The Magic of Spider Woman

by Lois Duncan

Award-winning author Lois Duncan and Navajo artist Shonto Begay collaborate in this enchanting Navajo teaching tale. Through the magic of Spider Woman, a young girl learns one of the most vital lessons of Navajo culture--the importance of leading a balanced life. Full color.

N.Y. Public Library "100 Best Children's Books of the Year"

Genres: Picture Books, Native American, Childrens, Folk Tales, Cultural, Indigenous, Mythology

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1996

About the author

Lois Duncan (born Lois Duncan Steinmetz) was an American writer and novelist, known primarily for her books for children and young adults, in particular (and some times controversially considering her young readership) crime thrillers. Duncan's parents were the noted magazine photographers Lois Steinmetz and Joseph Janney Steinmetz. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Sarasota, Florida. Duncan started writing and submitting manuscripts to magazines at the age of ten, and when she was thirteen succeeded in selling her first story.

Duncan attended Duke University from 1952 to 1953 but dropped out, married, and started a family. During this time, she continued to write and publish magazine articles; over the course of her career, she has published more than 300 articles, in magazines such as Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, and Reader's Digest. After her first marriage, which produced three children, ended in divorce, Duncan moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to teach journalism at the University of New Mexico, where she also earned a BA in English in 1977. In 1965 she married Don Arquette, and had two more children with him.

Duncan was best known for her novels of suspense for teenagers. Some of her works have been adapted for the screen, the most famous example being the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer, adapted from her novel of the same title. Other made-for-TV movies include Stranger with My Face, Killing Mr. Griffin, Don't Look Behind You, Summer of Fear and Gallows Hill.

In 1989 the youngest of Duncan's children, Kaitlyn Arquette, was murdered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, under suspicious circumstances. Who Killed My Daughter? relates the facts and conjecture about the still unsolved case.

Duncan's second book about her daughter's murder, ONE TO THE WOLVES: ON THE TRAIL OF A KILLER, picks up where the first book leaves off and contains all the new information Kait's family has uncovered from private investigation.

The 1971 children's book Hotel for Dogs was released as a theatrical movie in 2009, starring Emma Roberts. That book has now been republished by Scholastic along with two sequels, News for Dogs (2009) and Movie for Dogs (2010).

Duncan's Gothic suspense novel, DOWN A DARK HALL, is being filmed for the Big Screen and will probably be released in 2016.


Follow Lois on Twitter: http://twitter.com/duncanauthor
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?i...
http://www.kaitarquette.arquettes.com

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the blurb, the story sounds a little like the Arachne myth, but it is only superficially similar. (weaving, a goddess, a spider, a warning about moderation).

[Amalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A folktale from the Native American Navajo tribe about spiders and the origin of weaving. I liked this book for the lessons it teaches.

[Eden Silverfox · Rating 4 out of 5]

She is called Wandering Girl because she wanders all over with her sheep. But one night she comes back and has no place to sleep so she is out in the cold.
Spider Woman hears her cries for a warm place and decides to help Wandering Girl. She teaches her how to take the wool from her sheep and turn it into warm blankets for the people. But she must keep her promise not to weave too much, or something terrible will happen.

I really liked this book, the story and the lesson it teaches. The pictures are really beautiful too. I recommend this to anyone who likes Native American stories/legends.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Art is gorgeous. Good story

[Shayla]

I enjoy reading this book for many reasons. For the most part, I am a Native American from the Navajo tribe and this book was excellent because it portrays a Navajo woman weaving a Navajo rug. I think this book is great for children because it teaches the discipline of listening to what is being told. For instance, the legendary Holy Spirit being Spider Woman told the Navajo woman not to weave with perfection but to weave with happy thoughts. The reason is if one becomes too serious with weaving than they will be trapped inside the tapestry itself. In addition, the illustration was so beautiful and the story itself was great.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one that provides a window into the world of Native Americans, specifically the Navajo Tribe. We follow Wandering Girl in her search for who she is and of her future. It teaches us the tradition of blanket weaving, as well as the consequence of not adhering to a warning. Even if the reader is not Navajo, a message that can be taken from this legend is the price paid when we chose to not follow rules or warnings. There is a note before the story recognizing the author's success in maintaining the integrity of the legend; which gives me as the reader, confidence in the story.

[Darrin Cayatineto]

when reading the magic of spider women I think it was appropriate for children because you can have them do a little project of weaving a little rug. when doing this you could have them do step by step follow the teacher. then when your finish you could have them write a paragraph on what they learn about the book when reading. they can also do the post it and have them write down what they thought was important about the book.

[SARAH · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Native American legend about a Weaving Woman whose spirit gets trapped in the blanket she is weaving because she is too obsessed with it. Then spirit Spider Woman is allowed to pull some threads to make a pathway for her to get out. Not to be disrespectful, but Native American legends have not ever made that much sense to me.

[Grissel Vargas · Rating 5 out of 5]

the spiders have a hard outer covering bodies the spiders are very scary.

[Annabel Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

5yo

It's about how somebody helps somebody who got trapped inside her big blanket that she made.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Navajo folktale about spiders and the origin of weaving.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just ok. I almost wish it was a bit longer.