Charlotte's Web

Charlotte's Web is a children's book by acclaimed American author E. B. White. It tells the story of a spider named Charlotte and her friendship with a pig named Wilbur. Wilbur was originally the piglet pet of a young girl named Fern Arable, who was forced to take him to the Zuckerman farm after he grew into an adult pig.

Related Topics:
Children's book - E. B. White - Spider - Pig

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Charlotte lives in the space above Wilbur's sty in the Zuckermans' barn; she befriends Wilbur and decides to help prevent him from being eaten. With the help of the other barn animals, including a rat named Templeton, she convinces the Zuckerman family that Wilbur is special by spelling out such descriptions as "Some Pig" in her web. Charlotte gives her full name as "Charlotte A. Cavatica", revealing her as a barn spider, an orb-weaver spider with the scientific name araneus cavaticus.

Related Topics:
Sty - Barn - Web - Barn spider - Orb-weaver spider

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Written in White's dry, low-key manner, Charlotte's Web is considered a classic of children's literature, enjoyable to adults as well as children. The description of the experience of swinging on a rope swing at the farm is an oft-cited example of rhythm in writing, as the pace of the sentences reflects the motion of the swing.

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Publishers Weekly lists the book as the best-selling children's paperback of all time (cited at http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0203050.html). It is 78th on the hardback list. According to publicity for the 2006 film adaptation (see below), the book has sold more than 45 million copies and been translated into 23 languages. It is a Newbery Honors book for 1953, losing out to Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark for the medal.

Related Topics:
Newbery Honor - Ann Nolan Clark - Medal

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