Book Review: Charlotte's Web

Author: E.B. White

Recommended Age: 7+

Charlotte’s Web is an award-winning classic children’s book by American author, E.B. White. The book explores the unlikely friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a spider named Charlotte. Charlotte’s Web teaches children that friends can be different from one another but should still treat each other with generosity, kindness, and selflessness. Charlotte's Web contains grown-up themes- such as death- and is perfect for showing children that sacrifice and friendship go hand in hand. Charlotte's Web was written to introduce young people to the idea that being different isn’t bad, it’s just not the same.

White’s arguments about true friendship are essential for children to understand that sacrifice and loyalty pave the way for a strong friendship. The characters in the book serve as role models. Charlotte is completely selfless and concerned for Wilbur’s wellbeing until the very end. By spinning words into her webs near Wilbur, Charlotte helps Wilbur become famous and win a prize at the fair; thus, saving him from being slaughtered. Likewise, Wilbur offers to stay with her while she dies. Charlotte tells him to not “be ridiculous” and that he “can't stay here.” Wilbur also makes sacrifices for her. When he first arrives at the barn, he is told to “stay away from Charlotte” because she is “strange.” Although everyone in the barn was against their friendship, Wilbur continues being friends with Charlotte and their friendship becomes the strongest of the barn. Wilbur never stops being loyal to Charlotte. Since he can’t help Charlotte in any way when she dies, he decides to nurture her children. He takes care of them and “pledges his friendship, forever and ever.” A strong friendship comprises of sacrifice, love, and loyalty.

Charlotte's Web is a sophisticated way to introduce mature topics- such as death and loss- to children. The book does an excellent job of explaining the emotions Wilbur feels when Charlotte revealed that she was dying. Confusion, anger, and sadness are a few of the emotions he feels. “Wilbur threw himself down in an agony of pain and sorrow. Great sobs racked his body. He heaved and grunted with desolation.” Scenes such as these tell children that feelings are normal. Charlotte's Web also teaches children to never forget those who are dear to them. Wilbur is loyal and constantly repaying Charlotte, for all she had done for him. Although Charlotte is gone, Wilbur never forgets her. As E.B. White put it, “none of the new spiders ever quite took her place in his heart.” The way these topics are dealt with is another reason to read “Charlotte’s Web.”

E.B. White understands a child's mind. Children don’t have experience or bias and simply see the world as it is. Throughout the book, White uses easy-to-understand words and makes sure to always be concise. White used animals to make the characters easily understandable and to serve as an influence of friendship. Also, White makes sure to provide definitions for possibly confusing words in subtle ways. When Charlotte uses the word untenable- a word which most children would not know- she explains it funnily by saying. “It means nobody will be able to live here on account of the smell. A rotten egg is a regular stink bomb." The use of this childlike perspective makes this book a wonderful tool to develop vocabulary.

White managed to coalesce a perfect mix of humor, action, and suspense into Charlotte’s Web. The fact that one of the main protagonists is a spider teaches kids not to judge a book by its cover. Books such as these are crucial for the mental development of children.

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