A little girl named Fern rescues a young pig and names him Wilbur. When Wilbur is sold to the farm down the road, he meets many new animals including a beautiful and intelligent spider named Charlotte. But can Charlotte save Wilbur from being cooked for Christmas?
Morality
There are no evil characters in the book. Even the farmer who wants to cook Wilbur for Christmas isn't portrayed as bad, just practical. Templeton the rat is a selfish character and everything he does has selfish motives but it is clear that the main characters see his attitude as wrong. All the other animal characters grow to like Wilbur and try to help him. Charlotte, especially, is an example of a gentle and faithful friend. Overall, the book has some great lessons about love, friendship and saying goodbye.
Spiritual Content
None really.
Violence
The threat of being killed and cooked for Christmas hangs over Wilbur for much of the story. Some characters trip and fall in the barn.
Drug and Alcohol Content
None.
Sexual Content
A little romance is implied between Fern and a boy and that's about it.
Crude or Profane Language or Content
None.
Conclusion
The book is beautifully written and the characters are very realistic. Kids will be exasperated with Templeton's behavior and they will adore Charlotte and Wilbur. They might even stop eating pork.
