Gentle, much-loved barnyard classic delights all ages.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Stuart Little</i></a>. They'll also learn from Charlotte what a "Magnum Opus" is.</p>
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Violence & Scariness
a little
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.
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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
a lot
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.
Educational Value
a little
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.
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.
Does contain sexist ideas of how girls should behave and dress (for boys' attention)
I'm surprised by how many review this book as having zero reference to romance. The mother being so worried that her daughter spends all her time with animals, visits the family doctor who asks "How about boys - does she know any boys?" And guess what, the mother doesn't worry about Avery not hanging out with girls... in the same conversation she says "Avery is always fine" and goes on to say how he's always messing about outdoors... though it is a problem for her daughter to act this way. Getting ready for the fair Fern "put on her prettiest dress because she knew she would see boys at the Fair". At the fair, she's wishing "she were in the topmost car with Henry Fussy at her side", which at the end of the book, she tells her brother she can't stop thinking about months later. I think this should be a read aloud for slightly older children and these moments in the story can then be discussed.
Children typically do not understand the permanency of death until they are around 8-10 years old, the majority not understanding this until 10. Charlotte's Web is not a cute child's story, but a coming of age story, as Wilber and Fern both grow from childhood to adult. The great sacrifice is given to Wilber to bear as he loses his beloved Charlotte. This is a wonderful book, but the impact of loss, the understanding of interest turning to boys for Fern, the idea of life growing and continuing on even after death and after the loss of childhood, they're LOST if you read before your child hits that developmental stage.
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.
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?
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