel, or empathetic talking spiders,” for his kids. While it’s “not the book they asked for” as evidenced by what’s not in it, “it is a book they will need.” By knowing a little about the life of Charles Herbert White, Von Drehle’s kids will know better how to approach the inevitable highs and lows of the human existence that can’t be wished away or made to vanish via technology. Von Drehle gave his kids, kids in general, and people in general a how-to on life, and an important look back to the way life used to be. Hopefully it will alert them to how good they have it now. And is life ever good now. Read The Book of Charlie to see why.

Von Drehle writes that “An American born in the early 1900s who managed to live into the 2000s would have one foot planted in the age of draft and diphtheria – a time when only 6 percent of Americans graduated from high school – and the other planted in the age of space stations and robotic surgery.” In short, Charlie White’s life reveals. It’s about so much more than Charlie. Interested as I was in his life as recalled through the entertaining writing of Von Drehle, I was more interested in the contrasts between then and now. So, while I read The Book of Charlie to learn about a man who lived to the age of 109, I found the anecdotes about the way things used to be even more interesting. Put another way, I’ll be quoting Von Drehle’s book long after this review as a way of bringing to life the economic ideas that my opinion pieces most often aim to elucidate. But first, it’s important to write about Charlie White.

Von Drehle and his wife were part of the D.C.’s reportorial/editorial elite, but for a variety of reasons moved to Kansas City in 2007. That’s when and where they met Charlie.

Von Drehle’s accounting of Charlie grabs you early. He first encountered him as a 102-year old, who “was bare chested, dressed only in a pair of swim trunks” as he washed his girlfriend’s car. Readers know this, but it’s worth stressing how rare such an encounter was. Von Drehle reports that “fewer than half of 1 percent make it to 102.” As for those who make it to 102 while washing cars for girlfriends, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that the number is too small to calculate.

Why did Charlie live so long? Thankfully the medical doctor in Charlie wasn’t too self-serious, nor was Von Drehle. By this I mean that there was no detailed diet regimen written out, or exercise routine. According to Von Drehle, when people would ask Charlie the secret to his longevity, he would reply with “There’s no secret, just luck.” Amen.

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To be clear, Von Drehle’s discussion of Charlie’s life isn’t about good thing after good thing. Remember, he’s written a book that will hopefully cause readers to approach life’s inevitable lows with a stoic countenance as he feels Charlie did. In Charlie’s case, it wasn’t just that he was born at a time when “horse-drawn carriages far outnumbered automobiles,” that flight was still in the future, air conditioning was decades away, and that diarrhea was a leading cause of death. Life itself invariably intrudes on day-to-day struggles. Sometimes cruelly.

Stated bluntly, The Book of Charlie is brutal reading at times. When Charlie was merely 8, his beloved father was quite literally crushed to death in an elevator. What makes it even more agonizing is Von Drehle’s not unreasonable speculation that if Charlie’s minister/insurance salesman father had just gone to the elevator five minutes earlier or later (he was going to pick up a payment on a policy), he wouldn’t have died. But the “carelessness of fate” killed Charlie’s father in the worst of ways, and “Charlie’s grief was so great he could hardly eat.” Charlie’s mother was left with five children, no income, plus one of them was in a sense starving himself so wrecked was he by the loss.

Somehow amid all this Charlie’s mother managed to get back on her feet. She went to work for a missionary group that managed mission trips, plus she took in borders to the house purchased by her late husband. But there was still Charlie. What to do? His mother ultimately found him a summer camp down in the Ozarks that was largely populated with older kids. Organized by the son of a well-to-do family in Kansas City, it read to me as a way for Charlie to relieve himself even somewhat of the horrors suffered back home. What a nice thing for his mother to do.

At the same time, the camp story was for me the least compelling of Von Drehle’s analyses of Charlie’s life. While the author acknowledges that “Attitudes about nudity were different in those days,” it’s notable that the proprietor of Boy Crusaders right away took away the clothes of the campers who essentially lived for a month in the nude. The obvious, and not unreasonable speculation is that the proprietor was a pedophile. No arguing with Von Drehle there.

Where there’s a little bit of skepticism is in Von Drehle’s extrapolation from two anecdotes (Charlie saying he grew “really tough” at camp, plus much later in life he apparently was a little blase about the severity of Jerry Sandusky’s crimes at Penn State) that Charlie was likely molested at camp by the proprietor, and perhaps the other campers more broadly. It quite simply read as Von Drehle searching for more trauma that would enable him to make his bigger case to readers about the importance of resilience in life itself. None of this is to suggest that the proprietor wasn’t a pedophile, but it is to suggest that one reason we recoil at molestation is because it’s thankfully so rare. Camp attendance toughens lots of people for lots of reasons, and particularly would have over 100 years ago.

From there, let’s not forget what happened to Charlie when he was 8. My point here is that at his age and beyond, there were all manner of horrors I would have gladly endured over losing my father. Has Von Drehle read about life at British boarding schools to this day? Awful as Sandusky’s crimes were, the view here is that most kids would be willing to suffer myriad horrors of the Sandusky variety to avoid the much bigger one of losing a parent. Who knows, but this may explain Charlie’s seeming equanimity about Sandusky more than Von Drehle’s even light insinuation that he was perhaps violated by proprietor and older campers alike.

The good news is that once back in Kansas City, Charlie was so smart that he skipped two grades, plus he managed his way through childhood as a popular, well-adjusted kid. Von Drehle writes of anger Charlie felt at times when seeing kids with their fathers, but the conclusion seems to be that the awful trauma brought out a mature side of him.

