Happy Chinese New Year!

To celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Pig (my Chinese zodiac year), here are some suggested pig-friendly reads!

1. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White Because Wilbur is 'some pig'! And the story of Charlotte the spider and little girl Fern trying to save Wilbur from slaughter was instrumental in my life as a vegetarian :)


2. Babe by Dick King-Smith A British take on the idea of an extraordinary pig; this pig wants to be a sheepdog. See above for influence!


3. Freddy the Pig series by Walter R. Brooks This lovely old-fashioned 26 book series features Freddy, the Renaissance pig of Bean farm, and various animal friends who have endless adventures. A favourite was Freddy the Detective.


4. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander This classic fantasy series begins with Taran, Assistant pig keeper, chasing HenWen the oracular pig into the woods. What happens to him there sets him on his destined path toward the High King.


5. Interstellar Pig by William Sleator A young boy at his parents' summer cottage becomes entranced with his 3 strange neighbours, who are obsessed with a board game called Interstellar Pig. The object of the game is to travel through space to capture the Piggy; whoever has it at the end wins, everyone else and their home planets dies. But it is really just a game?