Charlotte's Web Should Not Be Banned

Charlotte's Web by E.B White is a classic novel that portrays the story of friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a spider named Charlotte. This best-selling book has been added to the American Library Association's frequently challenged classics list due to "unnatural and blasphemous religious remarks". The book should not be banned because it tells a timeless tale of an unexpected friendship that is loved by millions around the world. Students and parents at a junior high in Batley, West Yorkshire, England were shocked to find out their school principal had made a statement that all books featuring pigs should be removed because it might offend the school's Muslim community. She said all books including Charlotte's Web, Winnie the Pooh, and Three Little Pigs must be removed from the school's library in order to be proactive in her policy. This offended the Muslim community who continuously told her to drop the ban. There were no complaints in any regard to the books but the principal still felt it was necessary. This situation got the attention of The Muslim Council of Britain which formerly made a request to put all books back on the shelves. The principal's worry is understandable to the degree of not wanting to offend her community but

The tactic of using talking animals to teach valuable life lessons has been used to educate children for generations. Banning a book like Charlotte's Web would send a deteriorating message that talking to animals should not be a child's dream and that fantasies like Santa, Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy are just made up by parents. A fairytale is what sparks children's childhood: teaching them valuable lessons with the ease of having pretty pictures to look at. Students all over the world have learned about kindness and how to treat others through this simple novel and it would be heartbreaking to see that a book loved by so many would be treated so