Be Nice to Spiders
By Margaret Bloy Graham
The Story
A boy leaves his pet spider at the zoo, and her webs quietly catch the flies that had been driving every animal miserable — until a big cleanup sweeps her work away.
Why It's Special
For the kid who roots for the overlooked, tiny creature nobody else notices — this one gives a spider the whole spotlight.
- Big idea: The smallest, easiest-to-overlook helper can matter more than anyone realizes.
- Vibes: Gentle, funny, and full of zoo-animal charm.
Perfect For Kids Who
- enjoy stories about unlikely helpers
- like to talk to and name their pets
- are curious about zoo animals and how they live
- respond well to a problem-and-solution story structure
Ask Your Little Reader
- Story & problem-solving: Why did the zoo animals become so happy once Helen the spider moved in?
- Feelings & empathy: How do you think the animals felt when the flies came back?
- Real-life connection: Have you ever seen a spider spin a web? What did it look like?
- Imagination: If you had a pet spider like Billy, where would you take her?
