Spider Boy — Ralph Fletcher

Spider boy! Spider boy!
Spider boy from Illinois!
He's the best in the West
Friend to all those spider pests --
Oh yeah! Here comes Spider Boy!

Bobby loves spiders, but he doesn't love being called Spider Boy from Illinois by Chick Hall, a bully at his new school. At first Bobby's happy just to write in his journal and care for Thelma, his pet tarantula. Then he's paired with Lucky, another new student, to work on a school project. Bobby finds that Lucky's not bad for a girl, and life starts looking better when Bobby sees his chance for revenge on Chick Hall. Little does Bobby know what Chick has in store for him.