Books About Spiders for Kids: 34 Engaging Titles

Creepy, crawly, and totally fascinating, spiders are the perfect subject to spark curiosity in young learners! From books about spiders and spider books for kids to spider read alouds and fun spider-themed learning activities, there are endless ways to make learning engaging. As a classroom teacher turned school librarian, I’ve enjoyed matching books with kids for many years. Whether you’re planning a spider unit for 1st grade, designing spiders lesson plans for preschool, or exploring spiders in kindergarten, these resources bring educational spider facts for kids to life. Dive into spider books for toddlers, spider books for preschool, and books about spiders for elementary school students to make learning about spiders friendly, fun, and unforgettable!

Books About Spiders for Toddlers

Toddlers are captivated by books with bright, detailed pictures, playful language, and simple storylines they can follow. They especially enjoy books with animals, gentle humor, and fun facts presented in an engaging way that sparks curiosity without overwhelming them.

Here are some eye-catching books about spiders for toddlers:

Spiders (Nic Bishop: Scholastic Reader, Level 2) by Nic Bishop: A beautifully photographed nonfiction reader that introduces young children to the fascinating world of spiders with simple, engaging text.

Tarantulas!: A My Incredible World Picture Book for Children (My Incredible World: Nature and Animal Picture Books for Children) by My Incredible World, illustrated by Hope Aicher: A picture book filled with colorful illustrations and easy-to-understand facts that make spiders exciting and approachable for little learners.

Speckle the Spider by Emma Dodson: A playful story about Speckle, a friendly spider, whose adventures show that spiders aren’t so scary after all, blending humor with charm for toddlers.

Books About Spiders for Preschool

Preschoolers love books with engaging illustrations, simple but lively text, and stories that mix fun with just a little bit of learning. They enjoy humor, repetition, and characters they can connect with, especially when animals are at the center of the story.

Here are some engaging books about spiders for preschoolers:

Spiders (Usborne Beginners) by Rebecca Gilpin: A nonfiction beginner book with clear photos and simple facts introducing preschoolers to the fascinating world of spiders.

Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin: A humorous, imaginative story told from a spider’s point of view, showing his daily adventures and making spiders relatable and funny.

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel: A classic folktale retelling where the clever spider Anansi uses a magical rock to trick other animals until his own trick backfires.

Books About Spiders for Kindergarten

Kindergartners enjoy books with clear pictures, simple sentences, and fun facts they can easily understand. They like learning about animals through colorful illustrations, interesting details, and engaging text that encourages curiosity.

Here are some captivating books about spiders for kindergarteners:

Fun Facts About Spiders (Dash! Leveled Readers Level 2: Animal Fun Facts) by Julie Murray: A leveled nonfiction reader sharing interesting and kid-friendly facts about spiders, perfect for early independent reading.

Amazing Arachnids: Spiders and Their Relatives (Wonder Books: Exploring Invertebrates) by Catherine Ipcizade: A nonfiction book that introduces young readers to spiders and related creatures, highlighting their unique features and behaviors.

Spiders Are Not Insects (Rookie Read-About Science) by Allan Fowler: A simple science book explaining how spiders differ from insects, with clear text and photos that help young readers understand basic biology.

Spiders by Gail Gibbons: A richly illustrated nonfiction book that explores spider anatomy, webs, and habits in a way that is both informative and accessible for young learners. A classic!

Books About Spiders for 1st Grade

First graders enjoy books that combine fascinating facts with clear, accessible text. They like learning about animals through engaging photos or illustrations, organized information, and exciting “wow” details that make each creature seem extraordinary.

Here are some enthralling books about spiders for first graders:

Black Widow Spiders (Super Spiders) by Lisa J. Amstutz: A nonfiction book that introduces readers to black widow spiders, highlighting their appearance, behavior, and unique traits in an easy-to-understand format. (If you click on the link to this book, others in the series will appear as well.)

Cave Spiders (Super Spiders) by Lisa J. Amstutz: Explores spiders that live in caves, explaining how they survive in dark environments and what makes them different from other spiders.

Funnel-Web Spiders (Super Spiders) by Lisa J. Amstutz: A kid-friendly introduction to funnel-web spiders, detailing their habitats, web-building, and interesting behaviors.

Tarantulas (Super Spiders) by Lisa J. Amstutz: Presents tarantulas in an accessible way, covering their size, diet, and habits, along with fun facts that capture young readers’ interest.

Trapdoor Spiders (Super Spiders) by Lisa J. Amstutz: Shows how trapdoor spiders live and hunt, emphasizing their clever burrow-building skills and nocturnal behaviors.

Wolf Spiders (Super Spiders) by Lisa J. Amstutz: Focuses on wolf spiders, highlighting their hunting techniques, habitats, and characteristics that make them unique among spiders.

Books About Spiders for 2nd Grade

Second graders enjoy books that provide clear, organized information with engaging photos or illustrations. They like learning about different species, habitats, and behaviors, especially when facts are presented in a way that feels exciting and easy to understand.

Here are some attention-getting books about spiders for second graders:

All About American House Spiders (Spiders Around the World: North America) by John Bankston: Introduces readers to common house spiders in North America, explaining their habitats, habits, and how they interact with humans. (The books in this series are available on the Mitchell Lane website.)

All About North American Black Widow Spiders (Spiders Around the World: North America) by John Bankston: A nonfiction book that describes black widow spiders, their appearance, behavior, and unique traits in clear, age-appropriate language.

