Charlotte's Web

Story

Charlotte’s Web tells the story of the friendship between a pig called Wilbur and a spider called Charlotte. When Wilbur is in danger of being killed to be eaten, Charlotte starts to slowly save his life in an unusual way.

Why we chose it

A much loved book which became a much loved film.

Where it came from

E. B White (1899-1985) was an American author, who wrote poetry, essays and adult books, alongside his children’s books. He loved animals and farms and the seasons, and enjoyed writing about them all. In the 1930s White lived with his family in a farmhouse in Maine, and his watching of a spider spinning its web in their barn inspired him to write Charlotte’s Web.

Where it went next

Charlotte’s Web won the Newbery Medal from the American Library Association. White also won the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal in 1970 for his contribution to children’s writing. Charlotte’s Web has sold more than 45 million copies. It has also been adapted into a film in both 1973 (and its sequel in 2003) and a live action version in 2006. A musical was created by Charles Strouse in 1989, and a video game was created in 2006.

Associated stories

E. B White was also the author of Stuart Little (1945), the story of a mouse who is adopted by a human family which also became a popular film, and The Trumpet of the Swan (1970), the story of a trumpeter swan born without a voice who learns to play the trumpet.