Title: Charlotte’s Web

Author: Elwyn Brooks White

Publication Information: Harper Trophy, New York

Copyright 1980

184 Pages

Genre: Fiction

Themes: Friendship

Loyalty

Life

Readability: Ages 9 and up

Interest Level: High

1.) New York Times by Eudora Welty. This book has liveliness and 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. (Amazon Book @ www.amazon.com).

2.) A 12-year old reader from Clarksville, TN calls this book "One of the best fiction books ever!". When I first looked at the cover of the book, I thought this book would be good. It had a picture of a pig on the cover. This book was about a pig and a spider, how the spider helps the pig , so the pig won't be eaten. Charlotte, the spider also helps him to become a champion. The pig's name was Wilbur. My favorite part was when Charlotte, the spider was making words in her web. It was hilarious , I laughed a lot. I liked the ending because the pig was sold to another farmer. The reason why I liked it so much was because it made me cry. It was so good, I didn't want it to end. (Dec. 1, 2000, Amazon Books @ www.amazon.com).

3.) Reviewer Richard Bryant from Rochester Hills, Michigan. "I don't see why the other review writers didn't like this book. It's great, fantastic, and a must read. I would give the maximum number of stars, no matter how many stars allowed. But there is only 5.It deserves more than 100.More than 1,000.More than 1,000,000! Unlimited! But the endings for these E.B White books are a little sad (especially the one for Stuart Little, see my review on it.) But the good drowns out the sadness. Better than Stuart Little. In fact, I have to say that this is the best of all three books. I also wish there was a fourth book, like there is to Harry Potter, C.S. Lewis, and Roald Dahl. The E.B White books rock the world of books! (Nov. 23, 2000, Amazon Books @ www.amazon.com.).

• 1953 Newberry Honor Book
• 1970 The Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal

E.B. White was born in Mount Vernon, New York, in 1899. After graduating from Cornell University in 1921, White began his professional writing career. He worked as a reporter for the United Press, the American Legion News Service and the

Seattle Times. In 1924, he returned to New York as a production assistant and advertising copywriter. His wisest career move came when he joined the staff of the New Yorker. Not only did he publish editorials, verses, and essays, but he also met other famous writers.

E.B. White married Katherine Sergeant Angell in 1929. Together, they had one son. They also published A Subtreasury of American Humour (1941) together.

In 1939, White and his wife bought a farmhouse with a beautiful barn in the countryside off the coast of Maine. Actually, it was in North Brooklin, Maine. It was this farm and it inhabitants that inspired White’s writing. Farm life presented a problem for White. He loved animals, but most farm animals were slaughtered for food. While trying to figure out a way for a pig to be saved from the fate, he observed a large gray spider near the barn. One idea lead to another and the story of Charlotte’s Web (1952) unfolded. He also published Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan. White then revised William Strunk, JR’s manual The Elements of Style, which was published in 1959.

White was awarded the Laura Ingalls wilder Award in 1970 for his work. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1973. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1978. He also held honorary degrees from 7 American colleges and universities.

E.B. White Died on October 1, 1985 of Alzheimer’s disease.

In the beginning, Fern, a young girl who loves animals, rescues the runt of the pig litter from her father's axe. She names the tiny pig Wilbur and cares for him until he is big enough to be raised at the farm of Homer Zuckerman, Fern's uncle. At Zuckerman's farm, Wilbur is confused and scared by the other animals on the farm including a goose, a sheep, and a rat named Templeton. Wilbur is homesick and lonely until he meets a new friend, a beautiful gray spider Charlotte, who lives in eaves above Wilbur's pen.

Charlotte teaches Wilbur about true friendship. When the other animals find out that Mr. Zuckerman is fattening up Wilbur to be turned in to ham and bacon, Charlotte desperately tries to save him. She uses her energy to spin mysterious words into her web above Wilbur's pen (i.e. "Some Pig", "Terrific", and "Humble"). The people thought it was miraculous. The news spreads across the countryside about "Zuckerman's Famous Pig" and Wilbur becomes a prize-winning pig, which was Charlotte's plan all along.

