Charlotte's Web

by: E. B. White
Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high up in Zuckerman's barn. Charlotte's spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur's life when he was born the runt of his litter. {cover copy}
I do believe I have read this before, but the movie and the book are so tangled up for me that I honestly can't remember. I suppose that's a good thing since it means they stayed true to the book. And either way you look at it, its a fun story. Sometimes, stories come along and totally override your sense of "ew" ... like how I actually felt sympathy for a cockroach in the Gregor the Overlander series. But in this case, it's liking and caring for a spider. I mean, I don't hate/fear them the way I do cockroaches, but I genuinely like this spider and that's not the case with spiders in person. I actively avoid them. I'm also not usually a fan of animal protagonist stories, but this one gets a pass. I can't explain it. But there you go. Definitely a classic I will encourage Madeline to read. 

"Where's Papa going with that axe?" {first line}
"Perhaps if people talked less, animals would talk more."

"You asked for words and I brought them."

"Never hurry and never worry!"

"The world is a wonderful place when you're young."

• both • {last word}