At the end of high school, Charlie and two friends took a Model T out on the road, with California their planned final destination. As readers can hopefully imagine, this trip in no way resembled the kind that fun-loving teen males would enjoy today. If we forget that merely starting a Model T carried with it the very real risk of a broken wrist, Von Drehle reports that in the U.S. of 1922, “there were really no roads, no maps,” at which point the drive west was 1,700 miles dense with wrong turns, unpaved roads, and dead ends.

Where it becomes important is in terms of how Charlie et al got out there financially. While the owner of the car had parents of substantial real estate means, Charlie and the other teen earned their way across the country. As Charlie relayed to Von Drehle, they “became expert in a few days” when it came to farm work, “like high school kids will.” Yes! This is important, and crucially Von Drehle thinks it’s important. They needed money to make it to California, only for them to learn what they needed to in order to earn as they drove.

This is to me a retort to members of the American Right who increasingly find victims of the American public schools wherever they look. As a member of that Right, I find their whining disappointing. Charlie’s story is a reminder that learning is a choice more than anything. Those who care to know things, those who care to adapt, do just that.

As the book makes clear, Charlie’s life is defined by adapting to the rapidly changing times. As he put it to Von Drehle, “When you don’t have an income, you create. You find a job.” Yes, once again. People who care, people who want to get ahead, figure it out. Charlie did. Eventually he learned saxophone not because he had access to a good musical education, but because he carefully listened to the radio with saxophone in hand. The self-taught skill earned him money in college and graduate school. Education is once again a choice, while good and bad schools are far more defined by the conscientious ways of those attending them.

Which brings us to the Junior College of Kansas City that Charlie attended before the University of Missouri. In his recollection, this was the most challenging school of all that he attended, and Charlie’s education included Northwestern Medical School. It arguably speaks to how the federalization of education finance has harmed it. While the Right well overstates the impact of federal loans on tuition costs, the Left well overstates the importance of federal funds to the process. With Charlie going to college long before federal involvement, the value of a degree or “education” wasn’t so much about what was learned (more on this with regard to medical school), or where it was learned, as the value was rooted in difficulty of completion. By arming kids with endless funds, the Left has arguably cheapened education by turning colleges and universities into servants of those with large amounts of taxpayer dollars in their hands. Graduation is now a given, and that’s too bad.

Von Drehle’s commentary on medicine through the prism of Charlie is more than worth the cost of the book alone. Keep in mind that Charlie went to medical school in the 1920s. These weren’t your father’s medical schools. This is something I write about a lot in When Politicians Panicked , my book about the tragic coronavirus lockdowns. The medical schools of old didn’t instruct on healing those who were ill simply because there for the most part weren’t cures. That’s why cancer and heart disease weren’t major killers. Those diseases got older people, and for most of human history, life was “brutish and short.” Awful as both diseases are now, that they’re top killers in the present paradoxically speaks to progress . As Von Drehle notes via a prominent Kansas City doctor of old (Arthur Hertzler), the primary contribution of doctors when Charlie went into practice was “demeanor.”

Much time is spent on this in consideration of the choice among doctors, politicians and experts more broadly to fight the spreading coronavirus with economic contraction. Historians will marvel at the abject stupidity of the approach, and The Book of Charlie will inform this view. As Von Drehle writes 2/3rds of the way through, “Charlie didn’t cure disease – no doctors cured diseases before the age of antibiotics.” Precisely . What requires stress is that what very much changed medical schools and medicine itself was economic growth. In his lifetime alone, John D. Rockefeller gave away $530 million, and $450 million of it was for medical research. Railroad investor Johns Hopkins similarly directed enormous sums to medical research. Charlie, though educated in the “medicine” of old, adapted to this new world. He learned anesthesiology well out of medical school, only to become a prominent anesthesiologist. Education is once again a choice, and it frequently happens when we’re not in school. Just as Charlie learned farming techniques “as high school kids will,” so did he learn medical techniques. As humans we adapt, and he did. This is yet again another call for people to cease blaming schools for lousy outcomes. Quoting Charlie again from earlier, “When you don’t have an income, you create. You find a job.” Both Left and Right will prosper from this book simply because both want to blame others when things don’t go right. Charlie’s life rejects all the victimhood spewed from both sides.

Beyond Charlie’s very interesting life that there’s so much more about in the book, there’s just information. And it’s great. The view here is that both sides search for danger or “crisis” everywhere they look. Lefties at Von Drehle’s newspaper keep telling us that a warming earth is going to get us in some kind of apocalyptic way even as the biggest, most information-pregnant market of all (that would be the world’s population) continues to move to the very coastal cities around the world that warming alarmists tell us will soon enough be under water. Members of the Right who claim to love choice are convinced that people freely choosing not to have as many babies are setting their countries up for gradual “demographic” decline. It’s global warming for conservatives. Von Drehle doesn’t address the conservative alarmists as much as he wisely and calmly points out that reduced birthrates are a sign of progress, that “fewer children meant longer lives and time to think,” and lives in which those born have been better fed while enduring “less drudgery.” The simple truth is that a child being born today will be the productive equivalent of hundreds and thousands of those born in the past thanks to relentless technological advance that happily frees us of so much needless work. Which is why I wish I could live until 2123 to see the advances that will make the abundant present seem positively primitive by comparison. What largely unheard of diseases in the present will kill us then? Again, progress. The crisis narrative that the dominant ideologies embrace is so tired, and spoiled.

