Book Review: Charlotte's Web
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that a major character dies, peacefully
but alone. All children (and most adults) will cry, but
especially sensitive children may be disturbed.
Families who read this book could discuss the various concepts of friendship presented here. Charlotte obviously gives a lot in this relationship -- what does she get in return? How should one treat one's friends? What should one expect from them?
Common Sense Media Review
One of the all-time great classics of children's literature,
this gentle story with its kindly wisdom about friendship and
love has survived and prospered even in the digital age. Set in
a slow, simple, rural America that hardly exists anymore, it
appeals to young and old, boys and girls, because its themes
are universal and timeless: how should we make and keep
friends, how should we treat each other.
Though most readers will certainly cry near the end, it's never maudlin or sappy. Indeed, it's New Yorker editor and author E. B., White's avoidance of cuteness, astringent prose, whimsical humor, and matter-of-factness about life-and-death issues that sets this apart from the pack.
His heroine is a hairy spider who sucks the blood out of flies, aided by a very fat, rat-like rat, and they are working to save Wilbur from the reality of every working barn -- that the animals are there for a reason, not for a rural idyll. Kind people can be ugly and sometimes cruel, others can be greedy but helpful, snooty but caring. The world can be harsh but also beautiful and warm. It's a lovely fantasy grounded in reality, and perhaps that's why kids have loved it for so long -- they know when they're being told the truth.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
