Anyone up for a little history...exciting history? Today's read is the third in a series, which heads back to World War II and follows a group of friends as they do their best to figure out life and survive with the growing threat from the Nazis. I read the second and found it very grabbing. Let's see if this next adventure keeps up that quick-pace.
Sit down and snuggle in because this one could be quite the ride.
THE SPIDER STRIKES
The Web of the Spider #3
by Michael P. Spradlin
Middle Grade Historical
Margaret K. McElderry Books
144 pages
ages 9 to 12
Amid the chilling rise of Hitler’s Germany, a twelve-year-old boy and his friends confront rising Nazi threats during a family trip to Austria in this third book in the action-packed middle grade series Web of the Spider for fans of I Survived and A Night Divided.
It’s the summer of 1931 and, like most summers, Joshua and his family are vacationing in Salzburg, Austria. But unlike most years, Joshua is looking forward to escaping the upheaval and bigotry back home in Heroldsberg and the Nazi presence threatening Jewish families like his own. This year, he’s invited his best friends Rolf and Ansel to join him for one last summer before Rolf leaves for America with his father.
But the trip becomes far from relaxing as the Nazis take root in Austria as well, and a gang of Hitler Youth set their sights on Joshua and his friends. When the boys decide to hike up the mountains to camp out at Joshua’s family cabin, things go from bad to worse when they quickly realize they aren’t alone. Can the boys evade the Nazis and make it back to their families safely?
It’s the summer of 1931 and, like most summers, Joshua and his family are vacationing in Salzburg, Austria. But unlike most years, Joshua is looking forward to escaping the upheaval and bigotry back home in Heroldsberg and the Nazi presence threatening Jewish families like his own. This year, he’s invited his best friends Rolf and Ansel to join him for one last summer before Rolf leaves for America with his father.
But the trip becomes far from relaxing as the Nazis take root in Austria as well, and a gang of Hitler Youth set their sights on Joshua and his friends. When the boys decide to hike up the mountains to camp out at Joshua’s family cabin, things go from bad to worse when they quickly realize they aren’t alone. Can the boys evade the Nazis and make it back to their families safely?
MY TIDBITS
Friendship reigns as the world around three boys falls apart, and they do their best to handle a dangerous and increasingly impossible situation.
Each book in this series switches viewpoints between three friends (Rolf, Ansel, and Joshua), and this time, readers get to see the world through Joshua's eyes. With the growing Nazi influence, Joshua's Jewish family is especially at unease over the increasing tensions. After shots are fired in their town of Heroldsberg and Ansel's reporter father is injured in the crossfire, the boys follow Rolf's family to Salzburg, Austria for some needed reprieve. Plus, Rolf is about to head to America with his father, and this will give them a last chance to really enjoy hanging around each other, but during their arrival, they immediately cross paths with Rolf's older brother's troop of Hilter Youth. Thanks to their survival training, Rolf's father agrees to let them steer clear of everything and stay alone at a nearby cabin he owns in the woods. While this should give them space from the growing threats, one of the members of Hitler Youth has made it his mission to deal with them, and he isn't going to give up.
There are several aspects about this book and series, which make it highly recommendable. First, it's short. The adventures are deep and pack plenty of food for thought and historical goodness, and yet, they don't weigh down. They deliver the excitement in less than 150 pages, which makes it one to even, maybe, attract more reluctant readers. Second, the author has done his due diligence on the research end and brings this time period to life with finesse. The boys come across very naturally, give a sense of familiarity to draw in, and still, the historic setting and situation is never forgotten. Readers can sink into the tension, understand the issues, and not ever feel like they're learning history along the way. Third, the adventure remains high right along with the conflicts and character arcs. The book begins with high-tension and obvious danger, drawing in right away. As tension eases, the pacing doesn't stop but let's the worries and concerns continue to drive things forward. Before this grows too heavy, the next tense scene flows in again. It makes for an exciting read.
I think this is the first time I've seen a middle grade series concentrate on the rise of the Nazis, and it take the time to dive into the situation (a bit, at least) leading up to the war. The three friends each have different backgrounds, letting readers see how different people were affected and their differing, yet, similar fears and concerns. In this book, for example, Rolf's growth becomes clear, especially in dealing with his Hitler Youth brother. So, the author is weaving in quite a bit of depth without ever letting it bog down the other aspects of the read.
I enjoyed this latest adventure even more than the last and am very curious what will happen next because there is, obviously, more to come.
And here he is...
Michael P. Spradlin is the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author of the Spy Goddess series, The Youngest Templar series, and the Web of the Spider series, as well as several works of historical fiction, including the Western Heritage Award–winning Off Like the Wind: The Story of the Pony Express. He currently resides in Lapeer, Michigan, with his wife, daughter, and his schnoodle, Sequoia. Learn more at MichaelSpradlin.com.
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