Still, from Von Drehle’s book there’s perhaps a clue about where it emerges from. Charlie was born in 1905, only to live through a thoroughly tragic century. As Von Drehle describes it, it was a century of “unprecedented violence and dislocation – the Great War giving way to the Russian Revolution and the Armenian genocide, followed by the Great Depression, the communist purges, the starving of Ukraine, and the Rape of Nanjing, bleeding in World War II, the Holocaust, and violent struggles for colonial independence.” The world is thankfully so much calmer today, which once again may explain the endless search among the deep in thought for problems. Surprisingly, even Von Drehle descends into this line of thinking as he writes that “My kids, just like Charlie, have come of age in a period of disillusionment and pessimism.” Oh come on! Von Drehle knows better. What Charlie witnessed individually and globally makes the present seem like the most rose-strewn of rose-strewn walks in the park. The view here yet again is that our wise minds can’t realistically find anything to be terribly pessimistic or alarmed about, hence they invent major scares. Think the coronavirus yet again. Rest assured there wouldn’t have been lockdowns in 1920, let alone 2000. Too many people would have lost their jobs, including elite people.

Another interesting anecdote among so many was Von Drehle’s mention of “news articles” from the 1920s that had all sorts of “quack” medicinal ideas. This stood out given the desire among the deep in thought to limit the internet, AI and other advances for fear that “misinformation” will be spread. Oh come on, it’s not serious. We learn in The Book of Charlie what’s obvious, that misinformation is as old as information. You don’t limit free speech to fight misinformation, you instead protect free speech. This book is quite simply a great antidote to all the fear-mongering promoted by the whiny ideologies. They think they’ve happened on new problems. They haven’t. All they’ve revealed is how little they know history, and worse, how unoriginal their thinking is.

I could go on for a very long time about all the interesting reading in The Book of Charlie . Needless to say, I’ll once again be quoting this excellent book for as long as I’m writing economics op-eds. David Von Drehle set out to tell a great story, and with Charlie White as his subject, he did just that. Only to achieve so much more.

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David Von Drehle Looked Both Ways, Then Met His Latest Subject

After decades of covering well-known people, the Washington Post columnist was inspired by a man who lived on his block.

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By Elisabeth Egan

David Von Drehle has written books about Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, the victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire and capital punishment. In his new best seller, “The Book of Charlie,” the Washington Post opinion columnist wrote about someone who lived much closer to home — a man he considered a friend.

Charles Herbert White was a retired anesthesiologist, World War II veteran and magnetic raconteur who lived across the street from Von Drehle and his family in the suburbs of Kansas City, Mo. Beginning in 2007, when the Von Drehles moved to the neighborhood, until 2014, when White died on his 109th birthday, the two men enjoyed a series of freewheeling, time-hopping, inadvertently inspiring conversations in the little den at the back of White’s house. They didn’t set out to tackle the meaning of life; Von Drehle wasn’t recording their chats. He certainly wasn’t planning to immortalize White’s century of experiences in a volume that may prove to be one of this year’s go-to Father’s Day gifts.

“It was always comfortable, and always informal,” Von Drehle said in a phone interview. “We never scheduled a visit. I’d see that he was at home and I’d have 30 minutes or an hour free and I’d just go over and knock on the door.”

As White talked about his childhood in Galesburg, Ill., and Kansas City, time in the Air Force and medical school, two marriages and career challenges, Von Drehle was struck by his stoic approach to everything from child rearing to aging.

Stoicism “has a bad rap as a philosophy,” Von Drehle said. “People think it has to do with not having feelings or not caring about the world. But what it teaches is, we can only control our own selves, our own will, decisions and actions. We don’t control people; we don’t control the world; we don’t control the future. I think Charlie finally drove home that wisdom for me.”

After White died, Von Drehle started thinking about what his friend had survived — including two world wars, a pandemic and the Depression — and realized his own children are up against similar challenges in this tumultuous century. That’s when he got cracking on “The Book of Charlie,” relying on recordings White had made with Voices in Time, an organization dedicated to preserving family stories. (White’s picture appears on their website, alongside other snapshots that make you wish you’d asked more questions of your grandparents.)

“Charlie was extraordinary in terms of living a phenomenally long and healthy life, but he was a person you meet on the street or in the operating room,” Von Drehle said. “I run into people all over Kansas City who tell me he was in the delivery room when they were born; he took out their tonsils; he was their high school friend’s dad. He was an ordinary guy.”

Elisabeth Egan is an editor at the Book Review and the author of “A Window Opens.”

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The Book of Charlie

Wisdom from the remarkable american life of a 109-year-old man.

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About The Book

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About The Author

David Von Drehle is an editor and columnist for The Washington Post , where he writes about national affairs and politics from a home base in the Midwest. He joined The Washington Post in 2017 after a decade at Time , where he wrote more than sixty cover stories as editor-at-large. He is the author of a number of books, including the award-winning bestseller Triangle: The Fire That Changed America and The Book of Charlie . He lives in Kansas City with his wife, journalist Karen Ball. They have four children.

Product Details

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (May 23, 2023)
• Length: 208 pages
• ISBN13: 9781476773926

