Charlotte's Web

Genre: Modern Fantasy
Author: E. B. White
Awards: Newbery Honor Book (1953) and Hornbook Fanfare (1953)
Age Group: 6+ years old

Summary: From the very beginning of this children's tale, there is one pig who gets labeled "runt of the litter," by a little girl named Fern's father. Once he tells her the pigs fate, she quickly tries to save the little "runt" and asks to keep him as her pet. After pleading, her father allows her to keep the pig and she names him Wilbur. Next, Fern meets a spider who becomes a trusting and loyal friend. They begin to work together to save Wilbur after he has gotten bigger and the family wants to sell him. Charlotte, the spider, devises a plan to save the day. She uses every last bit of energy she has to weave words into her web to help save Wilbur such as, "SOME PIG" and "RADIANT." Charlotte wins over the crowd and convinces the people that his is one special pig. Once she knows Wilbur is safe, she passes away leaving all 514 of her spider eggs. Wilber now has many new spider friends and wont be lonely ever again.