book review for charlotte's web

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Charlotte's web, common sense media reviewers.

Gentle, much-loved barnyard classic delights all ages.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Readers will learn a lot through this book's messa

This book celebrates the power of friendship and l

Charlotte is selfless and kind, working hard to pr

A very sad death. Plus, Wilbur is almost killed wh

Cereal and car brands mentioned.

An adult smokes a pipe.

Parents need to know that E.B. White's children's classic begins with the main character (a young pig) nearly being slaughtered by a farmer. Wilbur also learns that he's to be eaten for Christmas dinner. When a major character dies, peacefully but alone -- all children (and most adults) will cry. All readers will also…

Educational Value

Readers will learn a lot through this book's messages and may be inspired to read more children's classics or other books by E.B. White , such as Stuart Little . They'll also learn from Charlotte what a "Magnum Opus" is.

Positive Messages

This book celebrates the power of friendship and love -- and even that death is a part of life. All these messages are beautifully conveyed in a way that kids will understand and be moved by.

Positive Role Models

Charlotte is selfless and kind, working hard to protect Wilbur. Wilbur in turn repays the favor when she needs him. Fern also takes good care of Wilbur when he's a baby and is a good friend to him through her childhood.

Violence & Scariness

A very sad death. Plus, Wilbur is almost killed when he is born because he's a runt -- and he worries about his own death on the farm when he learns what happens to a spring pig.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Drinking, drugs & smoking.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that E.B. White 's children's classic begins with the main character (a young pig) nearly being slaughtered by a farmer. Wilbur also learns that he's to be eaten for Christmas dinner. When a major character dies, peacefully but alone -- all children (and most adults) will cry. All readers will also be reminded about what it means to be a good friend and be inspired by the book's messages about the power of love. The audiobook is lovingly read by the author.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (39)
• Kids say (57)

Based on 39 parent reviews

Does contain sexist ideas of how girls should behave and dress (for boys' attention)

A wonderful book that many miss the strength of, what's the story.

When Fern convinces her father not to kill the runt pig of the litter, she names him Wilbur and raises him with a bottle. Soon Wilbur goes to live in her Uncle Homer Zuckerman's barn down the road, where she visits him every day. But when she's not there, Wilbur is lonely -- the sheep, cows, geese, and even the rats don't want to play and be his friend. Then he meets Charlotte, a gray spider whose web is in a corner of the barn door, and they become good friends. But soon after, they learn that Wilbur is to be slaughtered next Christmas to make ham and bacon. So Charlotte hatches a plan to make the Zuckermans want to keep Wilbur around forever.

Is It Any Good?

One of the all-time great classics of children's literature, this gentle story with its kindly wisdom about friendship and love has survived and prospered even in the digital age. That's because its themes are universal and timeless: It will inspire readers to think about how we should make and keep friends, and how we should treat each other. Though most readers will cry near the end, it's never maudlin or sappy. Indeed, it's New Yorker editor and author E.B. White's avoidance of cuteness, astringent prose, whimsical humor, and matter-of-factness about life-and-death issues that sets CHARLOTTE'S WEB apart from the pack.

His heroine is a hairy spider who sucks the blood out of flies, aided by a rat, and they're working to save Wilbur from the reality of every working barn. Kind people can be ugly and sometimes cruel, others can be greedy but helpful, snooty but caring. The world can be harsh but also beautiful and warm. It's a lovely fantasy grounded in reality, and perhaps that's why kids have loved it for so long -- they know when they're being told the truth.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the various concepts of friendship presented here. Charlotte obviously gives a lot in this relationship -- what does she get in return? How does Fern and Wilbur's relationship change?

Charlotte's Web was published in the 1950s and is considered a children's classic. Why do you think it continues to be so popular with readers?

What other books have you read that you think are -- or should be considered -- classics?

Book Details

• Author : E.B. White
• Illustrator : Garth Williams
• Genre : Friendship
• Topics : Horses and Farm Animals
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : HarperCollins Children's Books
• Publication date : October 15, 1952
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
• Number of pages : 184
• Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
• Award : Newbery Medal and Honors
• Last updated : October 19, 2017

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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CHARLOTTE'S WEB

by E.B. White illustrated by Garth Williams ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 15, 1952

The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often...

A successful juvenile by the beloved New Yorker writer portrays a farm episode with an imaginative twist that makes a poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl.

Young Fern Arable pleads for the life of runt piglet Wilbur and gets her father to sell him to a neighbor, Mr. Zuckerman. Daily, Fern visits the Zuckermans to sit and muse with Wilbur and with the clever pen spider Charlotte, who befriends him when he is lonely and downcast. At the news of Wilbur's forthcoming slaughter, campaigning Charlotte, to the astonishment of people for miles around, spins words in her web. "Some Pig" comes first. Then "Terrific"—then "Radiant". The last word, when Wilbur is about to win a show prize and Charlotte is about to die from building her egg sac, is "Humble". And as the wonderful Charlotte does die, the sadness is tempered by the promise of more spiders next spring.

Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1952

ISBN: 978-0-06-026385-0

Page Count: 192

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1952

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

Share your opinion of this book

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Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.

Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.

When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.

Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023

ISBN: 9780316669412

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION

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Our Verdict

New York Times Bestseller

Newbery Medal Winner

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Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new...

How Ivan confronts his harrowing past yet stays true to his nature exemplifies everything youngsters need to know about courage.