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Raves and Reviews

"I gotta recommend this book, filled with history, wisdom, common sense, and laughs galore. I wish I had lived across the street from Charlie AND that I make it to 109!" — Tom Hanks, on Instagram "An original and highly readable account of a splendid American life." — The Wall Street Journal "As is true of Charlie himself, this book is not just about goodness but grit, not just kindness but courage. It is also a shining example of the magic that can happen when a master storyteller with a deeply inquiring mind finds a subject that has hidden within it a million tantalizing opportunities to learn, to question, and to grow. To say that The Book of Charlie is inspiring is a vast understatement. I am a better person for having read it." — Candice Milla rd, author of River of the Gods " No one writes as well about as many things as David Von Drehle, and his excellence is fully displayed in this slender examination of a well-lived life. In an era that elicits, by rewarding, incessant disparagement, he shows the beauty of elegant praise. You will never forget Charlie White, who was 102 when he came to Von Drehle’s attention." — George F. Wil l, syndicated columnist "In every era, an author writes a genuinely original, formula-shattering book. David Von Drehle has done this in The Book of Charlie , a serious history of the last 100 years. Charlie is told through the personal story of one man, an accidental neighbor in Kansas, finding joy and what matters. I don't think it spoils the ending to divulge some of Charlie's lessons learned: 'Practice patience. Smile often. Savor special moments. Be soft sometimes.'" — Bob Woodward "There is something rather magical that David Von Drehle—one of our nation’s most gifted chroniclers of history— met up with Charlie White, who lived longer than anyone you’ll ever know. This Kansas City-set story is about goodness and the American spirit. It is also about time, and the graciousness in which a life can be lived on this green earth." — Wil Haygood, Colorization: 100 Years of Black Films in a White World "David Von Drehle's book is a monumental achievement cloaked in the experience of one ordinary American man of his time. In this stunningly true story, 100 years worth of American eras become breathakingly intimate experiences, history becomes personal, and a neighbor becomes a figure of deep nobility. You will never look at the folks next door the same way again." — Sally J enkins, author of The Real All-Americans "A marvelous parable of resilience and durability, full of surprises and grace notes. David Von Drehle is among our most astute observers of the human condition, and in Dr. Charlie White—physician, centenarian, bon vivant— he has found a large character worthy of his talent." — Rick Atkinson , author of The British Are Coming " The Book of Charlie isn't just a loving look at an astonishing 110-year life, it's a look at ourselves." — Rick Reilly, author of Commander In Cheat

“Excellent…Von Drehle gave his kids, kids in general, and people in general a how-to on life, and an important look back to the way life used to be. Hopefully it will alert them to how good they have it now. And is life ever good now. Read The Book of Charlie to see why.” — Forbes "A splendidly woven, inspirational memoir that explores the meaning of life and the resilience of the human spirit… This deeply engaging personal portrait of a remarkable centenarian also offers an absorbing account of the inventiveness of U.S. citizens — and the U.S., as it continually strives to evolve and improve.” — Shelf Awareness "Von Drehle’s detailed rendering of White’s life—especially his front-seat view of (and sometimes participation in) groundbreaking medical developments—is fascinating, and the men’s friendship affecting. This has a lot to offer." — Publishers Weekly

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The Book of Charlie

Wisdom from the remarkable american life of a 109-year-old man.

• 4.5 • 142 Ratings

Publisher Description

One of our nation’s most prominent writers discovers the truth about how to live a long and happy life from the centenarian next door in this “original and highly readable account of a splendid American life” ( The Wall Street Journal ). When a veteran Washington journalist moved to Kansas, he met a new neighbor who was more than a century old. Little did he know that he was beginning a long friendship—and a profound lesson in the meaning of life. Charlie White was no ordinary neighbor. Born before radio, Charlie lived long enough to use a smartphone. When a shocking tragedy interrupted his idyllic boyhood, Charlie mastered survival strategies that reflect thousands of years of human wisdom. Thus armored, Charlie’s sense of adventure carried him on an epic journey of the Jazz Age, racing aboard ambulances through Depression-era gangster wars, improvising techniques for early open-heart surgery, and cruising the Amazon as a guest of Peru’s president. David Von Drehle came to understand that Charlie’s resilience and willingness to grow made this remarkable neighbor a master in the art of thriving through times of dramatic change. As a gift to his children, he set out to tell Charlie’s secrets. The Book of Charlie is a “genuinely original, formula-shattering” (Bob Woodward) gospel of grit—the inspiring story of one man’s journey through a century of upheaval. The history that unfolds through Charlie’s story reminds you that the United States has always been a divided nation, a questing nation—a nation of Charlies in the rollercoaster pursuit of a good and meaningful life.

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY MAR 13, 2023

In this feel-good entry, Washington Post opinion editor von Drehle ( Triangle ) collects life lessons from an enigmatic centenarian neighbor. Eager to help his children navigate the modern world, von Drehle sought a role model who'd weathered massive cultural shifts—a "true surfer on the sea of change"—and found one when his family moved next-door to then-102-year-old Charlie White (who died at 109, in 2014). Von Drehle befriended the former doctor and listened to stories from his life, which included train-hopping across the U.S. as a teen in the 1920s and working on cutting-edge anesthesia techniques in the '40s. Von Drehle explains how White balanced optimism and realism, as when he decided to specialize in anesthesiology (at a time when almost no doctors did so) after recognizing the days of house-call doctors were dwindling. White also embraced uncertainty when he abandoned his medical practice at 36 to serve in WWII—an acceptance of the unknown that's important in today's volatile professional climate, the author writes. While White's verbatim advice is sometimes trite ("Nobody's going to do it for you. You've got to do your own paddling"), von Drehle's detailed rendering of White's life—especially his front-seat view of (and sometimes participation in) groundbreaking medical developments—is fascinating, and the men's friendship affecting. This has a lot to offer.

Customer Reviews

Charming and easy to read.

An easy read and full of practical life lessons. Worth your time

A fun read but felt it was cut-off and emotional crescendo just wasn’t there. 109 year life in about 200 pages. I think author told the story well but lots of missing pieces might have been edited out.

A joy to read…moving and uplifting. A great reminder to ‘keep my daubers up!’

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Mary E. Trimble

Captivating stories from the american west to west africa.

Book Review: The Book of Charlie

The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year Old Man by columnist and editor for the Washington Post, David Von Drehie, is an amazing biography of Charles White, Von Drehie’s Kansas City neighbor.

