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Lucila Sibrian
October 29th, 2016
Assignment #1
Psy 350

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Analysis of a childrens Book

Title:
Charlottes Web
Author:
E.B. White
Illustrator:
Garth William
Number pages:
184
Publication date:
1952
Brief plot description/ appropriate age:
CharlottesWebisabookaboutan8yearoldgirlnameFernwhoisknowtobemature
forherage,makingherstepupandsaveWilbur(thepig).Wilberwasmeanttodiebecausehe
wasverysmallandFernsdadthoughtthatWilberwasnotgoingtohelpthefarmsucceed.Fern
heardaboutherdadtryingtokillWilber,soshebeggedherdadtoletherkeephim.Shetook
careofWilburlikeababy.SheknewWilburwasspecialandsodidCharlotte.Charlottewasthe
spiderthatwaslivinginthesamebarnthatWilberwas.Shewasabrightspiderandknewthat
Wilburwasveryspecial.ShebecamehisfriendandWilburlovedher.Wilburlearnedthathe
wasmeanttobekilledbyFernsFatherandhewasterrifiedbut,Charlottewasnotgoingtolet
thathappensoshestartedtowritewordsdescribingWilbur.Bythosewordsonherweb,
CharlottesavedWilburslife.

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BookGenre:
CharlottesWebisknowntobeoneofmanyfavoriteChildrenliteratureforchildren.
Thisbookwascreatedforchildrenwhoarearound7yearsoldandup.ButIpersonallythinkthat
anychildwhoisagoodreadercandefinitelyreadthisbookandenjoyit.Thisbookisagood
wayforchildrentoknowaboutfriendship,especiallybetweenahumanandananimal.Notonly
thatbut,childrenwouldlearnthemeaningofbeingrespectfultoothers.Atsuchayoungage,
childrenneedtobeawareabouthowothersshouldtreatthemandhowtheyshouldtreatothers
regardlessofwhothatpersonorinthiscaseananimalis.
PhysicalDevelopment:
Fernisverymatureforheragesoshedoesnotthinklikeanyothereightyearold.This
saysalotaboutFern.Whyisshelikethis?Isthisaffectingherchildhood?FromwhatIreadin
mytextbook,NatureisabigpartofFernslife.Herfamilieswereabigpartofherlifeand
helpedherknoweverythingthereistodototakecareofananimalandtherestofthefarm.
Childrenwhoarelikelytoworkatayoungagearemostlikelytogrowupfasterthanothersand
matureatareallyyoungage.Shewentthroughmanymillstonesthathelphergrowforexample,
whenitcomestophysicaldevelopmentshewasintroducetorunningaroundthebarn,helping
hermomwithchoresetc.Forexample,inthebeginningofthebookshewassoshockedthather
dadwantedtokilltheinnocentpigsosheranandshovedherselftoherdadtoprotectthepig.
ShethrewherselftoherdadknowingthatthiswayshewouldbeabletoprotectWilburwithher
body.
CognitiveDevelopment:

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Fernbeingthetypeofgirlthatsheis,experiencescognitivedevelopmentthroughoutthe
wholebook.Wenoticethisbecauseoftheresponsibilitysheisgainingbytakingcareofapet.A
childwellgainresponsibility,respectandbeprotectiveofthisnewbeingintheirlife.Forakid
thisisahugejobanykidcantakebutitisagoodwayforchildrentolearntothinkofothersand
notjustthemselves.Aminutelater,Fernwasseatedonthefloorinthecornerofthekitchen
withherinfantbetweenherknees,teachingittosuckfromthebottle.Wehavethiseightyear
oldgirlteachinganinfantbabypighowtosuckfromabottle.Sheisshowingwhatshelearned
fromwatchinghermotherandknowsthatthisinfantpigisgoingtoneedtoeatandisawarethat
heissosmalltoeatonitsown.Andknowsthatthispigisrelayingonhertoprotecthim.
Social/emotionaldevelopment:
Weareawareofthesocialandemotionaldevelopmentrightinthebeginningofthebook.
Fernisayounggirlwhoisawarewhathappenstotheanimalsthatarelivinginthebarn.So
whenshefindsoutthatherdadisplanningtogetridofWilbursherealizesthatshehastodo
somethingtoprotecttheinnocentanimal.ThePigcouldnthelpbeingbornsmall,couldit?IfI
hadbeenverysmallatbirth,wouldyouhavekilledme?(White,pg.3)Foraneightyearold
girlthisisaverypowerfulstatementanyonecouldsay,letaloneachild.Childrenareawareof
thegoodandthebadbutknowingthatnoonedeservestodieforthelittlestthings,Fernknew
shehadtostopherfatherfromkillingWilbur.Shestepsuptoherfatherandshowshimthatshe
iscapableoftakingcareofWilburandthatsheknowstheresponsibilitysheisgoingtohaveby
savingWilbur.Sheisexpressingherconcernandisawarethatsheisabletogiveheropinion
andbevalued.
PiagetsCognitiveDevelopmenttheory:

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AccordingtoPiagetsCognitiveDevelopmenttheory,FernisintheConcreteOperational
stagewhichmeansthatsheislearninghowtocombine,separate,order,andtransformobjects
andactions(Lightfoot,Colepg.20).ButnotonlyisFernpartofthisstage,butaswellasthe
readerwhoisreadingCharlottesWebisaroundthesameageasFernwhichisironicallyhelpful
forthisstageinPiagetstheory.InthebeginningofthisbookFernknowstoseparatethe
differencebetweenwhatcanbeagoodpigforthefarmcomparetoatinypiglikeWilbur.But
shementallyknowswhatisrightandwhatiswrongwhenhavingtokillaninnocentanimal.She
spokeupandsaidwhatshewasfeeling.Asareader,Ithoughttomyselfthatlotsofyoung
childrenaregoingtobereadingthisbookandwouldrelatetoFern.Maybenotinthesamesense
asaboutsavingapigbuthavingtospeakupandexpresstheiropinion.InthestoryFernisfaced
withanotherobstaclewithWilbur.Heisgrowingandsheisnotallowedtokeepthepiginthe
house.So,shedecidedtotakeactionandfigureoutwhattodo.ShedecidedtosellWilburtoher
uncleandknewthiswasabetterhomeforhernewpig.
Majorthemes:
WhatmakesCharlottesWebagoodchildrenbookisbecauseofthedifferentthemesthat
wereintroducedtoyoungerreaders.Childrenareexposedtouniquefriendshipsandlove
betweenanimalsandhumans.Andinthiscase,twoanimalsthatwouldhavenevercrossedpaths.
Childrenareexposetoloveandfriendshipbutwhentheyarereadingaboutitintheirlevel
childrentendtounderstandtheconceptmore.BookslikecharlottesWebisheretohelpchildren
understandwhatitistohaveafriendandhowmuchlovewecanshowthosearoundus.It
teacheskidstoloveregardlesswhoandwhatitisandhowtheylook.Childrenwouldlearnto
lovewithoutbeingjudgmental.Thisbookalsohelpschildrenunderstandcomingofage.We

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donotonlyseeFerngrowbutwealsohavetheexampleofWilbur.Fernneedstolearnthatshe
cannotalwaysbewithWilburandspendtimewithothersherageaswellwithboys.Andthen
wehaveWilbur,whoneedstolearntofitinwithotherswhoaredifferentfromhim.Children
alsogothroughthesetypesofeventsandlearnandgrowfromit.
Diversity:
Thisbookisbasedinafarmenvironmentsotheyarenotthewealthiestpeople.Butwhat
Iloveaboutthisisthatitwillhelpandeducatechildrentoknowthatitdoesnotmatterwhere
someonecomesfromwellnoteffecthowsomeonewillgrowuptobe.WehaveFernfor
example;sheisworkinghardatsuchayoungageandtakingcareofananimalonherown.I
believeifFernwasacitygirlshewouldnotbethatinterestedorexposedtotakingcareofany
animal.Childrenneedtobeexposetoalifethatdoesnotinvolvetechnologybutbeexposetoa
lifeofresponsibilitiesandadventure.
Accessibility(DiverseBackgrounds):
CharlottesWebismeantforeverykindofchildren.Childrenaremoreconcernaboutthe
topicsthattheyarereadingandwiththisbooktheywillenjoythefactthatanimalsareahuge
partofthisbook.Theonlydiversitythattheywillbeexposedtowillbethedifferenttypeof
animalswhobelongtogetherandthosewhoneedtobeseparate.Thereisapartinthebookthat
theanimalsweremakingfunofWilburforhavingCharlottethespiderasoneofhisfriends.If
youhaveanewfriendhere,youareprobablydisturbinghisrest;andthequickestwaytospoila
friendshipistowakesomebodyupinthemorning..(White,35)TheotheranimalsteaseWilbur
inthebeginningabouthisnewfriendbecausehewasapigandhecouldnotbuildarelationship
withtherestbecausehewasdifferentbutoncehedidfoundsomeonetheotherstreatedhim

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differently.Thisshowsthatotherswillalwayshavesomethingtosayregardlesswhoandwhat
friendshiponecanhave.
Childrensenjoyment:
WhilereadingCharlottesWebIwouldrememberreadingthisbookwhenIwasalittle
girl.SomanygoodmemoriesandIcametoaconclusionthatanyboyorgirlisgoingtoenjoy
thisbook.Whenyougiveachildabookaboutanimal,especiallytalkinganimals,thechildwill
enjoyeverybitofthestory.Thisbookiswrittenfortheirlevelandinterest.LikeIhadstatedin
thebeginningthisbookhelpsstudentslearnthedifferentmeaningsofwhatfriendshipandlove
is.
Myenjoyment:
Ireallyenjoyedthisbookbecauseofthedifferentmoralsthataregoodforchildren.This
bookisnotonlyafunreadforkidsbutafunwaytolearnaboutdifferentstagesoftheirlives.
Forexample,themeaningofwhatafriendshipisregardlessifthisfriendshipiswithananimal.
Childrenneedbookslikecharlotteswebtohelpthemwiththingsintheirlifesanditisagood
formtomakechildrenlearntolovetoread.Itmakesmehappythatthisbookisstillaroundfor
manygenerationstocome.

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Work Cited Page

Lightfoot, Cynthia, Michael Cole, and Sheila R. Cole. The Development of Children. New York:
Worth, 2013. Print.
White, E.B. Charlotte's Web. New York: Harper & Row, 1952. Print.