Living in a "domain" of glass, metal and cement at the Big Top Mall, Ivan sometimes forgets whether to act like a gorilla or a human—except Ivan does not think much of humans. He describes their behavior as frantic, whereas he is a peaceful artist. Fittingly, Ivan narrates his tale in short, image-rich sentences and acute, sometimes humorous, observations that are all the more heartbreaking for their simple delivery. His sorrow is palpable, but he stoically endures the cruelty of humans until Ruby the baby elephant is abused. In a pivotal scene, Ivan finally admits his domain is a cage, and rather than let Ruby live and die in grim circumstances, he promises to save her. In order to express his plea in a painting, Ivan must bravely face buried memories of the lush jungle, his family and their brutal murder, which is recounted in a brief, powerful chapter sure to arouse readers’ passions. In a compelling ending, the more challenging question Applegate poses is whether or not Ivan will remember what it was like to be a gorilla. Spot art captures poignant moments throughout.

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ISBN: 978-0-06-199225-4

Page Count: 320

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Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White | Book Review

The Children’s Book Review  | January 14, 2016

Charlotte’s Web

Written by E.B. White

Illustrated by Garth Williams

Age Range:  8 – 12 years

Hardcover:  192 pages

Publisher:  HarperCollins; Early edition (April 10, 2012)

ISBN-13:  978-0739477076

What to expect: Barnyard Animals, Friendship, Life and Death, Love, and New Beginnings

Charlotte’s Web is one of the best-selling children’s books of all time. It has sold more than 45 million copies and has been translated into 23 languages.

The story is about a barnyard pig named Wilbur that can talk, a barn spider named Charlotte that can write, and a young girl named Fern that stands up for her beliefs. Born the runt of his litter, energetic Wilbur risks losing his life at the mercy of the farmer, Mr. Zuckerman. Charlotte comes up with an amazing plan to save Wilbur’s life: she writes powerful messages on her web to help convince the farmer that Wilbur should live. Readers will learn what it means to be a friend in this beautiful and powerful story about friendship, life and death, love, and new beginnings.

From grammar to the tenderness in which this story is delivered, E. B. White’s writing is so perfect. It’s no wonder that Charlotte’s Web  is a Newbery Honor Book (1953) and won the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal (1970), among other awards. And Garth William’s muted illustrations are entirely without fault. Whether read aloud or solo, this is a book well deserving of its “classic” status.

Add this book to your collection:  Charlotte’s Web

Buy the Book

Ages 8-12 | Publisher: HarperCollins | January 17, 2012 | ISBN-13: 978-0061992254

About the Author

E. B. White , the author of such beloved classics as  Charlotte’s Web ,  Stuart Little , and  The Trumpet of the Swan , was born in Mount Vernon, New York. He graduated from Cornell University in 1921 and, five or six years later, joined the staff of  The New Yorker  magazine, then in its infancy. He died on October 1, 1985, and was survived by his son and three grandchildren.

Mr. White’s essays have appeared in  Harper’s  magazine, and some of his other books are:  One Man’s Meat ,  The Second Tree from the Corner ,  Letters of E. B. White ,  Essays of E. B. White , and  Poems and Sketches of E. B. White . He won countless awards, including the 1971 National Medal for Literature and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, which commended him for making a “substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.”

During his lifetime, many young readers asked Mr. White if his stories were true. In a letter written to be sent to his fans, he answered, “No, they are imaginary tales . . . But real life is only one kind of life—there is also the life of the imagination.”

About the Illustrator

Garth Williams’s classic illustrations for the Little House books caused Laura to remark that she “and her folks live again in these pictures.” Garth Williams also illustrated  Charlotte’s Web ,  Stuart Little , and almost one hundred other books.

Charlotte’s Web,  written by E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams, was reviewed by Bianca Schulze. Discover more books like  Charlotte’s Web   by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Classics ,  E. B. White ,  Farm Life ,  Friendship ,  Garth Williams ,  Loss , and  New Beginnings .

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Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review. She is a reader, reviewer, mother and children’s book lover. She also has a decade’s worth of experience working with children in the great outdoors. Combined with her love of books and experience as a children’s specialist bookseller, the goal is to share her passion for children’s literature to grow readers. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.

A very nice review

Sweet and Short. Goed Week!!!

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Charlotte's Web by E. B. White - review

Charlotte's Web is about a girl named Fern, a pig named Wilbur and a spider called Charlotte. They live on a farm and Fern is horrified when she finds out that Wilbur as a piglet is to be slaughtered. She rescues Wilbur only then to have him sent away from her to her uncle's farm where he is friendless and snubbed by the other animals except Charlotte, a spider, and this is where Wilbur's adventures begin.

I would say that the genre of this book is Animals . My favourite character in the book is Charlotte because she is very kind and helpful to everyone, even a pig who is about to die. I loved the bit in the book when Charlotte's eggs hatch and they all leave apart from three of them who stay with the pig and will forever remain there because they don't want to leave.

I loved every moment of this book. I would recommend this book to any reader over 10 or 11. I give this book a score of 5/5 as it was great!

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Book Reviews

How e.b. white spun 'charlotte's web'.

Maureen Corrigan

The Story of Charlotte's Web: E. B. White's Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic By Michael Sims Hardcover, 320 pages Walker & Co. List Price: $25

Read An Excerpt

In a poll of librarians, teachers, publishers and authors, the trade magazine Publisher's Weekly asked for a list of the best children's books ever published in the United States. Hands down, the No. 1 book was E.B. White's Charlotte's Web. Now, a new book called The Story of Charlotte's Web explores how White's masterpiece came to be.

One early fall morning in 1949, E.B. White walked into the barn of his farm in Maine and saw a spider web. That in itself was nothing new, but this web, with its elaborate loops and whorls that glistened with early morning dew, caught his attention. Weeks passed until one cold October evening when he noticed that the spider was spinning what turned out to be an egg sac. White never saw the spider again and, so, when he had to return later that fall to New York City to his job as a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine, White took out a razor blade and cut the silken egg sac out of the web. He put the sac in an empty candy box, punched some holes in it, and absent-mindedly put the box atop his bedroom bureau in New York.

Weeks later, a movement on that bureau alerted him to the fact that tiny spiderlings were making a Great Escape through the air holes. White was delighted at this affirmation of life and left the hundreds of barn spiderlings alone for the next week or so — to spin webs from his hair brush to his nail scissors to his mirror — until, finally, the cleaning lady complained.

Thus was hatched the idea for Charlotte's Web, White's magical meditation on the passage of time, mortality and the great gift of finding a "true friend" in this world. However, as Michael Sims tells us in his wonderful new book called The Story of Charlotte's Web , there was also a much longer incubation period for White's classic — a period that began with his isolated childhood as the youngest of seven children; the snappy creative bustle of the New York newspaper world in the 1920s, which gave White his career and his writing role models; and White's own lifelong struggle with anxiety. That anxiety was soothed, in part, by writing and by the company of animals (except, that is, for rats — take that, Templeton!). If you love Charlotte's Web — and, please, if you don't, just get help now! — Sims' lively and detailed excursion into the mystery of how White's classic came to be is a perfect read for this season: full of grass and insects, pigs and summer rain.

Michael Sims' other nonfiction books include In the Womb: Animals and Apollo's Fire . He has edited several anthologies of Victorian and Edwardian fiction and poetry. Dennis Wile hide caption

Michael Sims' other nonfiction books include In the Womb: Animals and Apollo's Fire . He has edited several anthologies of Victorian and Edwardian fiction and poetry.

The first two-thirds or so of The Story of Charlotte's Web recounts White's life up to his 50s, when he began writing his masterpiece. Good as it is, the final section of Sims' book is the real revelation — not only about the influences on Charlotte's Web , but about just how hard it was for White to write despite the fact that his style always seemed effortless. White was encouraged to attempt children's fiction by his wife, Katherine White, who was the fiction editor of The New Yorker and a regular reviewer of children's literature. She had urged him to write his first children's book, Stuart Little, which was published in 1945 and had taken him over six years to write.

White also took inspiration from the 1920s newspaper columnist Don Marquis, who wrote acclaimed stories about a poetic typing cockroach named Archy. White was adamant that, like Archy, his fictional animal characters should not be cute but should remain true to their predatory and, in the case of Wilbur, their manure-loving, messy nature. The notes that White made for Charlotte's Web — some of which Sims reprints here — show a multitude of false starts and cross outs. White finished the first draft of the novel in 1951 and then let it sit for a year.

He said in a letter to his patient editor: "I've recently finished another children's book, but have put it away to ripen (let the body heat out of it). It doesn't satisfy me the way it is and I think eventually I shall rewrite it pretty much." When Charlotte's Web finally came out in October 1952, most of the reviews were laudatory, except for one written by Anne Carroll Moore, the influential children's division librarian for the New York Public Library. Years earlier, Moore had panned Stuart Little and now she slammed Charlotte's Web for leaving the human character of Fern "undeveloped."

In Character

Charlotte a. cavatica: bloodthirsty, wise and true.

White's own later estimation of his work is, perhaps, most touching. In old age, when he was suffering from Alzheimer's, White liked to have his own essays and books read to him. Sometimes, White would ask who wrote what he was listening to, and his chief reader, his son Joe, would tell him, "You did, Dad." Sims says White "would think about this odd fact for a moment and sometimes murmur, 'Not bad.' "

The Story of Charlotte's Web

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With the publication of “Charlotte’s Web” in the fall of 1952, a guileless pig named Wilbur and the savvy spider who befriended him were introduced to readers. In a review, Eudora Welty praised E.B. White’s novel for its “felicity, tenderness and unexpectedness, grace and humor and praise of life, and the good backbone of succinctness that only the most highly imaginative stories seem to grow.”

Five decades later, in “The Story of ‘Charlotte’s Web,’” Michael Sims offers a full, engaging account of this classic. (Sims has also written “Adam’s Navel: A Natural and Cultural History of the Human Form” and edited “The Annotated Archy and Mehitabel,” among other books.)

White was a shy man who “hid behind animals” in one way or another throughout his life, Sims writes. The characters that populate “Charlotte’s Web” were drawn from the barns and stables of his childhood; animals were his closest friends. “This boy felt for animals a kinship he never felt for people,” White once wrote of himself.

Elwyn Brooks White was born in 1899, the youngest of seven children (though one died in infancy), in Mount Vernon, N.Y. On the family’s property was a large stable that housed chickens, rabbits, horses and other creatures, as well as various spiders that captivated the boy’s attention with their elaborate webs. It was here, in this bucolic setting, that he came to understand “animals were actors themselves, living their own busy lives, not merely background characters in his own little drama,” Sims writes. Whenever he read books, he tended to choose stories about animals and the natural world.

Following his undergraduate education at Cornell University, Elwyn — nicknamed Andy, as he would be known for the rest of his life — moved to Manhattan, where in 1925 he submitted some pieces to a new magazine called the New Yorker. A year later, he joined the staff, working with a beautiful editor, Katharine Angell. She had hired him, and she would become his wife (after the collapse of her own marriage) and his most important and devoted reader.

