
I'm Trying to Love Spiders
by Bethany Barton · Grades K–2 · Nonfiction
I'm Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton is on US reading lists at grades k–2. It appears on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists, across 2 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Ages 5–7 · Grades K–2 · 40 pages. The button opens the hardcover edition (ISBN 9780670016938). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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Assigned across 2 curriculum lists · 2 states
Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).
This page shows where I'm Trying to Love Spiders is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
Reading level at a glance
- Grade range
- Grades K–2
- Age range
- Ages 5–7
- Pages
- 40
- Reading time
- about 45 minutes (est.)
- First published
- 2015
- Genre
- Nonfiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780670016938
Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.
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About this book
Book facts and sources (2)
- On award reading lists
- Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (source: maslmd.org)
- Kentucky Bluegrass Award (source: kasl.us)
- Catalog record
- First published 2015 · 40 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)
Similar grade-level books
Frog and Toad Are FriendsArnold Lobel · 350L
The Cat in the HatDr. Seuss · 430L
Green Eggs and HamDr. Seuss · 210L
Amelia BedeliaPeggy Parish · 380L
See all books like I'm Trying to Love Spiders→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why it is assigned
This nonfiction title is typically read at grades k–2. Written in the 2010s; cited on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists.
Where this book is recommended
Kentucky Bluegrass Award
- recommended·Kindergarten grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle, 2017 winner (K-2)
- recommended·1st grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle, 2017 winner (K-2)
- recommended·2nd grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle, 2017 winner (K-2)
Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
- recommended·Kindergarten grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2017 winner (Picture Book)
- recommended·1st grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2017 winner (Picture Book)
- recommended·2nd grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2017 winner (Picture Book)
- recommended·3rd grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2017 winner (Picture Book)
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Common questions
- What grade level is I'm Trying to Love Spiders?
- I'm Trying to Love Spiders is listed for grades K–2. It appears on 2 state book-award lists across 2 states, from kindergarten to grade 3. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read I'm Trying to Love Spiders?
- It takes about 45 minutes to read I'm Trying to Love Spiders (40 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 45 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign I'm Trying to Love Spiders?
- I'm Trying to Love Spiders appears on reading lists for Kentucky Bluegrass Award, Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is I'm Trying to Love Spiders banned in schools?
- I'm Trying to Love Spiders does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally. See the banned books list by state.
Why this book is on this list
How we classifyHide
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
- Grade band
- Grades K–2 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- On state book-award lists in 2 states (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.