Read this when
Charlotte's Web
'It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.' Be somebody's Charlotte. 🕷️
Who it's for
Wilbur's terror of being killed ('I don't want to die!') and Charlotte's calm plan to save him give children a way to feel fear of death alongside the comfort of a friend who stays.
Feelings it meets
What it is
E. B. White's 1952 children's novel, illustrated by Garth Williams, begins when a girl named Fern Arable saves a runt piglet, Wilbur, from being killed. After Wilbur moves to her uncle's farm, he befriends Charlotte, a barn spider. When Wilbur learns he is likely to be slaughtered, Charlotte weaves words of praise into her web to make him famous and save his life.
Where to find it
In print (HarperCollins) and in libraries (Libby/Hoopla); audiobook read by E. B. White. Not public domain. Animated film (1973) and live-action film (2006).
Before you start
Heads up: A beloved character's death.
Age: Ages 6+
Sorrow is hushed into peace in my heart like the evening among the silent trees.Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds, no. 10