Along with raising Katharine’s children, Nancy and Roger, the couple had a son, Joel, born in 1930. A few years later, they were able to buy a 40-acre farm in Maine, and it was this place — “with the romanticized freedom of farm life calling from behind the urban world’s honking horns and claustrophobic subways” — that would put White on his way to creating “Stuart Little” in 1945 and “Charlotte’s Web” seven years later.

One of the central themes of “Charlotte’s Web,” of course, is mortality, and White contends with death as a harsh truth: A pig is saved from slaughter but must eventually mourn the loss of his best friend. This theme was informed partly by the author’s own ethical struggles as a farmer — one who tended lovingly his own pig or lamb until “he was scheduled to betray the creature’s confidence and slaughter it.”

Although White was well-acquainted with the habits of farm animals, he realized once he began working on “Charlotte’s Web” that he had a good deal to learn about spiders. He had always been captivated by them (rather than fearful), but he lacked some essential scientific knowledge. As Sims notes, White spent several months obsessively researching spiders, understanding their anatomy and precisely how their webs are spun. And because he found out that “[s]piders live short and busy lives,” there could be no question of Charlotte’s demise before the story’s end.

The book’s final third is its most engaging section. As White immerses himself in the writing of his masterpiece, Sims includes wonderful anecdotes, such as how White settled upon Charlotte’s surname (and the other characters’ names), and how closely White collaborated with Garth Williams on the marvelous illustrations. Sims also includes drafts of White’s cross-outs and false starts, revealing the author’s rigorousness at every level.

“I would rather wait a year than publish a bad children’s book,” White once said, “as I have too much respect for children.” That might explain why he set aside “Charlotte’s Web” in a cardboard box for months after completing the first draft. It wasn’t until he returned to it that he added Fern Arable, the little girl who loves Wilbur dearly. Later, at the urging of his legendary editor, Ursula Nordstrom, at Harper & Bros., White changed the penultimate chapter title “Charlotte’s Death” to the less blunt “Last Day.” (Redemption is offered at the end, through Wilbur’s friendships with Charlotte’s children and grandchildren, although as White wrote, “none of the new spiders ever quite took her place in his heart.”)

“The Story of ‘Charlotte’s Web’” unfolds in a way that White might have appreciated: It ambles, pauses to observe the smallest details, and takes its time. Best of all, this book is likely to encourage readers to experience the pleasures of White’s novel all over again. That’s certainly fine, since, as Welty had noted, “Charlotte’s Web” is perfect for readers “over the age of eight or under the age of eighty.”

Ciuraru is the author of “Nom de Plume: A (Secret) History of Pseudonyms.”

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Book Review: ‘Charlotte’s Web’ and a commentary on loss

February 12, 2021 by Gracyn McGathy

“‘Why did you do all this for me?’ he asked. ‘I don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything for you.’ ‘You have been my friend,’ replied Charlotte. ‘That in itself is a tremendous thing.’”

Charlotte’s Web finds me in the impenetrable darkness of these harrowing times. It is a book I’d like a friend to read to me on my deathbed – a story that redeems humanity while condemning the finality of death.

Here is why you must indulge yourself in it: I refute the idea that E.B. White’s book was made for children. Sure, farm animals typically make appearances in media geared towards adolescents – but White’s creatures are mere catalysts for a very mature message. Quite frankly, I doubt a child could pick out the hidden motifs and commentaries on premature loss and the grieving process. It’s a work that speaks to the unfair nature of death, the cruelty of its timing, and the difficulty of accepting it. Naturally, these are concepts even mature adults wrestle with. Thus, I think it’s improper to boil White’s novel down to a mere bedtime story. 

I’d wager a few things about you, reader. Most likely, your parents forced you to endure Charlotte’s Web as a child – the plot was simple, the story easy to devour. I’d also make the assumption that death confuses you.

You know it must happen eventually, but you fail to understand its sporadic sense of justice. It’s a cruel pill to swallow to acknowledge the inevitability of life’s ending while also knowing that most of the time, it is unfair.

Charlotte’s Web captures this dynamic and portrays it through the friendship of Wilbur and Charlotte. Wilbur, like most of us, does not understand why Charlotte must die. Despite the fact that her lifespan was designed by nature to be significantly shorter than Wilbur’s, he cannot help but apply his own moral expectation to her impending loss (I.E she was a good friend, therefore she doesn’t deserve to die).

This is a representation of how humanity often projects its own ethical standards onto ambiguous natural events: a coping mechanism to create some sort of senseful meaning in the midst of loss. Oftentimes, we will find that this comparison leads us nowhere good. I’d like to lead with an example.

I had a conversation with a friend recently whose mother was diagnosed with cancer. As I’ve found out, many of my peers carry around heavy burdens like this on the daily and handle them with unfathomable grace. In the process of talking to her, I expressed how sorry I was to hear the news of her mother’s diagnosis, a common response to tragedies outside of our control.

She asked, “Why? It isn’t a good or bad thing. It’s just happening. It just is.” It just is. I’m not sure what kind of maturity or strength it took for her to believe that her circumstances were not a reflection of how good of a person she was, or how kind or fit or smart her own mother was, but rather an ambiguous, natural event that was simply happening .

So much of life is composed of choices we didn’t make, circumstances we didn’t choose. The epiphany I’m not so subtly hacking at is that whatever prerogative we think we are owed by God, or any higher power really, is a reflection of our flawed sense of justice.

