Spinning Spiders: An Educationally Vetted Nonfiction Book About Spider Webs and Silk for Kids (Ages 4-8)

Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2

by Melvin A. Berger

Read and find out about spiders in this colorfully illustrated nonfiction picture book. In this book, featuring remarkably realistic artwork by S.D. Schindler, you will learn about the silk spiders produce, the webs they spin, and the prey they capture. You will even learn how to make a web of your own! "A lively and interesting look at a popular subject," according to a starred review from School Library Journal. This is a clear and appealing science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. It's a Level 2 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades. The 100+ titles in this leading nonfiction series Top 10 reasons to love Books in this series support the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let's-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.

Genres: Science, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Animals, Nature, Childrens

40 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2003

Reviews

[Rosalynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very engaging, educational and interesting book about spiders. Wish this author had more on these series because the two we’ve read have been just the right amiunt of facts without feeling like a dictionary entry. Reads like a story. Illustrations are beautiful, too.

[Terran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good topical book about spiders.

[Katelynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and descriptive. I love the illustrations and accessible language. A little much for a storytime, IMO, but I highly recommend as a nonfiction title on spiders for younger readers.

[Eva Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best fact book EVER about spiders. I see their webs all the time and mama takes pictures of those webs, but I never knew they were so complicated. But whenever we see one she always says "Be careful! That's a lot of work."
And if you ever got one stuck on you you know how sticky they are. Just think if you were a bug caught in one. You wouldn't have a chance!
What I liked was that some of the spider webs that look really random are actually SUPPOSED to look that way. Like some of them look like the spider was on drugs or something. But that's just the way their webs look, and they must work, because they keep building them and catching flies with them. So who am I to say? The one looks like a big net and the bugs fall down into it. Another one throws his web at bugs in a little ball. It's like a game! Hit the fly and get a prize. And the prize is A FLY!
And some spiders are so big they eat FISH! Just like dolphins and penguins. I guess I should learn to really like fish sometime.
When a spider catches a fly, it puts poison into the fly and makes it go all mushy so that then it can DRINK THE FLY! That's pretty gross.
What did the waiter say to the spider?
Do you want flies with that? HAHAHA!
That joke wasn't in here. I heard it somewhere.
Anyway this is a good one. Another great fact book that looks like a story and is SO interesting!

[(NS)Jennifer Reiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book discusses the difference between arachnids and insects. The story is easy-to-read and also shows how spiders catch and eat their food and how webs protect spiders from their enemies. Five different spiders are introduced. Information is also included as to how they create their unique webs. Full color illustrations are displayed on each page.

I do a spider unit with my students and this was the first time I found this book. I think the students will be captivated with all the information presented in the book. My students will enjoy having this story read-aloud and also they will enjoy reading it independently as well. I look forward to my students finding out more information on this interesting arachnid.

[L-Angelica Herrera-Vest · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spinning Spiders, by Melvin Berger is a good book to put in your sciece center for children to read. We find out about different kinds of spiders "arachnids" and how they built their webs. This book is a good source for science vocabulary. It outlines the differences between an insect and a spider. Visually, the illustrations are interesting and informative. Good book for the primary grades.

[Gea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this whole series - Let's Read and Find out Science. Great pictures, interesting story/facts - I learn a lot from these books and so does my son. So good I am even staring to like spiders.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! The author is completely factual and honest. Spiders may be gross, but it's still interesting to learn more about them. My girls loved it!

[Claudia Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully illustrated informational children's book would be a good choice to read alongside Charlotte's Web.

[Emerson and Theodore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nana read to Emerson tonight.

[Elanor]

All by herself!

[Kristin Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book full of facts and detailed illustrations to read with the kindergarten class. I learned that scorpions and ticks are also arachnids!