Charlotte's Web Book Review

Author: E.B. White
Illustrated by: Garth Williams

Genre: Classic Fiction, Children's Novel

Characters:

Wilbur
Charlotte
Fern
Mr. Zuckerman/Uncle Homer
Templeton
John Arable
Mrs. Arable
Mrs. Zuckerman
Avery
Lurvy
Goose
Oldest Sheep
Uncle
Henry Fussie

Charlotte
A spider that lives in the doorway of the barn at Zuckerman’s farm. Charlotte is kind, knowledgeable, and wise.

Settings

Fern's house
Fern's uncle's barn - The main setting
County Fair

The Barn

This setting explains Wilbur's move to the farm.
Wilbur is five weeks old, and Mr. Arable insists he must be sold. Fern calls her aunt and uncle, the Zuckermans, who also own a farm. They buy Wilbur for six dollars. Fern visits Wilbur in the Zuckerman barn often, but when she is not there, Wilbur feels bored and wants a friend. One day, a small voice says that it will be his friend. The voice belongs to Charlotte, a spider living on a web above Wilbur’s pen. Wilbur is happy to have found a friend.

Conflict:

How to keep Wilbur alive

Solution:

Charlotte the spider works to make Wilbur famous, and when he becomes famous, Zuckerman agrees to allow him to live.

Loyalty and friendship can be taken as the main theme or moral of this story. Charlotte and Wilbur are true friends, and Charlotte works tirelessly to save her friend's life. Charlotte doesn't ask for anything in return. Likewise, Wilbur looks after Charlotte's offspring after her death.

I enjoyed reading this book as a kid! I loved the movie just as much. Recently, I read this book to my own children. They sort of liked it. It was a great book to discuss loyalty and friendship.