The universe (and by this I mean the natural chain of events) does not operate on a causation/effect basis. In fact, it’s fair to say that at best, we can describe the world as organized chaos. All of this to say that loss is a natural part of life, but it is not a measuring tool for how “good,” we have been – only we can decide that.

Good things are not generational, they are eternal. John Steinbeck once said, “evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal.”

What makes Charlotte’s Web such an extraordinary book is that it gives meaning to Wilbur’s loss. Charlotte dies after laying her eggs, leaving behind a part of herself in her children. In a sense, Charlotte never truly passes away because she is present through the new life she has created.

This is true for all things – when you love someone, they stay alive in your heart. You see them in all of the beautiful things: pink skies, daisies on the side of the road, children playing games on the street. White seems to have an understanding that I find most people lack: bereavement loses its permanence when love intercedes.

Love is the common denominator in loss – the exception to the long-standing rule of “death do us part,” a notion that suggests love is not a spiritual act, but one of the flesh, fallible to age and decay.

Let it be said that love and affection are not elements that death can touch – they are immortal, transcendent, generational. 

About Gracyn McGathy

Gracyn is a Sophomore Journalism student at ACU.

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• Apr 5, 2020

A Book Review on "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White

Updated: Feb 1, 2023

“Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White is one of the best books I’ve ever read. In fact, I would go so far as to say it's the best children's chapter book of all time. Believe it or not, I had never read “Charlotte’s Web” before now (which saddens me greatly)! I can't help but think of all the years I've missed out on this book. It’s a classic for a reason, and there’s not much I can say about this novel that hasn’t already been said. The characters grow and mature throughout the novel, giving it this wonderfully nostalgic and realistic feel, and it’s not often that the ending of a book genuinely surprises me, but this one truly did. I love this book and I can't wait to read it to my child. It will always have a permanent spot on my bookshelf.

Recommended Age Group?

I would recommend this book to everyone, kids and adults alike, but the age

group that would benefit most from White’s wonderful words would be children aged 9-12 (grades 3-6). Some children may have a difficult time with the idea of killing animals for food, as this isn’t something that is overly talked about, but it definitely opens the door for discussion. Younger children might also have difficulty understanding some of the dynamic vocabulary, as this book was originally published in 1952. However, I wouldn't let the age of this book or the trickier vocabulary stop you from reading it to younger grades, as there is still so much children can glean from incredible characters and heart-wrenching story.

This book is filled with important themes. It teaches us about life, death, growing up and time spent. It hones in on the value of friendship, self-care, and how we should treat others. I was absolutely in awe of how E.B. White could fit so much wisdom in such a short novel, and I have a feeling that much of his wisdom will come in handy as I raise my children.

Classroom Approved?

This book is definitely classroom approved! I'm sure you'll have a great time reading this book to any grade, but children below grade 3 are probably a bit young to understand all of the themes and 1950s vocabulary.

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"charlotte's web”.

• Novel Reviews

About the Book

Charlotte's Web

By e.b. white.

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White is a beloved children's classic about the unlikely friendship between a pig named Wilbur and an intelligent spider named Charlotte. Readers of all ages have cherished the timeless story since its publication in 1952.

'Charlotte's Web' is one of the most beloved children's books of all time, and for a good reason. Written by E.B. White, this charmingly innocent tale of friendship and farm life is full of warmth and wit.

Written by Emma Baldwin

B.A. in English, B.F.A. in Fine Art, and B.A. in Art Histories from East Carolina University.

Charlotte’s Web follows the story of Wilbur, a young pig who is in danger of being slaughtered. His only hope is his newfound friend, a clever and caring spider named Charlotte. Together, they work to save Wilbur by spinning messages within her web.

Along the way, they make many friends, including Templeton the rat, Gussy the goose, and Fern, the young girl who takes care of Wilbur. Ultimately, their friendship leads them on an adventure full of joy and heartbreak.

Key Facts about Charlotte’s Web

• Title: Charlotte’s Web
• When/Where Written : Early 1950s in New York City and Maine
• Published : October 15, 1952
• Literary Period: Contemporary
• Genre: Young adult fiction and coming-of-age tale
• Setting: Rural America
• Climax: When Wilbur wins a prize at the country fair.
• Antagonist: Templeton
• Point of View : Third person

E.B. White and Charlotte’s Web 

The author of Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White, was born in Mount Vernon, New York in 1899 and worked as an editor at The New Yorker magazine for over 40 years. White wrote written several well-known children’s books, including Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan . His most famous work is the beloved classic Charlotte’s Web .

The novel was inspired by White’s childhood farm in Brooklin, Maine, where he grew up around farm animals and appreciated their unique personalities. He also enjoyed observing their relationships with each other and with humans. Through Charlotte’s Web , White gives readers a glimpse into the lives of these animals, as well as a lesson in friendship and loyalty.

Books Related to Charlotte’s Web 

One of the most beloved children’s stories of all time, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, has spawned a number of related books. The world of Wilbur, Charlotte, and Fern remains one of the most endearing literary universes to explore, and the many related books capture the spirit of the original story in different ways.

Stuart Little by E.B. White is a classic book that often is mentioned in the same breath as Charlotte’s Web . Written in 1945, this story follows the adventures of Stuart Little, a “mouse born into an ordinary New York family” who has a great sense of adventure. This book is an excellent companion to Charlotte’s Web , providing a charming tale of friendship between different species.

