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Spider Boy [Hardcover]

Ralph Fletcher (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)


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Library Binding $12.06  
Hardcover, April 14, 1997 --  
Paperback $5.99  
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Book Description

8 and up4 and up
Humorous story about a boy's adjustment to new surroundings and kids in a new school. Packed with fascinating facts about spiders, the story is told through journal entries and scenes of events. Contains a spider bibliography.

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7. Bobby loves spiders and keeps a journal in which he records interesting facts about them, as well as some personal reflections. He is worried about his pet tarantula because she hasn't eaten since the family moved from Illinois to New Paltz, NY. The boy doesn't have much of an appetite himself. He doesn't fit in with the rest of the seventh graders at his new school. A group of his classmates call him "Spider Boy" and make his life difficult. The use of spiders in Bobby's journal and in the plot is a unique unifying theme of this novel. However, the character development is less successful. It takes awhile for readers to care about Bobby. The supporting characters are stereotypes (bully, understanding teacher, confident older sister). The story moves slowly and is limited in intensity until a final crisis. The resolution is predictable but upbeat. Bobby finds a niche for his unique interests, new friends with whom to play football, and even a little romance.?Adele Greenlee, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. Bobby Ballenger, a walking encyclopedia on spider lore, is quickly dubbed the "Spider Boy from Illinois" by his new seventh-grade classmates. With his watch and his heart still set on Midwest time, Bobby struggles with homesickness and finding his place in New Paltz, New York. Fletcher portrays the new-kid-on-the-block syndrome honestly by making Bobby a sympathetic but not perfect character who starts out spinning spider tales and ends up accepting his new life. Along the way, Bobby believably faces down the taunts, cheating, and cruelty of the class bully and finds his own sense of worth. Packed with juicy tidbits guaranteed to make arachnophobics squirm, this appealing story will be an easy sell to middle-school readers. Candace Smith

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  • Hardcover: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Clarion Books (April 14, 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0395776066
  • ISBN-13: 978-0395776063
  • Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,941,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ralph Fletcher is a friend of young writers and readers as well as writing teachers. He has written or co-authored many books for writing teachers includng Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide, Teaching the Qualities of Writing, Lessons for the Writer's Notebook, Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices, and Pyrotechnics on the Page: Playful Craft That Sparks Writing. Ralph has worked with teachers around the U.S. and abroad, helping them find wiser ways of teaching writing.

Ralph's many books for students include picture books (Twilight Comes Twice, Hello Harvest Moon, and The Sandman), novels (Fig Pudding, Flying Solo, and Spider Boy), poetry (A Writing Kind of Day and Moving Day), and a memoir, Marshfield Dreams: When I Was a Kid. His novel Uncle Daddy was awarded the Christopher medal in 2002. He has also written a popular series of books for young writers including Poetry Matters, Live Writing, and A Writer's Notebook. Ralph lives with his family in New Hampshire. He is a strong environmentalist who believes we all must work together to live in a more sustainable way. His other passions include travel, good food, dark chocolate, growing orchids, and sports.

 

Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars If you love spiders you'll love this book!!, September 13, 2006
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Spider Boy (Hardcover)
I love spiders and that's why I read this book! A young boy named Bobby has just moved from Illinois. He's just moved to New Paltz, New York when he starts his new school but there is a boy named Chick Hall. Chick likes hassling him and starts calling Bobby "Boy from Illinois". Bobby was getting mad, at the same time he was worried because his girl tarantula Thelma wasn't moving a lot. Now
you read the rest.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Joey's Spider, October 24, 2001
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Spider Boy (Paperback)
My book "Spider Boy" was a pretty good book.It was funny and exciting.It was about a boy and his spider.I have read the book 2 times.I think if you read it you would love it. It was the the best book I have ever read.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for boys...Spider Boy by Ralph Fletcher, July 3, 2010
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This review is from: Spider Boy (Paperback)
This is a great book to get boys into some reading. Also good for discussion on being different and acceptance. Fletcher writes from his experiences as a boy and blends humor with reality.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
"Bobby!" Bobby blinked and looked up from the journal. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
new honor system, king baboon spider, spider journal, spider boy, silk farm, live cricket
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Chick Hall, Miss Davenport, Miss Terbaldi, New Paltz, Roland Prescott, New York, Scott Shanahan, Bobby Ballenger, Luke Hall, Gulf of Mexico, Lucky Prescott, New Jersey, South America
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