It seems like everyone but me got to read this in elementary school, and I am so jealous! This truly deserves to be called a classic. I loved the coming of age story of not just Wilbur loosing his innocence, but also the subtle back story of Fern growing out of her childhood interests. The characters were great! All the farm animals had their own distinct personalities, and not all the personalities were particularly nice either. I loved how Fern's father was so easy-going and compassionate, usually adults in children's books are hardly seen let alone have personalities. Ultimately this book has so many great lessons, the power of love and friendship, the importance of not judging someone by your first impression, and the sad fact that death is a part of life. I wish I would have read this 20 years ago, but I still enjoyed it immensely as an adult!