Other books related to Charlotte’s Web include The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden and Mouse Tales: A Collection of Story Poems by Arnold Lobel. All these books feature imaginative stories about animals, providing a wonderful window into the animal kingdom for readers, young and old.

Young readers might also like Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Peterson , Matilda by Roald Dahl , Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak , and A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.

The Lasting Impact of Charlotte’s Web 

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White has been a beloved classic for more than 60 years and is considered one of the greatest children’s books of all time. This timeless story of friendship, loyalty, and courage has inspired generations of readers with its timeless themes and unforgettable characters.

At its core, Charlotte’s Web is about the bond between animals and humans and how the strength of that bond can overcome any obstacle. It speaks to the power of friendship and love and offers an uplifting message of hope. White wrote it during a period of great uncertainty in the world, yet he was still able to create a story full of warmth and joy. The novel also showcases White’s masterful use of language, making it a classic of literature as well as children’s literature.

Charlotte’s Web remains one of the most beloved children’s stories, appealing to readers of all ages because it captures the essence of what it means to be human. Its lasting legacy is a testament to the power of storytelling and the indelible mark it can leave on our hearts and minds.

Charlotte’s Web Review ⭐

‘Charlotte’s Web’ is one of the most beloved children’s books of all time, and for a good reason. Written by E.B. White, this charmingly innocent tale of friendship and farm life is full of warmth and wit.

Charlotte’s Web Characters 🕸️

‘Charlotte’s Web’ by E.B. White features some of the best-loved characters in the history of children’s literature—Charlotte and Wilbur. 

Charlotte’s Web Quotes 🕸️

‘Charlotte’s Web’ by E.B. White is filled with incredible quotes on a series of important themes, including friendship, love, and change. 

Charlotte’s Web Themes and Analysis 🕸️

‘Charlotte’s Web’ by E.B. White is a classic children’s book that has been beloved by readers of all ages for generations. It tells the story of Wilbur, a young pig, and Charlotte, a spider, as they form a deep bond in the face of adversity. 

Charlotte’s Web Summary 🕸️

‘Charlotte’s Web’ is a much-loved children’s novel written by E.B. White and published in 1952. It follows Wilbur the pig, and Charlotte the spider. 

It'll change your perspective on books forever.

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Charlotte's Web by EB White

Fern Arable lives with her mother, father and brother on their small farm. When her father decides to ‘do away’ with the runt of the piglet litter Fern takes it upon herself to raise the small piglet herself and names him Wilbur. When Wilbur gets too big for the Arable’s land he goes to live with the Zuckerman’s, Fern’s Aunt and Uncle, in their barn where Fern can visit the pig she has grown to love. Although Fern visits as much as she can, she and Wilbur are not together as often. Wilbur starts to feel quite lonely in the big barn, that is until he meets Charlotte, a beautiful big grey spider who lives above Wilbur in the doorway of the barn. Wilbur and Charlotte soon become firm friends and when the old sheep tells of the plot the Zuckerman’s have to fatten Wilbur up for their Christmas dinner Charlotte hatches a plan to save Wilbur’s life that amazes and astounds the whole town!

A book that children can fall in love with. There is such affection and humour in this story and the characters are so well written, including not so loveable rogue Templeton the rat but it is Charlotte you can’t help but love and admire. It shows children what true friendship is and that nothing else is quite as important as the love and loyalty of a best friend.

The illustrations by Garth Williams also add to the enjoyment to the story and are not so frequent as to be intrusive.

The main message of the book remains timeless but there are some passages where the language and references have dated a little, which has been reflected in the score but overall this should not detract from any child’s enjoyment of the story and this is a book I would wholeheartedly recommend.

Unashamedly sentimental, this book leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling.

9/10 Unashamedly sentimental, this book leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling.

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Review by Floresiensis

20 positive reader review(s) for Charlotte's Web

EB White biography

Charlotte from USA

So sad and nice and sweet.

Vedaanr from India

Reya Sara from Bahrain

It is an amazing book to read. I read this book for many days and this is my most favourite book.

Ananya from India

I LOVED THIS BOOK BUT BTW I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT someone actually asked us people the answer for their project!

Anon from UK

This book is fantastic!!!! My faviourite characters are Charlotte, Wilbur and Fern. this book is super super fun and touch, though. this is the second best book I had read!!!

Maya from Canada

Great book!

Isabella from Illinios, US

The book left me with a different feeling about spiders and how amazing they could be and it just changed how I see animals now. I have been a vegetarian for 3 years now and my friends told me that after reading this book that they see why I became vegetarian in the 1st place. I feel like people who aren't vegetarian are sick because they enjoy eating animals when they are being taken out of their home and killed for us to enjoy. So if you aren't vegetarian then just remember that means that you enjoy eating suffered and killed animals. So in all you enjoy it when people go and just kill these poor animals and take them away from their families and their home. How would you like it if animals did that to you. Would you like it if animals took us away from our families and friends and home, just for them to enjoy us. So next time you go to eat meat think about what I just asked you.

Oishani from India

Very good read .😍

Gordon from Hong Kong

It is an interesting book and it's worth reading. We can understand more about how to communicate with others.

Rumman from Bangladesh

I really enjoyed reading the book. It makes us understand what friendship is.

Emma from No

I loved the review and found it so amusing at parts the book was an absolute blast and I am not the type of person known for reading. I love the beautiful drawings incorporated with the creative way E.B White words the whole story and then strings it together with creative and imaginative twists. The story really gets you to step inside Wilbur's [the pigs] shoes. The story gets you to really understand the everyday life of a pig. The story also gets you to see how phenomenal the spiders web is. You would think that this outstanding book would be forgotten because of the 21st century books, but it holds its own and is even better and informative than the books now!

