charlotte's web book review

Charlotte's Web

By e.b. white.

'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.

Article written by Emma Baldwin

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

 It tells the story of Wilbur, a small piglet who becomes friends with a spider named Charlotte, and together they embark on an adventure that will change their lives forever. Not only does it captivate young readers with its charming story of friendship and life on a farm, but its strong themes and symbolism make it a timeless classic. It is a story that offers invaluable lessons to readers of all ages, from the significance of friendship to the idea of selfless love.

Importance of the Novel

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White is an iconic children’s novel that has remained popular since its first publication in 1952. The novel follows Wilbur the pig as he is taken away from his home on the farm and thrust into the harsh world of the county fair. His only friend is Charlotte, a wise old spider who befriends Wilbur and helps him out of his many sticky situations. Together, they make a formidable duo, and it is Charlotte’s selfless sacrifice that eventually saves Wilbur from being slaughtered.

Throughout the novel, White highlights important messages about friendship, loyalty, and respect. He also touches upon themes of mortality, destiny, and finding one’s place in the world. White’s writing style is simple yet beautiful, and his characters are easy to relate to. He uses vivid descriptions to bring the rural setting to life, and this contributes to the overall charm of the novel.

Charlotte’s Web is an important novel for its important lessons and messages, as well as its vivid descriptions and memorable characters. It is a story that can be enjoyed by both children and adults alike and continues to captivate readers even after almost 70 years.

Charlotte’s Web and Its Impact on Young Readers

E.B. White’s beloved classic Charlotte’s Web is widely considered one of the most important children’s books of all time. The novel highlights important lessons about friendship and loyalty that are very impactful on young readers, as Wilbur and Charlotte form an unlikely bond despite their differences. In addition, Charlotte’s Web shows the importance of putting others first, as Charlotte sacrifices her life in order to save Wilbur from certain death. This theme of selflessness is especially important for young readers to learn, as it teaches them to put the needs of others before their own.

Charlotte’s Web also addresses the delicate balance between life and death. Through its vivid imagery and powerful symbolism, White conveys the message that life and death are both natural parts of the cycle of life. This lesson is beneficial for children to learn at an early age, as it helps them understand the importance of appreciating life while also accepting death as a part of the process.

The novel offers valuable lessons about friendship, selflessness, and the delicate balance between life and death. Its powerful themes will surely stay with young readers long after they’ve finished reading the book.

Is Charlotte’s Web Worth Reading? 

Without a doubt, Charlotte’s Web is worth reading. E.B. White’s classic novel is a timeless tale of friendship and life on a farm that will continue to captivate generations of readers for years to come. 

The characters come alive in White’s skillfully crafted narrative, and readers can’t help but sympathize with them. While there are some moments of sadness throughout the book, ultimately, Charlotte’s Web is a heartwarming story of loyalty and bravery. It is a classic that will delight young readers today as much as it did when it was first published over sixty years ago. It’s the perfect book for anyone who loves animals or who is hoping to share with their children important life lessons.

Is Charlotte’s Web Appropriate for Young Readers? 

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White is a charming and timeless classic that is suitable for young readers. While the story does contain some sad moments, it is ultimately about the power of friendship, loyalty, and perseverance.

The language used in the book is easy to understand, and the topics covered are generally suitable for children. Young readers will appreciate the gentle humor of Charlotte’s Web and the heart-warming story of Wilbur and Charlotte’s friendship.

The book also teaches valuable lessons about life, love, and friendship. It encourages kids to believe in themselves and gives them a positive view of the world. Charlotte’s Web also celebrates diversity and teaches children to accept and appreciate differences in others.

Overall, Charlotte’s Web is an enjoyable read for both adults and children alike. It’s a great way for kids to learn about friendship, loyalty, and the importance of standing up for what you believe in. The novel is sure to leave a lasting impression on young readers for many years to come.

Charlotte's Web Book Review: E.B. White's Enduring Children's Classic

Book Title: Charlotte's Web

Book Description: 'Charlotte's Web' is a novel for children that features anthropomorphized farm animals who work together to save Wilbur the pig's life, all while learning important lessons about friendship, diversity, and working together.