I felt a kinship to Charles White because he was born the same year as my father, 1905. In telling Charlie’s story, the author brought me through the years of America’s history as my father experienced it, from horse-drawn carriages to the early automobile, the Great Depression, two World Wars, wireless communication, radio and television. My father passed away before experiencing what Charles did: the everyday use of computers and smartphones plus huge strides in the medical world.

As a young boy, Charles experienced a shocking tragedy and through it mastered survival strategies that served him well throughout his long life. He learned how to thrive, not just survive.

Charles, usually called Charlie, put himself through medical school by playing self-taught saxophone at college dances. He became a doctor during the Great Depression, when house calls were considered the normal form of primary care. Charlie experienced a long life as a doctor with years as a general practitioner followed by decades as an anesthesiologist.

Although his life as a physician was fascinating, I found his philosophy of life truly inspirational. His messages: live life right now, the past is beyond our influence, the future is unknown, now is the only thing we can touch so we must always be ready for opportunity. The book is chock-full of such gems including my favorite: “Life unfolds by accident, despite our hopes and plans.”

The Book of Charlie is a wonderful, refreshing story of a man who lived life purposefully. I would recommend this book to people of all ages— there’s something in it for everyone.

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Perspective: The case for choosing hope over despair

The author of ‘the book of charlie’ shared advice on hope that can benefit all of us.

By Addison Graham

In February, I lost a friend to hopelessness. I knew he had been struggling for a long time. He took his life when the world became too overbearing. He was 22 years old.

While every suicide is unique, the loss of my friend was part of a disturbing trend nationwide:  suicides are increasing , especially among young men ages 15-24.

In the struggle to make sense out of my grief, I reached out to my friend, the writer David Von Drehle . “What a tragic story you have to tell today,” he wrote to me. “Loss of hope in a young person is so very sad to me, for it is almost always the case that a significant turn for the better is just around the next bend.” 

I wish my friend could have seen around the bend, and I wish I could have seen him get there.

The death of my friend caused me to ask some reflective questions: What is most important to me in life? What kind of friend do I want to be? How could my outlook on life shift in ways that would enhance my overall sense of fulfillment?

When David wrote to me in February, he was a few months away from the publication of his new book, “The Book of Charlie.” Subtitled “Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man,” the book has appeared on bestseller lists since its release in May. When I read it, I knew why. 

The story of Charlie White, who was David’s neighbor for seven years, is a case study in adaptability during times of dramatic societal change and personal tragedy. Described by the publisher as a “ gospel of grit ,” it is a blueprint for the art of thriving rather than simply surviving. 

“The Book of Charlie” chronicles a life full of adventure. A physician, Charlie improvised techniques for early open-heart surgery, traveled through the Amazon as a guest of Peru’s president, and even skied the slopes of Alta on weekends away from Kearns Army Air Base.

More than a travel log, however, the biography of Charlie, born in 1905, reflects more than a century of American history and serves as an instructive reminder that uncertainty, pain and change — though often inescapable — do not have the power to force us into a state of paralysis or pessimism.  

As a boy, Charlie endured the sudden death of his father. His first wife also died tragically. But he maintained a command over his own attitude and a strong resolve to press forward. He was born before radio and died in the era of iPhones, but Charlie learned to “befriend change,” even when change was uncomfortable or painful.

David equates Charlie with the early stoics who taught that we must only worry about the things within our control. Preaching this same principle, President Russell M. Nelson — who himself was refined by intense personal tragedy and is now a vigorous force of optimism in his golden years — has told members of his church that “the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”

As I reflect upon my own fears and the uncertainties of a rapidly changing world, it is encouraging — not daunting — to know that I am solely responsible for choosing the attitude with which I will approach the world. 

When Charlie White was roughly my same age — in the 1920s — the future was as uncertain as it is in the 2020s. But Charlie learned to “find the next step. And take it.” He learned that “life is never as sure as we might think, nor as hopeless as it may appear.”

I still mourn the loss of my friend and so many of my peers. Choosing a life of optimism does not shield us from tragedy, and we should not expect a positive attitude to protect us from all pain. Rather, a course of optimism and courage implies believing — in times of pain and struggle — that, as David said, a “significant turn for the better is just around the next bend.”

We cannot control the hardships that befall us in life. But we can control our internal response to the external circumstances that lie outside of our control. This freedom serves as an equalizer for all human beings, regardless of our circumstance. Tragedy, uncertainty and change are out of our control. But hope is ours to choose.

Addison Graham is a rising senior at Brigham Young University and a student scholar at the Wheatley Institute.

Watch CBS News

"The Book of Charlie": Wisdom from a centenarian neighbor

By Luke Burbank

June 4, 2023 / 10:20 AM EDT / CBS News

It was a typical Sunday in August 2007, in a suburb of Kansas City, when David Von Drehle spotted his new neighbor: "Charlie was in the drive wearing just a pair of swim trunks, and he's washing his girlfriend's car," he said. "Big, muscular chest."

Charlie, at that time, was 102 years old.

Charles White III had already lived a couple of lifetimes, and still had a lot of road in front of him. Meanwhile, Von Drehle and his young family had just moved from Washington, D.C. The two became fast friends. "We'd usually sit in his den, and he'd tell me stories," Von Drehle said.

Stories that comprise much of Von Drehle's new book, "The Book of Charlie," published by Simon & Schuster (part of CBS' parent company, Paramount Global). 

And yes, as the book's subtitle says, Charlie lived to be 109.

Burbank asked, "What are some of those kind of historical and otherwise amazing things about somebody who lives to be 109?"

"He was born before radio; by the end of his life he had an iPhone," said Von Drehle. "He lived from the days of horse-drawn carriages to see people on the International Space Station."

