CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
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The Spider Lady: Nan Songer and Her Arachnid WWII Army
CCBC Review:
Interested in “bugs” since she was a child, a remarkable citizen scientist turns her passion into a career. Nan Songer (white) found pleasure in observing living specimens, an inclination that led to a vast collection of creatures in her home. When a friend informed her that he had used spider’s silk to repair his surveying scope, Nan’s brain lit up. Could she harvest and sell spider silk to make crosshairs in gunsights, periscopes, and more for use in the war? Through trial and error, and with much creativity, Nan discovered that a spider’s dragline, which is cast out when it falls from a height, is optimal; that spiders can be held harmlessly in place with hairpins while their silk is extracted; that a small lightbulb in a popcorn can will illuminate the silk without overheating the spider; that sudden, loud noises can cause spiders to spin a different kind of silk; and that different species, ages, and sexes of spiders spin silk with different characteristics. After testing the silk of more than 50 species, Nan found that the silk of black widows was optimal, and that it could be split or combined with the silk of other spiders, depending on the weight needed. A detailed narrative illuminates the innovation, successes, and challenges behind Nan’s awe-inspiring work. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Anne Lambelet
CCBC Age Recommendation: 7-10
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
20th Century
Creativity
Insects (Informational)
Inventing and Inventors
World War II
On CCBC Booklist:
Picture Books for Older Children and Teens: Never Too Old
Publisher:
Calkins Creek
Publish Year: 2025
Pages: 40
ISBN: 9781662680359
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 595 Klostermann
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.
Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.