Spider Books

A great book that takes a unique angle - what its like to be a slug. Himmelman and Stewart don't just tell us about slugs, they shows us their real-life danger and adventure story (you'd be surprised).

Really neat book, appeals to all. Can even convert those of us once grossed out by these slimy creatures.

This book was great! I learned a lot about slugs, more than I thought I wanted to know. I never knew they were hermaphrodites. The author managed to write a suspensful book about a slug!! The kids in my class (and I) all said, "whew!" when the slug escaped danger! I also like Mr. Himmelman's dedications. We are learning how to write dedications in our class and I show these to my students. The illustrations are fantastic. They show point of view, detail and are accurate. The close up of a slug's face is a sight to behold. The books in this series are the best non-fiction books for young children I have ever seen...and teachers, too. Mr. Himmelman teaches respect for nature because he allows the reader to get caught up in the life of his characters...from now on, when I see them in my garden, I will think of them in a whole new way....This is a tribute to Mr. Himmelman!

Very nice book. My daughter loves it. A fun and educational book to read with kids. Nice illustrations too.

I have taught preschool for over 15 years - the books in this series are wonderful. Great illustrations with easy to understand text. The kids love them and will sit and "read" them to each other over and over again. Anything that promotes a love of science and knowledge is tops in my book.

Ms. Hannum's book "Sometimes You Have to Kill a Spider" was a fantastic reading experience. From start to finish, she kept the reader on the edge of their chairs! The story and characters were fasinating - and I found myself unable to put it down. I thouroughly recommend this and frankly cannot wait to read Ms. Hannum's next novel.

"Sometimes, You Have to Kill a Spider", by new author Shirley Hannum, is a dazzling trip through a surreal world populated by fascinating characters ranging from evil incarnate to arrow straight. The dialogue is bright and flashy, the action electric, and the women--especially the heroine, Arianne--are fascinating. It is a breezy, scary, and very entertaining read.

Spider weaves a web of stories,poems,chants and songs to help women reconnect with their moon time. A gift for any young woman getting her period for the first time, my daughter loved it !

This is a wonderful book that helped me to appreciate my body, my natural rhythms, and the cycle of life/earth much better. Far from being fluffy and impractical, this book shows how menstruation is a wonderful thing that should be celebrated, not some dirty, vile thing that should be hidden as our society teaches. I highly recommend this book to all menstruating women, not just those who are first starting their moon time. May we all develop a higher regard for our bodies and the life cycle.

This is the second book by this master storyteller that features the adventures of U. S. Marshal Oscar Schiller. The story is set during the early 1900's in the Oklahoma Indian Territory and Fort Smith, Arkansas. It is replete with the author's vivid characters and graphic situations. Jones also sprinkles much colorful history throughout the story and this adds to the reader's enjoyment. His imperfect principal character and the period chosen for the plot have a close similarity to the PINKERTON EYE. The only negative factor in the book is that it's editor repeatedly substituted "Marshall" for the correct form, "Marshal." The author, Douglas Jones, died during production of the book and probably was not involved in reading proofs. I enjoyed every page of this book and enthusiastically recommend it to others.

What a masterpiece! This book is truly magnificent. Someday critics will review this historical fiction and recognize it for the great literature that it is. The audio version with Ed Sala's narration is perfection itself. Please read or listen to the audio version of this book. Great writers like this must be appreciated.

This book was very good. It was very interesting. There was always a question in the beginning or middle of the book, but at the end all the questions are answered. My mom got it for me because I liked the Magic Treehouse books so much. I didn't think I was interested till my mother bought it for me but when I started reading it was great. The whole book is about bugs! Everyone in the book is a bug, except Spider Kane, who you can guess is a spider.

I thought this was going to be just another book that my mom and I would read for school but this turned out to be the best book I ever read sending me on a quest for any other spider Kane books. Spider Kane and his band of the MOTH are the coolest bugs ever tracking missing gold and going under cover to help other bugs. I loved the mystry! I loved the suspence I just loved this book. Spider Kane can do anything he is awesome. I wish there were more books to read about him. I couldn't put this book down we read it in 5 days then I lent it out to my friends. Then I read Under the May Apple Tree and I need more, my mom says Mary Pope Osborn is a genius because this is my summer vacation and I'm begging to read this series.