White was born in 1905, in Galesburg, Illinois. The son of a pastor, his family relocated to Kansas City so his father could supplement their income with a second job. But his father's life ended tragically at just 42. Von Drehle said, "He really described his childhood sort of ending that day."

So, at age eight, Charlie's "adult" life began. He built his own radio to listen to Kansas City's jazz scene, and then taught himself saxophone. Eventually he became a doctor, paying his way through college playing that sax. And for perspective, Charlie's medical career started before penicillin. He went on to become one of the first anesthesiologists in Kansas City.

He didn't hang up his stethoscope until his nineties, a testament to his amazing ability to change with the times. Von Drehle said, "I think of him as a great Stoic, classical philosopher who emphasized the difference between the things we have control over in our lives, and everything else that's outside of our control."

Laurie White, one of Charlie's daughters, said, "He was just so incredibly wise, and he had a calming effect. I could maybe remember one time he was mad at me. I mean, he was just a very calm, calm person."

Laurie was born when Charlie was already 52 years old. "He had a full head of white hair," she said. "And I remember everybody thought he was my grandfather."

Laurie said, despite being an older dad, Charlie was as vigorous as could be, and would remain so for an astonishing number of years. "He had a 1967 convertible Mustang, and in the summertime, he'd go to my oldest sister's house almost every day. And he'd swim 100 laps. … He did it through his 90s and up, until he was probably 104."

And that beloved '67 Mustang? Laurie's still got it.

Burbank asked, "Do you feel a connection to your dad when you're driving this car?"

"I do, yes. And I've had interesting things happen, like saxophone music will come on the radio – just come on the radio. I'm like, Oh, Dad! "

Oscar-winning actor Chris Cooper may not have gotten the chance to ride in Charlie's Mustang, but he did get to see the effect Charlie had on his beloved mother, Mary Ann Walton Cooper. "I think Dr. Charlie added a whole lot to Mom's last while here," he said. "One of the aspects of the great relationship between Charlie and my mother was the laughter. At that late age, they were just enjoying life."

Cooper grew up in Kansas City. His mother had been married with a family of her own, before being widowed, much like Charlie. The two found a special love late in life. "Charlie helped my mom, you know, get out and get about," said Cooper.

"Even though he was, you know, significantly older than her?"

"Significantly older, but nothing was going to stop him, man."

In fact, it was Mary Ann's car that Charlie was washing that fateful day David Von Drehle first spotted him.

Burbank asked, "What do you think he would have made of the fact that there is now this book, 'The Book of Charlie'?"

"I think he'd be surprised that I learned as much about living from him," Von Drehle replied. "You'd ask him for his philosophy of life, and he would say, 'Well, my mother always just said to us, do the right thing.' If you do the right thing, it takes in a whole raft of things, see? It's so simple that it's so good!"

A life philosophy that Laurie decided to put on that Mustang Charlie loved so much – and a legacy that rolls on to this day.

      For more info:

• "The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man"  by David Von Drehle (Simon & Schuster), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available via  Amazon ,  Barnes & Noble  and  Indiebound
• David Von Drehle, The Washington Post

       Story produced by Aria Shavelson. Editor: Chad Cardin.

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The Book of Charlie

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David Von Drehle’s neighbor in a Kansas City suburb was a centenarian named Charlie White, whose life is also the story of the last American century -- from the Jazz Age to the smartphone. His book’s subtitle is Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man . Rainy Day Books and the Truman Library Institute hosted this event. close

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The book of charlie: wisdom from the remarkable american life of a 109-year-old man ~ author autographed hardcover by david von drehle.

The Wall Street Journal Review ~ The Book of Charlie : An Old Man, Full of Years!

David Von Drehle was Featured in an In-Depth Interview on CBS NEWS Sunday Morning!

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About the Book

One of our nation’s most prominent writers finds the truth about how to live a long and happy life in the centenarian next door.

When a veteran Washington journalist moved to Kansas, he met a new neighbor who was more than a century old. Little did he know that he was beginning a long friendship—and a profound lesson in the meaning of life. Charlie White was no ordinary neighbor. Born before radio, Charlie lived long enough to use a smartphone. When a shocking tragedy interrupted his idyllic boyhood, Charlie mastered survival strategies that reflect thousands of years of human wisdom. Thus armored, Charlie’s sense of adventure carried him on an epic journey across the continent, and later found him swinging across bandstands of the Jazz Age, racing aboard ambulances through Depression-era gangster wars, improvising techniques for early open-heart surgery, and cruising the Amazon as a guest of Peru’s president.

David Von Drehle came to understand that Charlie’s resilience and willingness to grow made this remarkable neighbor a master in the art of thriving through times of dramatic change. As a gift to his children, he set out to tell Charlie’s secrets. The Book of Charlie is a gospel of grit—the inspiring story of one man’s journey through a century of upheaval. The history that unfolds through Charlie’s story reminds you that the United States has always been a divided nation, a questing nation, an inventive nation—a nation of Charlies in the rollercoaster pursuit of a good and meaningful life.

About the Author

David Von Drehle is a Columnist for The Washington Post , where he writes about national affairs and politics from a home base in the Midwest.  He joined The Washington Post in 2017 after a decade at Time , where he wrote more than sixty cover stories as editor-at-large.  He is the Author of a number of books, including the Award-Winning Bestseller Triangle: The Fire That Changed America .  He lives in Kansas City with his wife, journalist Karen Ball.  They have 4 children.

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The Book of Charlie

by Jerome Mark Antil ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2014

A beautiful balance of action and warmth.

Raucous adventure abounds in Antil’s ( The Long Stem Is in the Lobby , 2013 etc.) heartfelt coming-of-age novel set in upstate New York during the 1950s.

