Westly: A Spider's Tale

Westly: A Spider's Tale by Bryan Beus

Blurb: 

"This is the tale of a caterpillar named Westly, destined to become a Monarch butterfly--and the next king. But sometimes things don't turn out the way we plan. When Westly emerges from his cocoon, not as a beautiful butterfly, but as a spider, he is rejected by the butterfly kingdom and undertakes a journey to discover who he really is. Adopted by the other bugs, the 'dirt eaters,' Westly is determined to make a difference, to belong, to be loved, and most importantly, to become who he was born to be. Delightfully illustrated by the author, Westly: A Spider's Tale is a story about discovering one's true potential, learning that being different is not a bad thing, and that even misfits can grow up to be heroes."

My Review:

Move over Aesop, here comes Westly! This is a modern-day fable; it is a fast, easy read, and has many great lessons in it. Westly is so surprised when he emerges from his cocoon, and so is everyone else. He doesn't know what to think, and neither does anyone else. He runs away from his lifetime home, and while he is out and about, he learns a lot about himself. Westly is a good, real character. He isn't perfect, but he tries really hard. He has realistic emotions and reactions to different situations. The other characters around him are also well developed. You can easily picture all the different personalities and stereotypes, and you can almost pick someone out from your past to play all the parts in the story. The book is well written. It has an interesting story line with some surprises along the way. I love all the different lessons that Westly learns along his journey. It's ok to be different. Being different gives you individual strengths and weaknesses, which is a good thing. You won't always fit in, and that's ok; don't let that bring you down. Bloom where you are planted. Do the best you can wherever you are. Family is important. Be wary of those around you who want to deceive you. (You know, the wolves in sheep's clothing.)  Have a positive attitude. Do your best. Sometimes we make mistakes, and that's ok; what is important is learning from those mistakes and doing better next time. Take responsibility for your actions, even if it's hard. I liked the book and think my kids will enjoy it. I'd say it a good middle-grader read. This book would elicit a great discussion in a classroom. 

This story does get a little scary in a few parts. It doesn't have any profanity or "intimacy," (thank you!), but it does have some minor violence. There is a "bad guy," and there are some characters that are lost (killed). There is some fighting against the bad guy.  

Rating: PG+ (No profanity or "intimacy," but there is some violence with fighting and the death of some characters.)

Recommendation: 4th grade and up.

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.