Charlotte's Web

Today we're reviewing Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (illustrated by Garth Williams).

The Basics:

Published: First published in 1953

Length: 184 pages

Reading Level: Age 8-12 (grades 3-7)

Synopsis:

"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.

E. B. White's Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come. "

Our Ratings (out of 5 stars):

Guinevere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lindsay: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Guinevere's Thoughts:

"I liked it when Charlotte's babies were born and I liked it when she wrote all those words in her web to save Wilbur's life."

My Thoughts:

This was our second book by E.B. White and I was relieved to find it to be a much more enjoyable read than Stuart Little, despite the author's tendency to ramble excessively at times. The illustrations are wonderful, the prose is lovely and the themes are complex, ranging from the concepts of unconditional friendship and loyalty to greed and mortality. Though much of the story focuses on the simple pleasures and ideals of childhood, this is also a tale of the sometimes harsh realities of farm life (and life in general). It is not unrealistic, as Wilbur's life is balanced on a knife-edge and it is only Charlotte's valiance and intelligence and the gullibility of humans that ensures his safety. Also true to life is Fern's ardent obsession with Wilbur which wanes as fern grows older and her interests shift to less childish things which, though honestly portrayed, annoyed me and made me like Fern less as the story progressed. Charlotte did, at times come off a bit condescending and as a know-it-all, but she was no less kind and charming for all that. Wilbur is sweet and endearing, but at times whiny. Templeton is easily relatable to real life, as well, as he does not experience any life changing epiphanies which prompt him to become less of a gluttonous grump. He's perfectly content to remain so for the whole of the story. The characters are multi-faceted which brings them to life and draws the reader into the story. Overall, it's easy easy to see why Charlotte's Web is considered a work of classic children's literature.

Read it or Leave it?:

Absolutely, read Charlotte's Web with your child! Enjoy the experience of  finding it together on your local library's shelf and bringing it home, or just go ahead and add this children's classic to your collection!

Let me know your thoughts about this book in the comments. Happy reading!

Ramona the Pest

Here's our next Ramona book review,as promised: Ramona the Pest (Ramona Quimby #2) by Beverly Cleary.

The Basics:

Published: First published in 1968

Length: 192 pages

Reading Level:  Age 8-12 (grades 3-7)

Synopsis:

"Ramona Quimby is excited to start kindergarten. No longer does she have to watch her older sister, Beezus, ride the bus to school with all the big kids. She's finally old enough to do it too!

Then she gets into trouble for pulling her classmate's boingy curls during recess. Even worse, her crush rejects her in front of everyone. Beezus says Ramona needs to quit being a pest, but how can she stop if she never was trying to be one in the first place?"

Our Ratings (out of 5 stars):

Guinevere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Guinevere's Thoughts:

"I really loved it! I liked it when Ramona met her teacher and when they played Gray Duck."

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book a great deal, though not quite as much as the first book.  Ramona, now a kindergarten student, is still charming and true to life in this installment. From her struggles to behave at school, and her wall-kicking tantrum because her family is being "mean" by laughing at her interpretation of the lyrics to "the dawnzer song" that is sung at school (known by most people as the national anthem), to her exuberance about her Halloween costume, and the excitement of losing her first tooth, Ramona could be any typical 5 year old around today.  

This book did not receive 5 stars from me because I felt that the notion of chasing someone every day in order to catch and forcibly kiss them when it's clear they do not wish to be caught or kissed, as Ramona does to Davy, is one that is less likely to resonate today as more parents are trying to reinforce the concepts of consent and bodily autonomy, though this does provide a good discussion opportunity. 

Overall, this was a fun reading experience for Guinevere and I and I'm sure we'll be reading more Ramona books together in the future.

Read it or Leave it?:

Read it! If you enjoyed Beezus and Ramona or any of the other Ramona books, be sure to read Ramona the Pest. Head over to your local library or buy it for your child's collection!

Let me know what you liked or didn't like about this book in the comments!