The Not-So Itty-Bitty Spiders (Olive & Beatrix #1)

by Amy Marie Stadelmann

Overview

This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!



Twin sisters Olive and Beatrix don't often get along. Olive is "ordinary" and loves science. But Beatrix is a witch! She has a brain full of tricks, and she uses her magic powers to play pranks on Olive and her best friend, Eddie. In this first book, Beatrix ruins Olive and Eddie's latest science project. So Olive and Eddie play a prank on Bea. They rig up a bucket of spiders over her bedroom door. But when the spiders crawl into one of Bea's magic potions...WHAM! Giant spiders are on the loose! These sisters will have to work together to shrink the not-so itty-bitty spiders down to size!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545814805
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	08/25/2015
Series:	Olive and Beatrix , #1
Pages:	80
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Amy Marie Stadelmann loved to use her imagination to write and illustrate storybooks for fun when she was a child. In fact, it was so much fun, she decided to do it as an adult as well. Amy works on Nick Jr. preschool programs like The Wonder Pets! and Team Umizoomi. She lives in Brooklyn, NY where she enjoys sunny days, mugs of hot cocoa and giving hugs to her grumpy pet rabbit, Oswald. Olive & Beatrix is her first series.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Not-So Itty-Bitty Spiders:

"There is a breezy humor to the dialogue, and some laugh out loud commentary by Beatrix's sardonic pet pig. New readers will find satisfaction in being able to handle a longer book. There are sure to be requests for the planned sequel." -- School Library Connection



Praise for Branches books:

"These books should be considered for larger libraries wanting to enhance their easy-reader collections." -- School Library Journal



"A nice stepping stone to more advanced chapter books." -- Booklist

From the Publisher

2015-07-27
Twins Beatrix and Olive and friend Eddie have an adventure with spiders in this early chapter book. Beatrix, born at the stroke of midnight on a full moon, is a witch, while Olive, born 2 minutes later, is not. Olive and Eddie love science. (This is downplayed: the one bit of text that alludes to science, when Olive tells Beatrix that spiders are not insects because they have eight legs, not six, is cut short by Beatrix, who tells Olive to "stop talking like a teacher"—an unfortunate message.) Beatrix loves to play magical jokes on Eddie and Olive, and they, in turn, hatch a plot to retaliate by dumping spiders on her, since Beatrix is afraid of spiders. Their plan backfires when the spiders get into Beatrix's growing potion and become giant spiders, forcing them to work together to remedy the situation. Although the story moves along, and the ample illustrations (graphic novel-like with plenty of dialogue bubbles) are lively enough, the story never really sparkles. More actual science information would have been welcome, and a stab at diversity—Eddie is shown as grayish (regrettably the same color as Beatrix's pet talking pig), compared to Olive's and Beatrix's paper-white skin tone—doesn't really make an impression. This pleasant tale doesn't stand out. (activities) (Fantasy. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews