#76 in Children’s books
Charlotte's Web
- 184
- Pages
- about 3.5 h
- Reading time
- Film 1973 +2
- On screen
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Our view
A children’s book that does not look away from death: the pig Wilbur is meant for slaughter from the start. The spider Charlotte’s friendship saves him and also teaches him about loss, in a telling that is simple, warm and often funny. Even the ill-tempered Templeton proves useful, and some adult readers find the book holds up without feeling childish. A good first story about friendship and endings to share with a child.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Charlotte's Web is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams. It was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers. It tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a barn spider named Charlotte. When Wilbur is in danger of being slaughtered, Charlotte writes messages in her web praising him, such as "Some Pig", "Terrific", "Radiant", and "Humble", to persuade the farmer to spare his life.
On screen
This book has been adapted for the screen 3 times — from 1973 to 2006.
Adaptation data: Wikidata · On screen →
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.0 across 1,663 ratings. With that many, the reader vote carries 92% of the weight and the score stays at 8.0 — the Children’s books average of 7.9 barely moves it.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.1 | 423 | 25% |
| Hardcover | 7.9 | 1.2K | 75% |
Frequently asked
What age is Charlotte's Web for?
Charlotte's Web sits on the Children shelf in the sources we use, which by convention means roughly ages 5–10. This is a guide from the book’s category, not a publisher’s age rating. It has 184 pages — shorter than 98% of the ranked books in Children’s books.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Children’s books — with scores between 7.8 and 8.2, closest to this book.