Sofia Rose from US

It's a great book. It's the end which made me sad. I only read this book for school, I normally won't read books but this one I fell in love with! I really like it and the movie!!

Sherry from Myanmar

This book is amazing, it gives the moral about life, death, and friendship. It is perfect for kids, teens and adults even. It is even more interesting because animals are included and Fern knows what animals in the barn are talking about.

Shahmeer Asim from Pakistan

I loved this book because of the message and the humor and all the things in the story including the part when wilbur was at fern's home and the things they did together

Aravind from India

Fantastic book my sis and bros.

Piyush from India

It's a very good book not too boring like many of the others I read. Well finding a spider like that is nearly not possible but a friend like is also not like that.. N😊😊

Great book.

This is a great book. It’s a book for all ages, the young and old. I highly recommend this book.

Sweet ,sober , interesting and meaningful

Arya from India

Puleng from Gauteng,South Africa

Oh! Wow... This book is AWESOME ...I like it... I loved every moment of this book , I would recommend this book to any reader over 10 or 11 . I give this book 10 over 10 as it was great..

Kynli Sky from OK

I love the book.

Nisha from Tamil Nadu

This book was awesome... I really like this book. Yes, of course through this we learn lots of things.... plz anyone do one favour for me... I took this book for my project I almost complete but now I'm confusing about conclusion can u help for me?

Jasmine from New York

Charlotte's Web is a book you must read. It shows the true meaning of friends, loyalty, and trust. I also I liked the movie.

Ariana from US

This the best. It is nice to read about a runty pig that grows and finds a friend!!

Ivan from Hong Kong

Great. Awesome!

Katie from Buffalo

I need to find out if Charlottes Web is fantasy or myth legend fairy tale.

Addie from Ohio, US

This book is about a pig named Wilbur and he is going to get killed in the winter and his friend Charlotte saves his life this is the real meaning of friendship. Read Charlotte's Web.

Gayatri from New Delhi

Anne-Marie from England

You should check out this book - it is about a fantastic pig and a spider. I especially like the movie.

Claire from Shawnee, KS, USA

The story, the writing, and the emotional, inevitable ending all spoke to me as a child, and this is a book that pleases adults as well. One of its greatest treasures is the permission it gives for kids to be alone, unstructured, whiling away the hours as Fern does in the barnyard. Fern's mother is so sure there's something wrong with her--but she's perfectly right. Kids need to hear that today, too. Life isn't all homework and music lessons and sports practices and texting. Sometimes it's just letting your imagination soar.

9.7 /10 from 32 reviews

All EB White Reviews

• Charlotte's Web

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Book Review: Charlotte's Web

While it may be considered a children's book, Charlotte's Web by E.B. White lives up to its name as a classic. The simple story provides for a light and easy read, while still providing an elegantly woven story. The characters, while not super developed, are jocular and entertaining, and still preserve the sort-of dramatic side of the book. The friendly relationship between Charlotte the spider and Wilbur the pig soon turns into a matter of life and death, allowing for many twists and turns throughout the book. Though simple, the book also has several deeper meanings (I won’t spoil them), allowing for speculation among its audience. The fun in discovering what E.B. White could have meant in just one of the book's lines may very well be the entire hook of the story. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone, no matter what their age is. There’s always fun to be had in a book, whether it be hidden or minuscule.

Reviewer Grade: 8th

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For Girlhood Friends, the Tech Revolution Is a Dividing Line

In Lisa Ko’s adventurous novel “Memory Piece,” youthful exploration takes a dark turn for an artist, an activist and a web developer.

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By Alexandra Jacobs

MEMORY PIECE, by Lisa Ko

Before doomscrolling, what did we do with all that spare time? Sometimes it’s difficult to recall. And some people will never know.

Lisa Ko’s socially astute and formally innovative second novel, “Memory Piece,” takes readers back to the dawn of the internet: when its hot glow was lurking just below the horizon and we thought we had the measure of its power, before it became the very light by which we see.

Her first novel, “ The Leavers ,” a finalist for the National Book Award, was about a Chinese American boy seemingly abandoned by his mother; his drift after being adopted by an overbearing white couple; and her thwarted bid for freedom. “Memory Piece,” by contrast, is giddy with women’s liberation, closely following three Asian American friends who meet as girls at a Fourth of July barbecue, come of age when the country was still meting out history in neat decade-long chunks — “even the nine in 1990s felt cold and steely,” a character correctly notes — and all make unconventional life choices. A marriage plot this is not.

The book is framed by Giselle Chin, an artist of the Marina Abramovic school who herself resists any framing. Giselle’s notable works include living secretly in a room at the Paramus Park shopping center in New Jersey for a year (“Mall Piece”) wandering around Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery in white clothing for half a dozen menstrual cycles (“Blood Piece”); and, for the project that gives the book its title, handwriting memories for days and then burning the pages in public. She is devoted to her calling and pragmatic in her relationships, dating a past-his-prime artist from a rich family.

The second main character is Jackie Ong, who sneaks food, clothes and toiletries into the hiding place at the mall; regularly photographs its temporary inhabitant; and — testing the outer limits of bestie — carries away buckets of her excrement. (“Memory Piece” is notably frank about human waste, its quantity, quality and disposal, and matter-of-fact about sex.) Gay and cool, Jackie becomes the director of web technology at a company called Wonder, an early delivery service that resembles Kozmo.com , and then a whistle-blower revealing its shady business practices.