All About North American Cellar Spiders (Spiders Around the World: North America) by John Bankston: Focuses on cellar spiders, showing where they live, how they build webs, and what makes them interesting.

All About North American Hobo Spiders (Spiders Around the World: North America) by John Bankston: Introduces hobo spiders, explaining their behaviors, habitats, and distinguishing characteristics.

All About North American Trapdoor Spiders (Spiders Around the World: North America) by John Bankston: Describes trapdoor spiders’ unique burrow-building techniques and hunting strategies.

All About North American Wolf Spiders (Spiders Around the World: North America) by John Bankston: Highlights wolf spiders’ hunting skills, habitats, and behaviors, making them exciting and accessible for young readers.

Books About Spiders for 3rd Grade

Third graders enjoy books that go beyond basic facts, offering detailed information, interesting behaviors, and real-world connections. They like organized text, clear photos or illustrations, and fascinating “wow” details that make learning about animals exciting and memorable.

Here are some interest-sparking books about spiders for third graders:

Garden Spiders (Pogo Books: All About Arachnids) by Jenna Lee Gleisner: Explores the lives of garden spiders, including their webs, hunting strategies, and role in gardens, with kid-friendly text and photos. (If you click on the link to this book, others in the series will appear as well.)

Huntsman Spiders (Pogo Books: All About Arachnids) by Jenna Lee Gleisner: Introduces huntsman spiders, highlighting their speed, hunting habits, and distinctive physical features.

Jumping Spiders (Pogo Books: All About Arachnids) by Becca Becker: Focuses on jumping spiders’ unique vision and leaping abilities, showing how they hunt and navigate their environment.

Trapdoor Spiders (Pogo Books: All About Arachnids) by Becca Becker: Describes how trapdoor spiders build hidden burrows and ambush prey, emphasizing their clever survival strategies.

Water Spiders (Pogo Books: All About Arachnids) by Natalie Deniston: A nonfiction look at water spiders and their fascinating ability to live underwater in air-filled webs.

Wolf Spiders (Pogo Books: All About Arachnids) by Becca Becker: Highlights wolf spiders’ hunting skills, habitats, and behaviors, giving readers a clear picture of these active arachnids.

Books About Spiders for 4th Grade

Fourth graders enjoy books that mix fascinating facts with engaging visuals and storytelling. They like books that explore real-world science, debunk myths, and include exciting or surprising details that keep them curious and motivated to read.

Here are some amazing books about spiders for fourth graders:

Shocking Spiders (World’s Scariest Creatures): A nonfiction book that highlights some of the most surprising and unusual spider species, emphasizing shocking facts and dramatic behaviors to captivate young readers.

All Things Spiders for Kids: Filled With Plenty of Facts, Photos, and Fun to Learn All About Spiders by Animal Reads: A comprehensive, kid-friendly guide to spiders, featuring detailed facts, photos, and interactive learning elements to engage curious minds.

Scurry! The Truth About Spiders by Annette Whipple: A nonfiction book that combines factual information with fun storytelling, explaining spider habits, habitats, and behaviors while making them accessible and interesting for children.

Books About Spiders for 5th Grade

Fifth graders enjoy books that combine in-depth information with engaging storytelling or visuals. They are drawn to books that challenge them with detailed science, real-world examples, and fascinating facts about animal behavior, adaptations, and ecosystems.

Here are some fascinating books about spiders for fifth graders:

How Spiders and Other Invertebrates Attack (Predator vs. Prey): A nonfiction book exploring the hunting strategies of spiders and other invertebrates, highlighting predator-prey interactions in an exciting, accessible way for young readers.

The Coolest Spiders: A Kid’s Guide to the Amazing World of Arachnids (Wildlife Series) by Jason T. Walters: A fun and informative guide that introduces readers to a variety of spider species, their behaviors, and remarkable adaptations with kid-friendly text and visuals.

Spiders of the World: A Natural History (A Guide to Every Family) by Norman I. Platnick: A comprehensive reference book that offers detailed information on spider taxonomy, families, and global diversity, providing an in-depth resource for curious young readers.

Play Spider Bingo

Help students learn baby elephant vocabulary terms by playing Spider Bingo. This free virtual bingo template may be played using Google Slides. This activity can be part of a nature study unit. Make your own copy, then replace the free images and words with spider images and vocabulary, then reuse the template as many times as you like.

 

It’s fully customizable when you make your own copy and includes a teacher page, too!

Get my free virtual bingo board!

More Resources for Readers

The best way to encourage a love of reading is to provide kids with many opportunities to engage with a wide variety of books that are of interest to them. At Book and Tech Tips I want to make it easy for you to find great books kids will love. Over the years I’ve also discovered some helpful tools for connecting kids, adults, and books.

Online digital libraries are one very handy way to do this. Epic! is one of our favorite online libraries. It’s full of over 25,000 books, learning videos, quizzes and more for kids 12 and under…and it’s free for educators. Click here to learn more and sign up.

Another great free digital library is ReadingIQ. It’s also free for educators and has a wide selection of titles.

If you download the free Libby app, you can access many digital audiobooks from your public library. Audiobooks are perfect for car trips!

Looking for a book that is out of print? Try searching Thriftbooks online. There are over 13 million titles available.

Looking for More Book Ideas?

If you enjoyed this list of spider books, you might like these book lists as well:

Have a wonderful week, and enjoy reading books about spiders!

Lisa Mitchell is a former classroom teacher, now a school librarian, who likes to use her job as an excuse to stay up far too late reading books and noodling around with tech tools. To learn more about what this website has to offer, click on over to the About page.