Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
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Book Reviews of Charlotte's Web
Book Review: Great Friends
Summary: 5 Stars
Tracy M Griffin
May 10, 2008
Literature Review
Title: "Charlotte's Web"
Author: E.B. White
Publisher: HarperCollins 1952
Pages: 192
Genre: Children's
Reading Level: 4.9
Lexile: 680
Synopsis of the Plot: "Charlotte's Web" is an endearing story about the friendship between animals and humans to save the life of a pig. Wilber was born to a litter as the runt; Fern, a young girl who had a great love for animals, immediately took him in. Fern was a child that had the gift of speaking to the animals. Wilber lived on a farm that belonged to Fern's uncle, so she could see him and the other farm animals a great deal. The other animals grew to be a large part of Wilber's life, especially Wilber's friend Charlotte.
Wilber met his good friend Charlotte in the barn. Her first words to Wilber came at a time of need for Wilber. Charlotte was a calm and collected spider. She always had words of wisdom to Wilber, and had the ability to ease his always-tense self. Charlotte would later become a lifesaver for her great friend Wilber.
When Wilber grew to know his surroundings a fear started that he was going to be slaughtered. Wilber was so worried and insecure about his life he would fall faint a great deal and always be in a tizzy. Wilber expressed his concern to everyone in the barn a great deal. His best friend Charlotte decided to take a stance for her friend and help him get through this time. Charlotte used her skill of weaving beautiful webs to show the family that owned the farm how great Wilber really was.
Negative Aspects of the Book: As I have read this book many times I feel that the content now does not fit the reading level. My students in first grade really enjoyed this book being read to them. However, currently the sixth graders at my school are reading this book and I do not see them enjoying the book as much as my young students do.
Personal Appraisal: This book was a joy to read with my students! It gave them a clean and deep meaning of friendship and helping out people that we care about. The language was very appropriate for any child to read.
This book helps students realize how much friends can really help out each other. The relationship between Charlotte and Wilber is one that many children can relate to. My students in my class found the way Charlotte was so calm and endearing to be somewhat of a mom to Wilber. That was so interesting that they came away with it, I never thought of it that way, I always saw Charlotte as just a friend. This book shows that there are many interpretations that can be made through literature.
The most worthwhile part of this book is the friendships that exist between Wilber and all his friends. His friends show him how great of a pig he really is. Fern's love for Wilber, even though he was the runt of the litter, shows students that no matter the size or makeup of someone they still are great!
Book Review: Great Friendship!
Summary: 5 Stars
Tracy M Griffin
May 10, 2008
Literature Review
Title: "Charlotte's Web"
Author: E.B. White
Publisher: HarperCollins 1952
Pages: 192
Genre: Children's
Reading Level: 4.9
Lexile: 680
Synopsis of the Plot: "Charlotte's Web" is an endearing story about the friendship between animals and humans to save the life of a pig. Wilber was born to a litter as the runt; Fern, a young girl who had a great love for animals, immediately took him in. Fern was a child that had the gift of speaking to the animals. Wilbur lived on a farm that belonged to Fern's uncle, so she could see him and the other farm animals a great deal. The other animals grew to be a large part of Wilbur's life, especially Wilbur's friend Charlotte.
Wilber met his good friend Charlotte in the barn. Her first words to Wilber came at a time of need for Wilbur. Charlotte was a calm and collected spider. She always had words of wisdom to Wilbur, and had the ability to ease his always-tense self. Charlotte would later become a lifesaver for her great friend Wilbur.
When Wilber grew to know his surroundings a fear started that he was going to be slaughtered. Wilbur was so worried and insecure about his life he would fall faint a great deal and always be in a tizzy. Wilbur expressed his concern to everyone in the barn a great deal. His best friend Charlotte decided to take a stance for her friend and help him get through this time. Charlotte used her skill of weaving beautiful webs to show the family that owned the farm how great Wilbur really was.
Negative Aspects of the Book: As I have read this book many times I feel that the content now does not fit the reading level. My students in first grade really enjoyed this book being read to them. However, currently the sixth graders at my school are reading this book and I do not see them enjoying the book as much as my young students do.
Personal Appraisal: This book was a joy to read with my students! It gave them a clean and deep meaning of friendship and helping out people that we care about. The language was very appropriate for any child to read.
This book helps students realize how much friends can really help out each other. The relationship between Charlotte and Wilbur is one that many children can relate to. My students in my class found the way Charlotte was so calm and endearing to be somewhat of a mom to Wilbur. That was so interesting that they came away with it, I never thought of it that way, I always saw Charlotte as just a friend. This book shows that there are many interpretations that can be made through literature.
The most worthwhile part of this book is the friendships that exist between Wilbur and all his friends. His friends show him how great of a pig he really is. Fern's love for Wilbur, even though he was the runt of the litter, shows students that no matter the size or makeup of someone they still are great!
Book Review: miracles are found in the simplest of things
Summary: 5 Stars
"It's not often that someone comes along who is a true friend . . ."
Fern Arable, eight year old farm girl, stops her father from killing a piglet who has been labeled the runt of the litter. She names the piglet Wilbur and nurses him from the bottle, surrounding him with her love. When Wilbur is able to eat on his own, they sell him to Fern's uncle Mr. Zuckerman, who lives near by. Soon Wilbur finds himself in a barn full of animals and scents of straw, manure, and slops. The only thing missing - is a true friend.