I have owned this volume for many years now. Every time I return to it, I discover additional new pearls in Ms. Webster's poetry which my newly-added life experience serves to unearth; her vibrant imagery "means" something different to me each time. "A Spider On the Wall" is poignant, deep, and reflective. It captures the reader's most personal imaginings to create a deeply-felt response, as well as substantial fodder for thoughtful meditation. I think this book would be a meaningful addition to any poetry-lover's library. You actually find yourself developing a relationship with the words on these pages.

A great collection of poetry. jani johe webster has the ability to capture the most profound human experiences of loving and suffering, and she does so in the most simple and stream-lined way human possible. One of her reviewers once said to her, "Your poetry is like War and Peace on a postcard." He was right. For those who love poetry, this book is it.

Gary has a knack for seeing the small things in life that we seem to overlook and in that overlooking process we miss the chuckles, the lightness need to balance the obsecurities of life. Gary backs us up again to begin seeing the little things and also to see our own lightness in the crazyness we apply ourselves in.

The book is whitty. It will open new windows of lightness and seeing the funny in all that we do on a day-by-day basis.

Another one of Gary Anderson's masterpieces. His short stories are sweet, simple and funny. The author is very much on his toes when it comes to describing the simple joys of a Midwesterner's life. I have shared this book with many friends and family members.

If you are looking for a book that can bring your family together, this is the one. I was reading this book alone and laughing out loud when my daughter came over and asked, "What's so funny?" I started reading to her, through my tears of laughter, and soon we were both laughing. Eventually, I read the entire book to her aloud.

How many books can get an 8 year old to turn off the television? Not many. Mr Anderson combines wit and humor, with good old-fashioned family values. These stories from the heartland convey love and friendship, innocence and wonder.

You will not be disappointed with this read!

Gary E. Anderson's collection of 49 "bite-size" short stories contains a little of everything. There are some very funny tales of his childhood and teenage years, some humorous recollections of his many years as a single father, raising two kids by himself, and some stories that are very touching and inspirational, as well.

There are so many wonderful and funny moments in this book, it's hard to pick out my favorites. The title story, "Spider's Night on the Boom," about a group of young men, fishing off a log boom, is full of delightful images and funny situations. And if I had to choose my favorite "warm and fuzzy" piece, I'd have to choose "Somebody Else's Dark," about his young daughter, unable to fall asleep in a strange house.

Anderson has a grasp on family values that's rare in literature today. Many of the stories in the book were first published in his "Wit and Wisdom" column in Iowa's largest-circulation rural monthly, Iowa REC News. "Spider's Night on the Boom" contains a liberal helping of both, offering some of the funniest wit and the most touching wisdom you'll find anywhere.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who ever was a kid, anyone who ever was a parent, anyone needing a laugh, or anyone looking to find inspiration. It's all here, told in Anderson's unique style.

This is very well written. The content is somewhat technical, but with a few exceptions it could be followed by anyone who has had some scientific education. It is not a light weight read, effort and thought are required, but for readers who are interested in spider biology, or how animals perceive their environment it is a first class book, albeit expensive.

If you are interested in the biology of spiders, this is a terrific book. It is written at a level that makes it a useful introduction to research in spider biology (particularly sensory physiology) for scientists, but it also has much to offer the younger student who is beginning to learn about spiders. Although the focus of this book is on research related to relatively large "ctenid" spiders, the applicability is much more general. If you have a new pet "tarantula" (Theraphosidae) and want to learn more about it, this is a better starting place than most popular books on "tarantulas." Thus it has a place in both research libraries and public libraries.

I wish the price were not so high, but if you have a strong interest in really learning about spiders, this book is well worth the price. This thoughtful and comprehensive book can absorb your interest for a long time, and it will get you into the technical literature for even more information. The quality of writing, illustration, and presentation is outstanding.