Dear Blog,
This week I read E.B. White's fiction novel, Charlotte's Web (1952). This novel portrays the importance of friendship, love, life, and death. The spring pig, Wilbur, is accompanied by the barn spider, Charlotte. Together, they work to come up with a plan to keep Wilburn from being slaughtered by the farmer. Their friendship grows as the plot progresses and together they save Wilbur. Unfortunately, Charlotte passes at the end of the story after giving birth to her babies However, her death touches readers because it shows that Charlotte's legacy and kindness is left behind through the life of her babies.
In 1953, Charlotte's Web was awarded the John Newbery Medal. This novel is full of rich vocabulary. To expand students' understanding, I would create a Word Web of all unfamiliar words in the text. Together we would use context clues and brainstorm meanings to add to the web. This text is also beneficial when teaching character analysis, story elements, and problem and solution. Questions to ask during discussion would be: "What would you write in the web if you were Charlotte?" "Is Templeton a protagonist or antagonist? How do you know?" "What makes someone a good friend?" "At the beginning of the story, Fern saves Wilbur from death. Have you ever helped someone who was smaller or younger than you? How did you do this?"
Charlotte's Web is a heartwarming book that can be enjoyed by all. If you are looking for a book that discusses the importance of friendship, this is the read for you!
I read this book to my students last year for the first time. I enjoyed reading it to them, maybe as much as they enjoyed listening to it, which they enjoyed very much, so much in fact, that several students requested it after we read it at school!
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