Charlotte's Web

 Hello my fabulous readers,

This week I read the book Charlotte's Web (1952). It was written by E.B White and illustrated by Garth Williams. It won the John Newbery medal in 1953. The genre of this book would be classified as a fictional children's chapter book. This is one of my all time favorite books to read because of the lessons that are learned by multiple characters throughout the story. I also love how E.B White gave human characteristics to the animals and made the entire story come to life. This book is about a pig named Wilbur who meets a mysterious spider named Charlotte. They become best friends and have to find a way to save poor Wilbur when they both realize he is being fattened up to be killed. 

I've read this book many times to my 4th graders every year and it is always a class favorite to read. In my classroom we always complete a novel study on this book because it helps the students grasp a deeper understanding of the lessons learned by the animals. We also complete many writing activities about what it means to be a good friend using personal examples as well as from the story. Throughout the story we complete character studies on Charlotte, Templeton, and Wilbur. We add notes continually onto the pages as the story unfolds. We additionally learn about the life cycle of different animals in the book, specifically a spider. 

When you read this book, please think about the following questions: 

1) If you were Charlotte, what would you have written in your web about Wilbur and why?

2) Is Templeton the rat a hero or a villain in the story? Explain your answer. 

This is a fantastic book to read and I would highly recommend it! 

Happy Reading my fabulous friends