Along Came Spider [Hardcover]

James Preller (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Can their friendship survive the fifth grade?

Spider Stevens and Trey Cooper have lived next door to each other their entire lives. Their houses are on the odd-numbered side of Maple Street, which seems just about right.
Because, well, Trey Cooper is a little odd himself.
It didn't matter when they were little kids --- you know, way back in second grade. And it doesn't matter so much when they're at home on Maple Street. That's just Trey being Trey.
But it matters in the fifth grade.
The whole class thinks Trey is weird. Does that mean Spider has to turn his back on his oldest friend?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3–5—Fifth-grader Spider Stevens is athletic and friendly, causing his social star to be on the rise. His longtime friend and neighbor, Trey Cooper, is less accepted by their peers due to his odd personality. Several of the traits that Preller describes could be associated with autism spectrum disorder, but Trey's condition is never stated outright. Throughout the story, Spider tries to include Trey and be friendly with his other classmates, but it proves increasingly difficult. Other characters include a quirky school librarian ready to reach out to Trey and Ava, a smart and strong classmate. This is essentially a story of doing what is right instead of what peer pressure dictates and accepting people as they are. The fact that Trey and Ava are extremely self-aware and kindhearted is a redeeming quality, but the book could prove too uneventful for its intended audience. That's too bad because Trey is a sweet character and Preller's message is a good one.—Elizabeth Swistock, Jefferson Madison Regional Library, Charlottesville, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The lifelong friendship between two fifth graders—one with a mild spectrum disorder—hits the rocks but emerges intact in this perceptive tale from the author of Six Innings (2008). Feeling conflicted but wanting to fit in better with his classmates at Spiro T. Agnew Elementary, Robert (nicknamed Spider) uncomfortably tries to put some distance between himself and his buddy Trey, whose obsessions, lack of sensitivity to social cues, and general clumsiness have resulted in a reputation for being “out there.” Acting on Spider’s suggestion that he make other friends, Trey beats the odds and finds two: the school’s young librarian and a genial new classmate named Ava. Spider also makes another friend, and by the end discovers that there’s still room in his life for Trey. By regularly switching points of view, Preller gives readers a chance to see the situation from each boy’s angle and to consider the central insight that differences aren’t always as important as they seem. Grades 4-6. --John Peters

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic, Inc. (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0545032997
• ISBN-13: 978-0545032995
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,772,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read-aloud, October 17, 2008

By 

Mary Szczech - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Along Came Spider (Hardcover)

I am a teacher working in a 3rd grade inclusion classroom which is made up of regular education children and special education children. We spend a great deal of time on community building activities throughout the year, and encourage the children to celebrate the differences among all of us. Along Came Spider was a wonderful springboard to some very valuable discussions regarding peer pressure, friendship, how to make new friends while maintaining old friendships, and accepting differences in others. I will read this book to my class every year. It would also be a terrific book for literature circles.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-read for Middle Schoolers, May 24, 2009

By 

S. C. Mulhern "TheReadingZone" (NJ, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Along Came Spider (Hardcover)

Along Came Spider by James Preller is a middle grade novel. Spider and Trey have been best friends since they were born, six weeks apart. Trey has always been a little weirder than the other kids; in the neighborhood that's never been a big deal. But now that they are in 5th grade, Trey's oddities and eccentricities are suddenly a bigger deal. They don't bother Spider, but the boys he is starting to hang around with, the popular crowd, do not understand him. When one of the boys tells Spider to leave Trey behind now that they are getting older, he has to decide which is more important: a lifelong friendship or his future place on the social hierarchy?

Spider is a well-realized character who reminds me a lot of the boys in my own classes. The middle grades are so pivotal for friendships and I am glad to see a book that deals with boys in this area. And Trey appears to be mildly autistic, though it is never stated explicitly in the text. It's delightful to see boys dealing with this, as most books I have read in the past on this topic focus on girls.

This is a great book and one I can't wait to share with my students. I think it will resonate with boys and girls alike. James Preller has crafted yet another masterpiece for middle grade readers!