Spider Boy is a young adult novel written by Ralph Fletcher, first published in 1997.

[1] Elizabeth Watson in her review for Horn Book Magazine said that "while accessible and fast-moving, the book is not lightweight; it deals head on with problems such as the bully who deliberately kills one of Bobby's pet tarantulas, a cheating incident, and the question of forgiveness.

Although the book is somewhat didactically programmed, Bobby remains a sympathetic protagonist, realistic in his imperfections.

The supporting characters are stereotypes (bully, understanding teacher, confident older sister).

Bobby finds a niche for his unique interests, new friends with whom to play football, and a teensy bit of romance.