Book Author: E.B. White

Book Edition: First Edition

Book Format: Hardcover

Publisher - Organization: Harper & Row

Date published: October 10, 1952

Illustrator: Garth Williams

ISBN: 978-0-06-024876-6

Number Of Pages: 224

• Writing Style
• Lasting Effect on Reader

Charlotte's Web Review

Charlotte’s Web  is a children’s classic that has been loved by generations and will certainly endure for many more. It follows a Wilbur the pig and his friend Charlotte the spider as they work to save Wilbur’s life.

• Teaches important lessons to young readers
• Speaks to the importance of friendship and working together
• Incredibly creative and beautifully written
• Some moments of sadness
• It could be longer
• Some young readers might struggle with the ending

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About Emma Baldwin

Emma Baldwin, a graduate of East Carolina University, has a deep-rooted passion for literature. She serves as a key contributor to the Book Analysis team with years of experience.

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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

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Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.

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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.

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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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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

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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”.

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Charlotte’s web by eb white [a review].

Life is full of some grim certainties. For animals on a farm this is even more true. But true friendship can do much more than make a short life more pleasant. 

Fern is horrified to hear that her father plans to kill a new piglet, the runt of a litter born just that morning, with an axe. She manages to convince her father to spare the piglet but it is now her responsibility. It is nothing eight-year-old Fern can’t handle. She names the piglet Wilbur and feeds him from a bottle.

Weeks later, Fern’s father warns that it is time for Wilbur to be sold. He is now eating solids and his other siblings have already been sold. Though she cries and protests, her father has a solution. They can sell Wilbur to Uncle Zuckerman who sometimes keeps pigs. Fern makes the arrangements and soon Wilbur is living in the Zuckerman’s barn with other animals and is visited daily by Fern.

But Wilbur is soon unhappy in the Zuckerman’s barn. It is boring and lonely there. The other animals are not much fun and their advice can be unhelpful and overwhelming. Just when depression seems to be taking hold, Wilbur hears the voice of someone who does want to be his friend.

Charlotte, a spider, is clever, pretty and well-spoken. The pig and the spider form an unlikely friendship.

‘Well,’ he thought, ‘I’ve got a new friend, all right. But what a gamble friendship is! Charlotte is fierce, brutal, scheming, bloodthirsty – everything I don’t like. How can I learn to like her, even though she is pretty and, of course, clever?’

But the other animals find Wilbur very naïve. One day the sheep breaks it to Wilbur that the farmer is fattening him up to kill at Christmas. Wilbur, understandably distraught, weeps and weeps. Until his only friend urges him to cut out the hysterics and vows to save him. There is just the small matter of how a small, humble spider, no matter how clever, can save a farm pig?

I did not read Charlotte’s Web as a child. It came to be on my Reading List as a book recommended by my wife. I knew by reputation it to be a book that is somewhat sad but had not expected it to be quite so sad and, at times, dark. The reader is not sheltered from the harsh life-and-death realities of farm life. Even Charlotte, who may seem more ‘humane’, does not shy away from her nature. It joins a number of classic children’s books that makes a parent wonder if we really need to treat kids so gently when they are perfectly capable of handling more than we assume.

Like a lot of children’s stories that involve interaction between children and animals, in Charlotte’s Web, Fern understands much of the conversation going on in the barn, while the adults in the story, remain ignorant of the intelligence of the animals. So, like other stories, Charlotte’s Web contains the message of the intelligence of children, their closeness to nature and innocence that is lost when they become adults. Even with Fern’s understanding, in Charlotte’s Web the animals inhabit a world of their own and a complex life largely unknown to humans.

To me, the key message of Charlotte’s Web is of the nature of friendship. Charlotte decides herself to be a friend to Wilbur who badly needs one. She was not asked, she did not need a reason beyond her own and she did not require or expect any reciprocity. Her selfless efforts and sacrifices build a strong and durable bond between two new friends. Neither allow their differences to be a barrier to friendship. It reflects an ideal most of us have or would like to have with family, close friends and even beyond into our community. More than once Charlotte acts as a parent figure to Wilbur; giving assurance even when there is little reason for confidence, indulging him but only so far, even asking Wilbur to respect her need for a break. But their way is not the only way of having relationships with other people.

The contrast is provided by Templeton, a rat who lives under Wilbur’s feeding trough. Templeton deals with others in a transactional way based on mutual self-interest. Templeton points out that, like Charlotte, he too has had a large positive impact on Wilbur’s life. He has a point but his insistence on transactional relationships may mean that his complaint of being unappreciated can’t be taken as far as he would like.

