Home > Media > Books > E. B. White, Edith Goodkind Rosenwald, Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection (Library of Congress) - Charlotte's Web: Student Packet Grades 3-4
E. B. White, Edith Goodkind Rosenwald, Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection (Library of Congress) - Charlotte's Web: Student Packet Grades 3-4
naphtalia's Full Review: E. B. White, Edith Goodkind Rosenwald, Lessing J. ...
Long before studies came out that officially indicated that children who were read to became adults who read, my parents were reading to me. I remember some of the picture books. The thing I most remember, however, was my progression from picture books to chapter books. The first bedtime chapter book that my parents and I read together was E.B. White's Charlotte's Web.
My parents and I have continued to read to each other for many years - at the breakfast table when something in the newspaper caught our interest, at night when something we were reading was something we wanted to share, and now over the phone even though I'm in another country. The "bedtime stories" are sadly a thing of the past. Even so, of all the bedtime stories I remember, Charlotte's Web is still my favorite.
Charlotte's Web was a 1953 John Newbery Honor book (not the 1st-place prize, the "Newbery Medal" but one of the runners-up). This book was an instant classic when it came out. It's as much a winner today as it was when it was first published. In 1974, it was made into a animated movie. This is also a classic. However you choose to indulge in this story, you can't go wrong.
Charlotte's Web tells the story of a pig named Wilbur. Wilbur is a runt and the farmer who owns him is going to kill him, until his daughter Fern rescues him and decides to hand-raise him. She bottle feeds him and sets up a small place for him to sleep outside. Finally, he becomes large enough that he can no longer be Fern's pet. She sells him to her uncle who raises pigs. At her uncle's farm, she can visit the pig all she wants to.
Once at the farm, Wilbur meets many other animals including geese, horses, sheep and - most memorable of all - Templeton the Rat. However, everyone is busy and no one really has time for him That is, until, he meets Charlotte. Charlotte is a spider whose web is in the doorway to Wilbur's stall. My favorite scene as the friendship develops comes when Wilbur tries to spin a web like Charlotte
Of course, the life of a pig is always in danger from the butcher. Wilbur was not purchased to become a pet, but to become breakfast meats.. Charlotte, however, contrives to save Wilbur's life using her special web spinning talents. (I won't ruin the particulars for you if you don't know the book.) However, Wilbur's life is spared.
The life of a spider, however, is not as long as the life of a pig. Charlotte tells Wilbur that she will die and helps him to understand that this is not something she fears. It is just a normal part of life. This book was instrumental in allowing me to talk to my parents about death.
This book is a good first "chapter book." The chapters are not overly long. The language is simple. The story is involving. I have used this story with non-native speakers as a first transition to longer texts. While in group settings boys may object to this story, when working one-on-one with them, I find they enjoy it, too.
I cannot say enough good about this story and strongly recommend it. I also recommend reading to your children whether at bedtime or anytime. Children who are read to learn to read. Children who are read to will read to you.
This review is part of the bedtime story write-off. I hope you've enjoyed it. Please take time to read other participants in the write off, too. They are listed below.
Available for the first time, this enlarged, large-print edition not only makes reading together easier, enhances the delightful details of Williams t...More at Buy.com
An affectionate pig named Wilbur befriends a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the rafters above his pen. In this story of friendship, hardship, an...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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