That's how a great bond of friendship begins between Wilbur and a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the rafters above his pen. With Christmas time approaching, Charlotte comes up with a plan to save Wilbur from the mean and cold-hearted slaughter of turning him into the bacon. To persuade Mr. & Mrs. Zuckerman that Wilbur is not an ordinary pig and needs to be spared, Chralotte devotes all her time and strength to weaving words into her web. One morning she presents the words "Some Pig" in her web in the top corner of the barn's doorway. A hurdle of people came to see this miracle, a sign from above, the miracle nobody can explain. That's how a Wilbur becomes an attraction of the state, a famous Zuckerman's pig.
Wilbur is not in danger anymore, thanks to Charlotte. But the spider herself is not into loud celebrations - she grows weaker and weaker with each following day. On the day of the Fair, she gets her last strength to accompany her friend on his special trip. Among the cheer of the crowd on the Fair's Grounds, Charlotte quietly makes an egg sac and passes it onto Wilbur's care, quietly staying behind herself: "After all, what is a life, anyway? We're born, we live a little while , we die. A spider's life can't help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that." Wilbur guards her eggs in the barn until her babies are born in the spring, and while most of them fly away, three baby spiders stay behind and become his friends. He's able to guide them the way Charlotte guided him, which brings a wonderful sense of continuity and satisfaction.
In this tender story of friendship, hardship, and the passing on into time, E.B. White reminds us of the wonder and miracle found in the simplest of things. But above all, it is a powerful story of friendship - deeply moving and superbly written - a true, timeless classic.
Julia Shpak
Author of "Power of Plentiful Wisdom". Available on Amazon.
For more book reviews visit my blog "Julia's Library"[...]
Book Review: A Rite of Passage
Summary: 5 Stars
"The crickets felt it was their duty to warn everybody that summertime cannot last forever. Even on the most beautiful days of the whole year - the days when summer is changing into fall - the crickets spread the rumor of sadness and change."
There are powerful messages that every child longs to hear: life is special and worth cherishing at all costs - and against all odds. That is the backdrop for this tale. I read this book in the third grade and I'm now reading it aloud to my children at bedtime.
On my daughter's level, the animals talk. Great fun. And on my sons' level, we struggle to survive and have to plan for the future (but how?). Oh yeah, spiders are cool too.
So much of E.B.White's prose is visceral - looking across a pasture at dusk: the smell of horses, the slanted rays of the sun illuminating small vortices of insects, the nearby sounds of crops shaking in the breeze, the pink hues of the sky. This is the world of Charlotte's Web. Against this pastoral beauty, the main themes of this book center on mortality and friendship. Life is tragically ephemeral whether this is the life of a runt pig, or the fate of the same spring pig.
My children marvel that in a great hour of need, desperately alone, a heroine comes in the most unlikely of forms. We learn that perhaps the greatest obstacle to salvation isn't the effort of a savior, but rather the assent of a trusting soul - "But Charlotte," said Wilbur, "I'm not terrific."
Little minds (and big ones too) can wrestle with big ideas when reading this book. Just what is our purpose while we are in this "barnyard"? Is it to play the role of the rescuer or rescued. Or do we standby like the sheep and geese, and even self absorbed rats can be deliverers sometimes too.
"It's not often that someone comes along who is a true friend . . ." maybe the most applicable truth in this tale. As I read this book at night, I look at my children, who are growing up before my very eyes. I hope we learn from this book to be rescuers, to have the humility to be rescued, and to treasure our true friends. I turn off the lights and in the distance I hear the crickets, warning me that summertime cannot last forever.
DON'T EVEN THINK OF DEPRIVING YOUR CHILDREN OF THIS BOOK.
Book Review: A Great Read!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are any age you will love this book. Read it and see! Wilbur goes through many things as he gets sick, hurt, and almost killed if not for his friend Charlotte. He also goes to a fair, meets some interesting new friends, and has many adventures. Also, without the rat Templeton, half of the things that happened with her web convince the famer and his wife the he is "Terrific". I recommend this book to childeren from the ages of eight and up.
This book is writtenb in many different voices. one is emotional because, of course, what almost happens to Wilbur. But there is also excitment because Wilbur is a very excited pig. An example of this is when Wilbur first meets Charlotte. He gets very excited. So, the voice in this is mostly excited.
This book is aimed to elementary aged childeren but it does have a few words that a young third of forth gradermight not understand. Such as the word ,"sendentary", but in the book Wilbur asks Charlotte what it means and she responds, " Means i sit a good part of the time and don't go wandering all over creation." So this book is age appropraite.
This book contains many things. An example of this is when Wilbur first meets Charlotte again. Charlotte tells Wilbur to wait till morning to see her and Wilbur has restless night. Here is a part of that right after Charlotte told him to wait till morning.
" The night seened long. Wilbur's stomach was empty and his mind was full. ANd when you stomach is empty and your mind is full, it is hard to sleep." This book has humorous parts but also some serious ones too.
So I recommend this book to anyone who likes animals and adventure, childeren and s of all ages!