The rat had no morals, no conscience, no scruples, no consideration, no decency, no milk of rodent kindness, no compunctions, no higher feeling, no friendliness, no anything.

More than a different way of working with people, Templeton represents a different way of living. For both, he may have little choice in how he conducts it. Unlike Charlotte, a spider, who may be ignored on a farm; or Wilbur, a pig, whose life has a purpose on a farm, up to a point; Templeton, a rat, is seen only as a pest. His life would be forfeit as soon as the farmer discovers it. As such, he lives a live-fast-die-young lifestyle and is a bit of a hedonist. His transactional way with others may only reflect the fact that he does not expect anyone to stick their neck out for him and he must instead be his own best advocate.

‘A rat is a rat,’ said Charlotte. She laughed a tinkling little laugh.

Though he may at times appear selfish, like Charlotte and the other animal characters, he does according to his nature.

‘I am not entirely happy about my diet of flies and bugs, but it’s the way I’m made. A spider has to pick up a living somehow or other, and I happen to be a trapper. I just naturally build a web and trap flies and other insects. My mother was a trapper before me. Her mother was a trapper before her. All our family have been trappers. Way back for thousands and thousands of years we spiders have been laying for flies and bugs.’

‘It’s a miserable inheritance,’ said Wilbur, gloomily. He was sad because his new friend was so bloodthirsty.

‘Yes, it is,’ agreed Charlotte. ‘But I can’t help it.’

The contrast between Templeton’s and Charlotte’s relationships with Wilbur can be taken as an analogy for how we all conduct ourselves with others whether we are always aware of it or not. On one dimension, near the centre of our circle of concern, we probably maintain more selfless and loving relationships with family and friends. We know how things can become awkward and uncomfortable when we add a transaction to the relationship, say when loaning a friend a large sum of money. Far from the centre, we probably hold more transactional relationships, for instance in our role as consumers. In between there can be some conflict, often where people differ on how generous or transactional they wish a relationship to be, for example with government or employers.

On another dimension, the world does not stand still and in some circumstances we may find the Charlottes become the Templetons and vice-versa. When people find themselves caught up in a war, in a natural disaster, in a global pandemic; we see extremes in both generosity and transactional survival instincts.

I suppose one reason this aspect of Charlotte’s Web impacted me so strongly is because, at the time I read it, my wife and I were re-watching the TV series Lost . In Lost , there is a similar dynamic between characters. The more-selfless surgeon Jack is contrasted with the more-transactional conman Sawyer. It has probably been on my mind also because of certain world leaders who seem to take the transactional aspect of political deal-making to self-serving extremes at the expense of their other responsibilities.

It is impossible for me to say how I might have found Charlotte’s Web if I had read it as a child. The least I can say for this well-written story as an adult is that it was satisfying to finally read a classic. One that many people have lifelong affection for and is frequently alluded to in popular culture making familiarity with it essential.

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I personally think Charlotte’s Web is the most depressing and downbeat novel I have ever read. It is supposed to be a children’s novel, yet it dwells constantly on death and change. I would NOT recommend this to any parent buying books for their children, as it will onl;y serve to upset and terrify them.

Perhaps. A lot of stories which were classics for children are viewed differently with modern eyes. Alternatively, there is a good argument to be made that today’s children are too coddled and ill-prepared for reality. Charlotte’s Web can be a gentle way to introduce a difficult subject that all children will have to confront eventually. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s right for all children or all children are ready for it.

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Meryl Streep Wants to Tell You a Bedtime Story

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By Raphael Simon

• Nov. 11, 2019

CHARLOTTE’S WEB By E.B. White Read by Meryl Streep and a full cast

DR. SEUSS’S HORSE MUSEUM By Dr. Seuss Read by Samira Wiley

Turn off your sound machine. Throw away that blankie. Meryl Streep has bedtime covered tonight.

Yes, Hollywood’s perennial gold statue-holder is reading “Charlotte’s Web,” the perennial blue-ribbon winner at the state fair of children’s literature. And, no surprise, this new audiobook is a keeper.

Some children’s books are disheartening to revisit as an adult; the author’s prejudices suddenly glaring, the prose surprisingly flat. Not so with E. B. White’s 1952 story about a brave little pig and the clever spider who saves him. If “Charlotte’s Web” is disheartening, it is only because the book is so perfect. After reading it, you can’t help feeling that it is pointless to continue in your chosen career — assuming, like me, you happen to be a children’s book author.

