story of Wilbur the pig and his friendship with Fern Arable, the little girl who adopts him, and his barnyard friends but most importantly, Charlotte the spider. Wilbur, the story's main character, is born the runt of a litter of pigs and thought too weak to live until Fern takes pity on him.

aberlanga | Sep 19, 2018 |

This book is good for all ages. This book is a classic that every child should read at some point. It shows the unlikely friendship between a spider and a pig. This book can teach children about how a good friendship is good for them. (

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mnh98 | Sep 18, 2018 |

Charlotte's Web is a great children's novel that should be written in class together. This story is about a pig named Wilbur that finds out he'll soon be killed as bacon and ham. Charlotte, the spider, comes to the rescue to help think of a plan to save Wilbur. Charlotte's web convinced people that Wilbur is a special pig and especially convinces people at the County Fair where she wrote "Humble" on her web. Wilbur soon wins a special prize at the county fair and Charlotte is happy of what she did. Charlotte soon dies but Wilbur pays her back by taking care of her sac of 514 baby spiders that are going to hatch.
Great children's read for school. (

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courtneytosto | Sep 17, 2018 |

This is just a wholesome book. Kids love it. It is a good read aloud book that you read a chapter of every friday or something. I also like that is not super heavily a kids book. I also like that you can read it in fun voices for the different animals to make it that much more fun for the kids. I think it is also a good way to teach them about compassion. Fern saved the pig because she had compassion for animals. Its also a good introduction to the circle of life. (

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s_cat1 | Sep 17, 2018 |

This is an amazing book aimed at kids about life and love. Its a very heart warming book but comes to unfortunate end, but has a very important message about life and friendship. (

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kquerq1 | Sep 12, 2018 |

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▾Other authors

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
White, E. B.	—	primary author	all editions	confirmed
Cramer-Klett, Anna	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
DiCamillo, Kate	Foreword	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Douglas, Hazel	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Ferrari, Antongionata	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Wells, Rosemary	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Williams, Garth	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

▾Work-to-work relationships

Is contained in

Charlotte's Web / Stuart Little / The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White

Charlotte's Web / Stuart Little by E. B. White

The Annotated Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

Has the adaptation

Charlotte's Web [1973 film] by Charles A. Nichols

Charlotte's Web (Play Format) by Joseph Robinette

Charlotte's Web: The Musical by Joseph Robinette

Has as a study

The Story of Charlotte's Web: E. B. White's Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic by Michael Sims

Has as a student's study guide

Charlotte's Web Study Guide by Andrew Clausen

Charlotte's web: E.B. White : study guide (Novel-ties) by Joyce Friedland

Has as a teacher's guide

Charlotte's Web (Teacher Guide) by Novel Units

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▾Common Knowledge

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Canonical title

Original title

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People/Characters

Important places

Important events

Related movies

Charlotte's Web (1973 ∙ IMDb)

Charlotte's Web (2006 ∙ IMDb)

Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure (2003 ∙ IMDb)

Awards and honors

Newbery Honor (1953)

Massachusetts Children's Book Award (Winner, 1984)

Waterstones The Nation's Favourite Children's Books (1997, No 21)

BBC's Big Read (Best loved novel, 2003, No 170)

Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century (13)

(show all 26 items)

Epigraph

Dedication

First words

"Where's Papa going with that ax?" said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.

Quotations

On foggy mornings, Charlotte’s web was truly a thing of beauty. This morning each thin strand was decorated with dozens of tiny beads of water. The web glistened in the light and made a pattern of loveliness and mystery, like a delicate veil. (77)

“Winter will pass, the days will lengthen, the ice will melt in the pasture pond. The song sparrow will return and sing, the frogs will awake, the warm wind will blow again. All these sights and sounds and smells will be yours to enjoy. Wilbur – this lovely world, these precious days…” (164).

“You have been my friend,” replied Charlotte. “That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what’s 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 up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that” (164).

Every day Wilbur would stand and look at the torn, empty web, and a lump would come to his throat. No one had ever had such a friend – so affectionate, so loyal, and so skillful. (173)

Life is always a rich and steady time when you are waiting for something to happen or to hatch. (176)

(show all 11 items)

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Publisher series

Puffin Modern Classics

Puffin Story Books (185)

Original language

English

Canonical DDC/MDS

813.54

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (1)

Lexile

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

Charlotte’s Web is a great story that I still so vividly remember reading in school. I truly believe it is a timeless classic. This book offers so many meanings for the reader to reflect upon and thoughts to grow on if children are given the opportunity. I also think the story brings in a great opportunity to expand and explore vocabulary. I just finished reading this story to my son who is first grade. I think I should have waited to read this when he was older, but I do think he enjoyed it.

Haiku summary

Wilbur is a runt,
Zuckerman plans to eat him,
Can Charlotte save him?
(Grimauds)

Charlotte the spider
Saves Wilbur by inventing
Viral marketing.
(jmeisen)

In Earth unworthy,
In danger near Christmastime,
But one spider helps.
(Firefox-Flame_dancer)

▾Book descriptions

Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0064410935, Paperback)

An affectionate, sometimes bashful pig named Wilbur befriends a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the rafters above his pen. A prancing, playful bloke, Wilbur is devastated when he learns of the destiny that befalls all those of porcine persuasion. Determined to save her friend, Charlotte spins a web that reads "Some Pig," convincing the farmer and surrounding community that Wilbur is no ordinary animal and should be saved. In this story of friendship, hardship, and the passing on into time, E.B. White reminds us to open our eyes to the wonder and miracle often found in the simplest of things.

(retrieved from Amazon Thu, 12 Mar 2015 18:07:35 -0400)

(see all 11 descriptions)

▾Library descriptions

Wilbur, the pig, is desolate when he discovers that he is destined to be the farmer's Christmas dinner until his spider friend, Charlotte, decides to help him.

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