RISE OF THE SPIDER (1) (The Web of the Spider), by Michael P. Spradlin, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Sept. 24, 2024, paperback, $7.99 (ages 8-12)
Witness the rise of Hitler’s Germany through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy in Rise of the Spider, the first book in a new series by Michael P. Spradlin.
1929, Heroldsberg, Germany. Rolf might only be twelve years old, but he’s old enough to know that things have not been good in his country since the end of the Great War. Half of Germany is out of work, and a new political movement is taking hold that scares him. Every night, Rolf’s father and older brother, Romer, have increasingly heated arguments about politics at the dinner table. And when two members of the new Nazi Party, Hans and Nils, move to town as part of the Hitler Youth, Rolf is uneasy to see how enamored Romer is by their promises of bringing Germany to glory.
Rolf doesn’t trust Hans and Nils for a moment. For all their talk of greatness, they act more like bullies, antagonizing shop owners who are Rolf’s friends and neighbors. Yet Romer becomes increasingly obsessed with their message of division, and Rolf watches in horror as his family fractures even further.
When there is an act of vandalism against a Jewish-owned business in town, Rolf fears Romer might have had something to do with it. Can Rolf find a way to intervene before things get any worse? —Synopsis provided by Margaret K. McElderry Books
People often question how Hitler was able to come to power and exert his will. Rise of the Spider takes readers down that path through the eyes of a skeptical child who watches events unfold right in front of his face.
Author Michael P. Spradlin transports readers to a Germany where ordinary citizens are forced into an unbelievable situation. In just 160 pages (including backmatter), Spradlin quickly sets the tone, making you care about Rolf and understand his wariness.
Though set more than 100 years ago, Rise of the Spider feels immediate. Many kids will relate to family conflict, bullying and fear of the unknown. The book ends in a cliffhanger that will have readers on the edge of their seats waiting for the next book.
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