Along Came Spider

by James Preller

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0545032997
• ISBN13: 9780545032995
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Must-read for Middle Schoolers

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!

Great Read-aloud

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.

Along Came Spider

Robert "Spider" Stevens and Trey Cooper had been friends for as long as they could remember. They lived next store to each other. They were inseparable. That is, until fifth grade. Trey was well rather unique. He wasn't very good at sports. In class, he would interrupt with little bits of trivia that no one cared about. People laughed at him. Everyone always asked Spider why he hung around Trey. After all Spider could easily transition into the popular group. In fact, when the class decided to join the annual Hoops for Heart program, Spider was immediately asked to join the best team in the class. Trey wasn't. Ultimately, Spider has to decide whether he wants to be a winner and stay with the good team or play with his friend and risk making a fool of himself. Along Came Spider follows a classic theme about friendships. We all come to a point in our lives where we have to either leave old friends behind or choose old friends. It's never an easy decision.