The Spider Strikes: Volume 3
Published on 24. February 2026
Book
Hardback
144 pages
978-1-6659-4726-8 (ISBN)
Description
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?
Reviews / Votes
"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." * <I>Booklist</I> *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Simon & Schuster
Target group
Children/juvenile
US School Grade: From Third Grade to Seventh Grade, Interest Age: From 8 to 12 years
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
f-c jacket--sfx: spot gloss
Dimensions
Height: 213 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
249 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-6659-4726-8 (9781665947268)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
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.