Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
- kmayusd
- Aug 4, 2019
- 2 min read
illustrated by Garth Williams
Newbery Medal
Evaluation of Book
Some Pig, Humble, and Radiant are all words found in the spider web in Zuckerman’s barn. This beloved book by E.B. White is a classic tale that both children and adults will love to read time and again. Through this novel we are introduced to a little girl named Fern who rescues the runt of a litter of pigs named Wilbur. Sent away to Fern’s uncle’s farm, Wilbur meets the all the barnyard animals who are not all as nice as Charlotte the barn spider.
Through these delightful characters White shares a story about friendship, love and death. It introduces the reader to the love and loyalty shown by a best friend. He shares the sadness of death and the joy of new life. These timeless, universal themes are what make this book so well loved.
The use of dialogue in the story gives the characters a personal side that allows the reader to make connections. As White introduces each of the characters, the reader sees that they are believable. Readers connect these book characters to real people they know which makes the story so easy to love.
Garth Williams provides pencil or graphite illustrations for simple but meaningful illustrations throughout the book. Through the use of pencil, Williams is able to create texture which makes the drawings more realistic. It also makes the characters relatable as it provides a better description of the characters within the story. Through the illustrations we see Wilbur’s sweet innocence and goose’s condescending tone.
Response
I grew up on a farm in South Dakota. I still remember the morning I laid in bed finishing reading this classic story for the first time at the age of nine. I was devastated by Wilbur’s loss of Charlotte and stayed in bed longer to sort out in my mind what poor Wilbur would do without his best friend. Because of the superb job done by White and Williams in this book, I felt as if I had lost a friend as well. This book has always been the one that helped me to see the connections that books could make with lives. I loved reading it just as much again as an adult.
Conclusion
Perfect in every way this Newbery winner will continue to be read for many generations to come. I loved it as a child and again as an adult so will you!
Citation
White, E. B., & Williams, G. (2012). Charlotte's web. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
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