Fans of Antil’s The Pompey Hollow Book Club (2011) will be eager to learn more about the misadventures of their favorite club members in this colorful follow-up novel. It’s the summer before their freshman year of high school, a time when they begin to leave childhood behind but are nonetheless itching for adventure as much as ever. The story is told from the perspective of ghostly Ole Charlie, a kindly neighbor who has passed and is now the group’s guardian angel. Fast-paced and action-packed, the novel follows young Jerry and his friends as they get their first jobs, rescue orphans and down-on-their-luck polio victims, and plan their biggest caper yet to catch a pair of criminals. Though the intrigue surrounding the two escaped criminals and the subsequent plan to flush them out are what pushes the novel forward, its heartbeat lies in the quiet moments that reveal the character of this close-knit community. Following World War II, which forever changed their lives, these communities have emerged stronger than ever. The people work together, care for each other’s kids, rally behind perfect strangers with abounding kindness and believe in the basic good in each person. As the kids of the surrounding communities all come together to protect their towns, a beautiful sense of brotherhood emerges; it’s an uplifting examination of what community really means. History buffs will also appreciate the many referencesto WWII, Gen. Eisenhower and decoy missions in England before D-day. Not without its faults, the novel is sometimes difficult to read. Readers will appreciate the unique language of the time period, but some sentences, especially in opening chapters, are unusually long and need to be read several times for clarity. Nevertheless, it’s a delightful read.

Pub Date: March 27, 2014

ISBN: 978-0989304412

Page Count: 300

Publisher: Little York Books

Review Posted Online: May 16, 2014

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

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by Jerome Mark Antil

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JUPITER STORM

by Marti Dumas illustrated by Stephanie Parcus ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 11, 2017

In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.

A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.

Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas ( Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5 , 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.

Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0

Page Count: 212

Publisher: Plum Street Press

Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018

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by Marti Dumas

BROTHERS IN ARMS

Bluford high series #9.

by Paul Langan Ben Alirez ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 2004

A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.

In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.

In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004

ISBN: 978-1591940173

Page Count: 152

Publisher: Townsend Press

Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013

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The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man Audio CD – CD, May 23, 2023

One of our nation’s most prominent writers finds the truth about how to live a long and happy life in the centenarian next door.

When a veteran Washington journalist moved to Kansas, he met a new neighbor who was more than a century old. Little did he know that he was beginning a long friendship -- and a profound lesson in the meaning of life. Charlie White was no ordinary neighbor. Born before radio, Charlie lived long enough to use a smartphone. When a shocking tragedy interrupted his idyllic boyhood, Charlie mastered survival strategies that reflect thousands of years of human wisdom. Thus armored, Charlie’s sense of adventure carried him on an epic journey across the continent, and later found him swinging across bandstands of the Jazz Age, racing aboard ambulances through Depression-era gangster wars, improvising techniques for early open-heart surgery, and cruising the Amazon as a guest of Peru’s president.

David Von Drehle came to understand that Charlie’s resilience and willingness to grow made this remarkable neighbor a master in the art of thriving through times of dramatic change. As a gift to his children, he set out to tell Charlie’s secrets. The Book of Charlie is a gospel of grit -- the inspiring story of one man’s journey through a century of upheaval. The history that unfolds through Charlie’s story reminds you that the United States has always been a divided nation, a questing nation, an inventive nation -- a nation of Charlies in the rollercoaster pursuit of a good and meaningful life.

• Print length 1 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Simon & Schuster Audio and Blackstone Publishing
• Publication date May 23, 2023
• Dimensions 5.88 x 0.56 x 5.59 inches
• ISBN-10 1797153498
• ISBN-13 978-1797153490
• See all details

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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster Audio and Blackstone Publishing; Audio CD edition (May 23, 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Audio CD ‏ : ‎ 1 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1797153498
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1797153490
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.88 x 0.56 x 5.59 inches
• #3,836 in Books on CD
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• #9,932 in Happiness Self-Help

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The Book of Charlie

Spirit of the pompey hollow book club.

Jerome Mark Antil Little York Books ( Jun 6, 2014 ) Hardcover $13.95 ( 286pp ) 978-0-9893044-1-2

Antil delivers heartfelt messages of caring and hope in a wholesome young-adult adventure.

It was 1953 and the family farm was alive and well in upstate New York. Whole communities came together to celebrate the harvest or rally around those in need. The shadows of World War II still hovered over the people and colored their lives. In The Book of Charlie , Jerome Mark Antil paints a charming and nostalgic picture of this time and place through the further adventures of the Pompey Hollow Book Club.

In this second book of the series, the kids of the book club are now teenagers, but their appetite for adventure hasn’t faded. When one of them notices a couple of strangers casing the countryside, apparently in search of items to steal, the club is drawn into a mystery bigger than they could have imagined. With the help of President Eisenhower’s grandson, the club president’s pen pal, the group embarks on a journey that intertwines with a war-era military mystery, pulling in a few lost souls along the way.

In this story, it’s easy to see how Antil is influenced by Mark Twain. The narrator, Charlie Pitts, is an old neighbor who passed away in the last book and is now the kids’ guardian angel. His colloquial voice, heavily colored in the local dialect and tinged with wry humor—along with the rural landscape and escapades where childhood innocence bumps up against the fears of the time—are reminiscent of Huckleberry Finn. Though some may find the story to be a little too rambling and saccharine at times, Antil manages to deliver heartfelt messages of caring and hope in a lighthearted, wholesome adventure. “You might take a lesson from this, the ways it was with young people in those days; days when young ones thought more about people around them than they did about their own selves,” Charlie suggests. “Some say it were the quality of their Guardian Angels back then.”