What makes this “radiant” but “humble” story (to borrow Charlotte’s words for Wilbur) so very, very wonderful? Maybe it has something to do with all those big themes, like, oh, the passage of time and the inexorability of death, wrapped up in small packages. Or maybe it’s the way the animals seem so deeply human and yet so true to their species at the same time.

Like many city kids, I got my first exposure to farm living through “Charlotte’s Web” — to slops and manure piles and barn swings. It taught me what happens to an unhatched egg, and about the types of thread that shoot from a spider’s abdomen. It also taught me about writing.

Among other things, the book is a sly tribute to the writer’s craft. Wilbur may be the beloved runt piglet the human girl Fern rescues from her farmer father’s ax, but it is Charlotte, the spider spinning the story’s words, who is its real star. Imagine, writing so powerful it saves a life! As Mrs. Zuckerman says to her husband, who is now besotted with their pet pig: “It seems to me you’re a little off. It seems to me we have no ordinary spider.”

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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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Does contain sexist ideas of how girls should behave and dress (for boys' attention), report this review, a wonderful book that many miss the strength of.

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Heartwarming tale that everyone can enjoy, what to read next.

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Thursday 24 October 2013

Children's week: my favourite book: charlotte's web.

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Charlotte’s Web

Charlotte’s Web has sold over eight million copies and is considered a beloved children’s classic. The book is clean and explores the topics of kindness, friendship, loss, and hope.

(Reviewed by an Official Good and Beautiful Reviewer)

Genre	Fiction
Digital Format	Audiobook, E-book
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• 3 Entertainment Value
• 3 Moral Value
• 3 Educational Value
• 4.5 Literary Value

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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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Charlotte’s Web

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• International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts - Friendship in Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
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• Academia - Cultural Values in the Novel “Charlotte’s Web - E.B White”: Literary anthropology Approach
• Table Of Contents

Charlotte’s Web , classic children’s novel by E.B. White , published in 1952, with illustrations by Garth Williams. The widely read tale takes place on a farm and concerns a pig named Wilbur and his devoted friend Charlotte, the spider who manages to save his life by writing about him in her web.

Eight-year-old Fern Arable is devastated when she hears that her father is going to kill the runt of his pig’s new litter. Persuading him that the piglet has a right to life and promising to look after it, she saves the animal and names him Wilbur. When Wilbur becomes too large, Fern is forced to sell him to her uncle, Homer Zuckerman, whose barn is filled with animals who shun the newcomer.

When Wilbur discovers that he will soon be slaughtered for Christmas dinner, he is horribly distraught . He sits in the corner of the barn crying, “I don’t want to die.” Charlotte—the hairy barn spider who lives in the rafters above his sty—decides to help him. With the assistance of a sneaky rat named Templeton and some of the other animals in the barn, she writes a message in her web: “Some Pig.” More strange messages appear in the web, sparking people from miles around to visit these “divine” manifestations and the pig that inspired them. Charlotte accompanies Wilbur to the county fair, where she spins her last note: “Humble.” Wilbur wins a special prize, and his survival is ensured.

It becomes apparent, however, that Charlotte is unwell. After laying hundreds of eggs, she is too weak to return to the Zuckerman’s farm. A saddened Wilbur takes the egg sac, leaving the dying Charlotte behind. Once home, he keeps a watchful eye on the eggs. Although most leave after hatching, three stay behind in the barn, and they and subsequent generations of Charlotte’s offspring comfort Wilbur for many years to come.

Charlotte’s Web earned critical acclaim upon its release— Eudora Welty notably called it “just about perfect”—and it quickly became a beloved children’s classic. While humorous and charming, the novel also contains important lessons. For example, Fern’s caring for Wilbur teaches her responsibility, and she realizes that if she stands up for what she believes in she can make a difference in the world. Charlotte and Wilbur’s friendship, despite their differences in nature, teaches tolerance. As he grows up, like any child, Wilbur learns to cope with fear, loss, mortality, and loneliness. Although a story of life and death , it is also full of warmth, with silly characters such as the geese and the snobby sheep . In addition, Charlotte’s Web contains a wealth of detail about spiders and other animals, which White drew from his own life on a farm. Wilbur was allegedly inspired by an ailing pig that White tried unsuccessfully to nurse back to health. The incident served as the basis for the essay “Death of a Pig,” which was published in 1948, four years before the release of Charlotte’s Web .

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

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.

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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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