View source for Hairy Horror by Sandra Glover

{{infobox2
|title=Hairy Horror
|author=Sandra Glover
|reviewer=Louise Jones
|genre=Confident Readers
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=9781783440337
|pages=96
|publisher=Andersen Press
|date=April 2014
|aznuk=1783440333
|aznus=1783440333
|cover=1783440333
|website=http://www.sandraglover.co.uk/
|summary=Anna is terrified of her brother's giant pet spider, Tula. Can she ever overcome her fear of this Hairy Horror?
}}
In many ways, Anna’s life changed for the better when her mum married Steve. She now has a real dad for the first time in her life, as well as a beautiful home in the countryside and a gorgeous new baby brother, Jamie. In fact, you could describe her new life as almost perfect, apart from one rather major detail: her teenage brother Hal has a Top-Secret lab in the basement and he has been working on a BIG project involving a hairy tarantula called Tula. If there is one thing that Anna can’t stand, it’s spiders and Tula is anything but an ordinary spider...

Arachnaphobes may want to give this book a miss, especially considering that the main character is a giant house-spider. Tula is rather lovely once you get to know her though. She has a penchant for housework and babysitting and the family soon warm to her after their initial reservations. Anna has more serious concerns though. The very thought of a giant spider running around the house makes her physically sick. Can she ever come to terms with her brother’s new pet?

''Hairy Horror'' is a funny and charming story about a misunderstood arachnid who wants nothing more in life than to polish, hoover, dust and iron. The characters in the book were memorable and likeable, especially the adorable baby Jamie and his mad-scientist brother Hal. My favourite scene in the book was when Anna went in the bathroom for a relaxing bath and discovered Tula cleaning the tub; a humorous spin on ‘finding a spider in the bath’. I liked the way that Anna’s relationship with Hal and Tula develops as the story progresses and the fact that she slowly grows to like the eponymous spider, just before the police arrive after a tip-off and threaten to ruin everything.

I also love the idea of a spider that does the housework...Maybe I ought to start a Top Secret Project of my own!

If you like this, and crave more spidery fun, you will enjoy [[I'm Just Not Keen On Spiders (Charlie and Lola) by Lauren Child]].

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