For a hobby, she has been quietly building a proto-social network composed of online diaries called Lene, after a favorite third-grade teacher named Arlene. (I flashed fondly on Echo, not the frighteningly surveilling Amazon device but the warm and janky bulletin board founded in 1990 by Stacy Horn, author of the trenchant memoirs “ Cyberville ” and “Waiting for My Cats to Die.”)

The third and least scrutable friend is Ellen Ng, who becomes Jackie’s sometime lover: a social activist who creates a commune, Sola Squat, in New York’s rapidly gentrifying East Village neighborhood. Foraging from dumpsters, attending demonstrations and using the Xerox machine at her office job to make zines, she’s idealistic and a little tedious.

Novelists of recent New York history have no obligation to cover 9/11 or the pandemic, of course, but that “Memory Piece” skips over both is, as the kids say, a choice.

After taking the trio through the dot-com bust, the novel drops them in a mysterious but wholly imaginable dystopian future, with facial-recognition checkpoints, fiery encampments, people holding guns along with their devices and an increasingly dominant corporate-technological entity called, of all things, Lacuna. (Its villainous millionaire founder also naturally wants to acquire Lene.)

Feature journalism, at least, has somehow endured, and though Giselle craves recognition, she also mocks the sycophantic white interviewer who comes to see her, and the very point of a profile article, thinking Jenny Holzer-like:

HOW DO YOU LIVE (HOW DARE YOU LIVE) WHAT DO YOU DO (WHAT SHOULD WE DO) HOW DO WE LIVE HOW DO WE DIE WHAT DO WE NEED TO HEAR

Some of Ko’s experiments, such as the insertion of “archival” photos from the 2030s — shades of last year’s “Biography of X” — puzzle more than illuminate. (Like, what’s up with the water towers?) A terrible, semi-apocalyptic event has certainly occurred, and there are military bases everywhere, but the details are hazy. We do know that an aged Ellen is now a delivery driver herself, wearing a diaper for efficiency and mainlining weed tincture for pain.

Gritty and refreshingly girl-centric, “Memory Piece” is finest as a novel of the analog, reminding, for example, how we once peered at “scrambled cable channels, the premium ones their parents used to subscribe to, and tried to decode body parts” — a time capsule of mixtapes, newspaper collages and Crystal Light.

It documents the last days of people being untrackable, able to disappear, and for this alone lingers in the imagination.

MEMORY PIECE | By Lisa Ko | Riverhead | 304 pp. | $28

Alexandra Jacobs is a Times book critic and occasional features writer. She joined The Times in 2010. More about Alexandra Jacobs

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Charlotte hornets at cleveland cavaliers odds, picks and predictions, share this article.

The Charlotte Hornets (17-53) wrap up a 4-game road trip on Monday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers (43-27). Tip-off at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s  lines around the Hornets vs. Cavaliers odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions .

Season series: First meeting; Cavaliers won 3-1 in 2022-23

The Hornets have dropped 4 straight games, while also going 0-4 against the spread (ATS). The Charlotte offense has dried up, scoring 98 or fewer points in each of the outings, cashing the Under in 3 of those contests.

The Cavaliers welcomed F Evan Mobley (ankle) back to the lineup Sunday in Miami after a 19-day absence. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the Cavs were humbled 121-84 by the Heat as 3.5-point underdogs as the Over (203) cashed. The Cavs offense has scored 108 or fewer points in 5 consecutive outings.

Hornets at Cavaliers odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook ; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:01 a.m. ET.

• Moneyline (ML) : Hornets +520 (bet $100 to win $520) | Cavaliers -720 (bet $720 to win $100)
• Against the spread : Hornets +12 (-108) | Cavaliers -12 (-112)
• Over/Under (O/U) : 205 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Hornets at Cavaliers key injuries

• F JT Thor (shoulder) probable
• F Donovan Mitchell (nose) out
• G Max Strus (knee) out
• F Dean Wade (knee) out

For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report .

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Hornets at Cavaliers picks and predictions

Cavaliers 106, Hornets 95

The Cavaliers (-720) will set you back more than 7 times your potential return, and that’s obviously way too much risk for not nearly enough reward. It’s especially risky since the Cavs are playing on no rest after getting pounded in Miami Sunday night. The Cavaliers’ charter flight returned back into Cleveland at 12:31 a.m. ET, so it was a late night for the home side.

Against the spread

The HORNETS +12 (-108) are worth a roll of the dice as double-digit underdogs in the front end of this home-and-home set.

The Cavaliers -12 (-112) are just 4-8 ATS this season when playing on no rest. Cleveland has also failed to cover the past 3 games, while going 1-5 ATS in the past 6 when favored by 8.5 or more points.

While Charlotte has also struggled against the number lately, it won April 9 in Cleveland as a 6.5-point underdog, and it is 2-0-1 ATS in the past 3 trips to Northeast Ohio.

UNDER 205 (- 110 ) is worth a look in the front end of the home-and-home set.

Charlotte has scored 100 or fewer points in 7 of the past 9 games, and the Under is on a 14-4 run across the past 18 outings. The Over cashed last time out on Saturday in Atlanta, and the Hornets haven’t had consecutive Over results since Feb. 5-7.

Cleveland has alternated Over and Under results in the past 7 outings. Poor defense has been the reason for the Over results lately, as the Cavs have produced 113 or fewer points in 5 straight games, and 12 of the previous 13 contest.

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