While aimed at a young-adult audience, this book will also appeal to older generations who would enjoy either reminiscing about their childhood or just taking a break from the eleven-o’clock-news style of entertainment to read a book that acknowledges serious issues (such as war, crime, and disease) while remaining eternally optimistic and sweet.

Reviewed by Christine Canfield Summer 2014

Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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From picture books to graphic novels, fantasy to family fun, these must-read books have the power to hook kids of any gender. Some are cultural touchstones that belong in every kid's library. Others open kids' minds to cultures beyond their own. And some are recent releases that have the timeless quality of classics -- the kind that get handed down to siblings and passed around classrooms. Whether you have a reluctant reader or a budding bookworm, consider these surefire, kid-tested titles. (We've included a few rated best for 12 and up for the precocious readers out there!) For more great picks, check out our Best Book Series and Best Book Series for Early Readers .

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Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Silliness that appeals to preschoolers.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site

Charming bedtime book is magic for truck lovers.

Goodnight Moon

Ultimate going-to-bed book has stood the test of time.

The Snowy Day

Classic captures a kid's delight in freshly fallen snow.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Funny, colorful look at caterpillar's development.

Where the Wild Things Are

Classic all-ages masterpiece has a wild imagination.

Lyrical tale shows role of special food in family, culture.

Harold and the Purple Crayon

Imagination reigns in timeless classic about drawing boy.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Beatrix Potter's first and one of her best.

The Cat in the Hat

The kids' classic that put Dr. Seuss on the map.

Last Stop on Market Street

Tender story of Nana showing grandson city beauty via bus.

Rhyming classic is a sure winner with kids.

The Complete Tales & Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh

Beloved, classic stories and poems in one volume.

Mercy Watson to the Rescue: Mercy Watson, Book 1

Funny, silly pig story great for early readers.

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez

Girl takes on city hall in fun, diverse tale of persistence.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Classic morality tale is wildly entertaining.

Ivy + Bean, Book 1

Friendship tale a sure hit with kids starting chapter books.

Stuart Little

Excellent bridge from chapter books to novels.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Irresistible collection of clever, hilarious poems.

Charlotte's Web

Gentle, much-loved barnyard classic delights all ages.

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• The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the...

The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man

• About the Book

One of our nation’s most prominent writers discovers the truth about how to live a long and happy life from the centenarian next door in this “original and highly readable account of a splendid American life” ( The Wall Street Journal ).

When a veteran Washington journalist moved to Kansas, he met a new neighbor who was more than a century old. Little did he know that he was beginning a long friendship --- and a profound lesson in the meaning of life. Charlie White was no ordinary neighbor. Born before radio, Charlie lived long enough to use a smartphone. When a shocking tragedy interrupted his idyllic boyhood, Charlie mastered survival strategies that reflect thousands of years of human wisdom. Thus armored, Charlie’s sense of adventure carried him on an epic journey across the continent, and later found him swinging across bandstands of the Jazz Age, racing aboard ambulances through Depression-era gangster wars, improvising techniques for early open-heart surgery, and cruising the Amazon as a guest of Peru’s president.

David Von Drehle came to understand that Charlie’s resilience and willingness to grow made this remarkable neighbor a master in the art of thriving through times of dramatic change. As a gift to his children, he set out to tell Charlie’s secrets. THE BOOK OF CHARLIE is a “genuinely original, formula-shattering” (Bob Woodward) gospel of grit --- the inspiring story of one man’s journey through a century of upheaval. The history that unfolds through Charlie’s story reminds you that the United States has always been a divided nation, a questing nation --- a nation of Charlies in the rollercoaster pursuit of a good and meaningful life.

The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man by David Von Drehle

• Publication Date: May 21, 2024
• Genres: Nonfiction , Personal Growth , Self-Help
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• ISBN-10: 1476773939
• ISBN-13: 9781476773933

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Guided Reading Activity for "Charlie and the Magical Forest". Inspired by Roald Dahl

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Unit of work

Last updated

5 June 2024

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Charlie and the Magical Forest

** Book and Questions Inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and created using AI.**

In the enchanting tale “Charlie and the Magical Forest,” journey into the heart of the Everwood with Charlie Oakwood and his sister Lily, two brave siblings whose pure hearts lead them on an extraordinary adventure. When an ancient forest faces a looming darkness, Charlie and Lily embark on a quest to restore its magical balance by retrieving four elemental crystals hidden deep within its mystical depths. Guided by the wisdom of a mysterious Guardian and the companionship of the brilliant Professor Thaddeus Luminar, they discover the secrets of an ancient portal that leads to the Realm of Lumina—a place of pure magic and timeless wonder.

Join Charlie and Lily as they navigate treacherous landscapes, encounter mythical creatures, and unlock the deepest mysteries of magic. “Charlie and the Magical Forest” is a captivating story of courage, friendship, and the boundless possibilities that await those who dare to dream. Perfect for readers who love enchanting adventures, this heartwarming tale reminds us all that with bravery and a pure heart, even the greatest challenges can be overcome.

Pack Includes:

• Book (Approx 2200 words)
• Writing a Blurb Activity Sheets
• Glossary of ”Charlie and the Magical Forest” key vocabulary
• 40 Guided Reading questions based on the story. Mixture of prediction, inference, retrieval, explanation, thinking, clarification, vocabulary and summarizing questions.
• Designing a captivating book cover activity sheet for “Charlie and the Magical Forest”
• 30 word Word Search

15 Cross Curricular Activities based on the story “Charlie and the Magical Forest” to engage students and deepen their understanding:

Questions help reinforce comprehension and recall of the stories events, characters and themes.

Answers supplied.

Suitable for KS2 and KS3.

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