Spider Stories for Children
- Many spider stories have been written for young audiences.grandfather read book with children image by Pavel Losevsky from Fotolia.com
Spiders are found all over the world. While many people have spider phobias, these are important creatures that help balance the earth's ecosystem. Books with spider characters are fun for young readers, encouraging them to explore the world while teaching them not to be afraid of very common arachnids. - Doreen Cronin's text and illustrations by Harry Bliss make "Diary of a Spider" an amusing book for readers ages 4 to 8. Covering five months of Spider's life in just 40 pages, children learn lessons about Spider as he goes to school, enjoys the playground and visits with his pal Fly. Even the end-papers are cute lessons with whimsical illustrations.
- David Kirk is both the author and illustrator of the "Little Miss Spider" series, which includes seven books following the life and times of the titled heroine. A prequel when it was written, new readers can start with "Little Miss Spider," who goes searching for her mother. "Little Miss Spider at Sunny Patch School" follows the plucky heroine into the insect world, while in "Miss Spider's Tea Party" she can't understand why no one will come over to join her for tea time. Told in verse with bright illustrations, the series is for ages 4 to 8.
- American Indian folk tales about spiders are compiled in "Spider Spins a Story, edited by Jill Max and illustrated by six Native American artists. Spiders appear frequently in American Indian legends as tricksters, mentors, allies and heroes. Geared toward readers ages 9 to 12, the 14 stories in the collection pass along life lessons learned from oral history.
- The classic spider story is E. B. White's "Charlotte's Web." Set in a barn, this novel is perfect for children ages 9 to 12 and teaches lessons about friendship, life and death. Charlotte, White's heroine, isn't cute and cuddly like many barnyard animals, but the unlikely friendship that develops between the spider and the pig teaches a valuable lesson without being heavy-handed.
