The Spider Strikes

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About The Book

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?

About The Author

Photograph courtesy of the author

Michael P. Spradlin (1960–2026) was 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 lived in Lapeer, Michigan. 

Product Details

  • Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (February 24, 2026)
  • Length: 144 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781665947282
  • Grades: 3 - 7
  • Ages: 8 - 12

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Raves and Reviews

"Once more, Spradlin sets the scene effectively with grim depictions of Nazi-era Europe....Ominously topical."

Kirkus

"This fast-paced novel provides context for the more familiar events of WWII....Fans of Alan Gratz and Adam Gidwitz will enjoy this book about three boys who must use their wits to outmaneuver their bullies."

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More books from this author: Michael P. Spradlin

More books in this series: The Web of the Spider

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