Rise of the Spider

Gr 4-6–It can seem incomprehensible to us today that, in the late 1920s, Adolf Hitler was able to rise to power in Germany, but he did. This first book in Spradlin’s “Web of the Spider” series takes a look at this time and place in history from an adolescent’s perspective. It is 1929, and 12-year-old Rolf lives in Heroldsberg, Germany, with his older brother Romer and their father. Times have been hard in Bavaria since the end of World War I, and many families in their community are struggling to make ends meet. But life doesn’t seem too bad to Rolf until Romer begins hanging out with some teenage boys who belong to the Hitler Youth. In the face of this, Rolf must figure out how to stand up for what he knows to be right. This book is a little light on plot; the book’s primary function appears to be to set the stage for the next book in this series. However, the setting and historical events have been well researched, and the book would work as a tie-in with a history curriculum. In addition, the prose is appealing and accessible to struggling and reluctant readers.