With Charlotte's help, Wilbur learns the true meaning of friendship. When Charlotte dies, Wilbur take care of her eggs like they were his own. In the spring he is the first to hear a tiny gray spider shout "Salutations!" the same greeting so proclaimed by Charlotte on the day their friendship began. This touched Wilbur’s heart deeply. In the end three of Charlotte’s children stay at the farm with Wilber because they were runts, just like he use to be.

1. Think of how you would feel if you were lonely and did not have a friend to talk to. One day some one comes out of nowhere and says he/she would be your friend. This friend does everything he/she can do for you. Even if you are in a life-threatening situation this friend will help you survive. Some friend huh? Well, Charlotte's Web, is a humorous story about the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and his barnyard friend, a spider named Charlotte. When Fern's father decides to kill "the runt of the liter," Fern pleads with him to let her care for the runt. She does until the runt, whom she named Wilbur, is big and strong and is sent to live at her uncle's farm. At the farm, Wilbur feels lonely and friendless until he’s welcomed by a spider named Charlotte. Charlotte knows that Wilbur will be butchered, so she works hard to devise a plan to save his life. Will Wilbur become ham and bacon? Read Charlotte’s Web to find out. Wilbur’s life is in Charlotte’s hands.

2.) Did you know that animals had feelings just like you and me? Do animals really communicate? Imagine that you were a fat juicy pig and you were going to be killed. What thoughts would be going through your mind? Well, my name is Wilbur and I live on Zuckerman’s farm. When I was born I was a runt, but not I am fat and fine. I was sad and friendless until recently. A lovely, gray spider has decided to be my friend. She uses the word "Salutations" which means greetings. She made me feel welcome on the farm. Recently the other farm animals found out that Zuckerman was planning on turning me into ham and bacon. I am very afraid of dying. My friend Charlotte has thought of a way to save me from the axe. Determined to save me, Charlotte spun a web that read "Some Pig". She wanted to convince Mr. Zuckerman and the community that I was no ordinary animal and should be saved. Will I be saved from this cruel fate? Please help Charlotte by reading the book! Thank you.

 

Friendship Award - Design an award or trophy for a great friend. Hand out "Caught Being a Good Friend" awards throughout the unit to your students and give a small treat for winners. Try and pick everyone for doing something nice.

Science - This story is full of facts about spiders. Have the students create a learning log in which they will record different "spider facts" that they learn. They can also add pictures and any other data that they discover. Some things that they could find in the story include:

--how a spider spins its web

--the parts of a spider

--different webs made by the different kinds of spiders

--how a spider catches its prey

Drama - Use paper plates and tongue depressors to make character masks. Act out scenes from the book and perform for other, younger classes.

Discussion - Hold a discussion of the different types of emotions that one person could feel. The students will have a chance to share experiences where they have felt a certain way. Teacher will then introduce chapters 3 and 4 of Charlotte's Web. Tell the students to pay attention to the different types of emotions that Wilbur experiences. Have the students review their web of Wilbur's emotions. Tell the students they will be writing a letter to Wilbur telling him of a similar experience they had or a time where they felt the same.

Math - Make a list of attractions at a county fair and of food that you can purchase at a fair. Include a price for each item. Then have the students make up "word problems" using the information. The problems can be written on index cards (one per card) and traded so that others can solve them.

• Stuart Little by E. B. White

• Trumpet of the Swan by Elwyn B. White

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

• James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

• Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

• The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
• The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
• Sheila Rae, the Brave by Kevin Henkes
• A Spider and a Pig by Carol Morley
• The Adventures of the Itty Bitty Spider and the Itty Bitty Mouse by Kimberly P. Johnson

• White's early collections of poetry:

      *The Fox of Peapack and other poems (1928)

      *The Lady is Cold (1929)

      *Is Sex Necessary? (1929) In collaboration with James Thurber

      *Every Day Is Saturday (1934)

      *Quo Vadimus (1939)

      *One Man’s Meat (1942)

• Stuart Little (1945) *Children’s Book

• Collection of essays under the title The Wild Flag (1946).

      *Here Is New York (1949)

      *The Points of My Compass (1962)

• The Elements of Style (1959) A Standard Manual of Writing

• The Trumpet of The Swan (1970) *Children’s Book

• Letters of E.B. White (1976)

• Essays of E.B. White (1977)

• Poems and Sketches of E.B. White (1981)