Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. HarperCollins. 1952.
Luckily tweens have a chance to get to know E.B. White through his children's books before they get to meet him again in high school and college as the White in Strunk's and White's The Elements of Style. Also, White will be forever intertwined in the history of the first children's librarian, so I think it's important that one of his classics makes it onto this blog.
Wilbur the pig is saved by Fern the girl from being slaughtered. He is the runt of the most recent pig litter, and without her protests would not have survived. Fern raises Wilbur like a pet, so when her father sees that Wilbur has grown to a good size to be slaughtered for food, everyone is once again distraught. Enter Charlotte. She is the spider who lives in the door beams of Wilbur's side of the barn. She "weaves" a plan in which she will use a little PR to make Wilbur more valuable alive than dead. The plan works, and Wilbur is saved. However along the way he has to learn about the trials of living. That nothing stays the same, and that growing close to someone means that you will be hurt when you have to let them go, because life goes on and you have to keep stepping forward.
A good sturdy chapter book for 3rd graders. A fun read for 4th graders, too.
ATOS Book Level: 4.4
AR Points: 5.0
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