This Newbery Honor book is one of those rarities that is enjoyed by both children and adults alike. The secret lies in the lucid style of storyteller E. B. White and the unique story he tells. "Charlotte's Web" opens a world of possibilities for learning about friendship, compassion, loyalty, and more. The new movie promises to be just as enchanting as the original novel.

The story begins when Fern, a young girl who loves animals, rescues the runt of the litter from her father's axe. She names the tiny pig Wilbur and cares for him until he is big enough to be raised at the farm of Fern's uncle, Homer Zukerman. At Zukerman's farm, Wilbur meets a gossipy goose, a gloomy sheep, and a grouchy rat named Templeton. Wilbur is homesick and lonely for Fern until he finds a new friend, a beautiful gray spider named Charlotte, who lives in the eaves above Wilbur's pen.

When E. B. White wrote his children's books, he had very specific pictures in mind. Charlotte, he felt, should look exactly like a real spider. "When Garth Williams, the book's illustrator, tried to dream up a spider that had human characteristics, the results were awful," he said. In the end, Charlotte looked just as White intended her to.

There are commercially available audio cassettes that feature E.B. White reading "Charlotte's Web." Of all the different interpretations of a work, nothing comes closer to the original than hearing the author read it himself. Listening to a story read by the author tells us exactly how he meant that story to be told.

Elwyn Brooks White was born on July 11, 1899 in Mount Vernon, N.Y. He was the youngest in a large family. After serving as an Army private in 1918, White entered Cornell University and graduated in 1921. White worked as a reporter and advertising copywriter before joining the staff of the New Yorker magazine in 1926. There he met Katherine Sergeant Angell, and they were married in 1929. For eleven years, White wrote editorial essays, verse, and articles for the New Yorker.

In 1939, after moving to a farm in Maine, he continued his writing career without the obligations of a regular job. From 1938 to 1943, White also wrote a column on the pleasures of rural life for Harper's magazine. Nevertheless, White is perhaps best known for the three children's books that he wrote: "Stuart Little" (1945), "Charlotte''s Web" (1952), and "Trumpet of the Swan" (1970). In these stories he explored themes of rural living, friendship, and salvation.

Like "Narnia," "Holes," and "Hoot," the Charlotte's Web movie was produced by Walden Media. With a staff of educators and parents rather than Hollywood insiders, their goal is to produce high quality, family‑friendly, faithful film adaptations of classic literature with positive moral themes. The Walden Media Web site, www.walden.com, features study guides, activities, and other educational materials to supplement the movie experience.

Did You Know¼? At Cornell University, White received A's in an English class taught by William Strunk Jr. White also saw his professor at weekly writing club meetings. In 1957, White wrote an essay about his former professor, which inspired a reissue of the original 1918 edition of Strunk's English usage and style text, "The Elements of Style." This led to the 1959 revised edition, which combined the experience of Strunk, a language scholar and teacher, with the expertise of White, a professional writer. This edition came to be known simply as "Strunk and White." It is a fundamental work on the use of the English language, and a classic reference book for students and writers.

Marshmallow spiders – You will need: 30 large marshmallows, a large package of chocolate chips, 60 M&M's, and a 5‑oz. bag of black string licorice. Poke 8 small pieces of licorice (each about 2 inches long) into the large marshmallows for legs. Melt the chocolate chips. Dribble a large spoonful of melted chocolate over the marshmallows. Add two M&M's for eyes while the chocolate is still sticky. Makes 30 spiders.