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I think there is a 60% chance students would read Spinelli’s books for pleasure reading and 40% chance students would read them for academic purposes. Part of my decision is based on my personal experience in sixth grade when I read Maniac Magee and Wringer during reading groups. The class article “Developmental Characteristics of Young Adolescents” states “teachers need to provide an assortment of educational approaches and materials that are appropriate for their students’ wide-ranging cognitive abilities” (Caskey and Anfara, 2014), Spinelli’s books can be used in literature circles because students can relate to the themes in the books. Novels such as Milkweed, a historical novel set in Poland, I can see used in the classroom to accompany a canonical text about the Holocaust in order to help students better understand the setting and events that were happening during that time period. As stated in Applebee’s study, 63% of public school teachers use the curriculum anthology as their main source of text because teachers are unsure about the literary merit of other sources or texts (Applebee, 1992). I can see this being the case for upper grades and Spinelli’s work not being part of the older anthologies, but as stated earlier I believe his books can be used in junction to other texts. Young adolescents are idealistic, they have a strong sense of fairness, and are developing their personal values (Caskey and Anfara, 2014), topics that are brought up in Spinelli’s work, things they would be able to relate to and would read outside of school. I see Spinelli’s novels mainly used for pleasure reading, such as Hokey Pokey,  Knots in My Yo-Yo String, Smiles to Go, I do see other works being taught either as part of reading groups, literature circles, or along another novel.

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The age range I believe would enjoy Jerry Spinelli’s books are 6th-9th grade, or from 12-15 year olds. The main characters in Spinelli’s books are around these ages, I think children from similar age groups would be interested in his novels. His books are easy to read and easy to follow; the books are written in third person perspective and the events are linear. Though Love, Stargirl includes some flashbacks, the events are relevant to the present story line and are sill easy to follow. The ideas and themes in Spinelli’s books are concrete and his writing style, along with language used, is ideal for younger adolescents. Spinelli’s characters are nonconformist and unique, such as Stargirl or Zinkoff, or what some would see as “different.” Younger adolescents struggle with their sense of identity, they are at the beginning stages of finding themselves. Characters in Smiles to Go, Loser, and Wringer the characters were better able to express their feelings with their actions, rather than their words; early adolescence is marked with this characteristic. Stargirl in Love, Stargirl learns and values friends with whom she can he herself, Palmer in Wringer also appreciates his friendship with Dorothy. In these early ages children are beginning to develop closer friendships with similar peers and these friendships are important to them. At this age young adolescents also begin to deepen their understanding of wright and wrong and are able to stand up for what they believe in. As seen in Wringer, Palmer also had to stand up for what he believed in: not being a part of helping to kill pigeons.

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Jerry Spinelli was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Two Mills, Pennsylvania is the setting for Maniac Magee and The Warden’s Daughter. Two Mills is based on Spinelli’s hometown. He advices young, aspiring writers to write what they know, which is why he chose to base the setting of his books on his hometown; Spinelli wanted his characters to be in a place that is familiar to him.

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The quote above the Minions summarizes another common theme in Spinelli’s books: befriend people who you can be yourself with. When characters in Spinelli’s books change themselves to be the kind of friend their friend wants them to be, they are unhappy. When they are around true friends who they can be themselves with, who they can confide in, they find themselves again; they find the courage to stand up to what they believe.

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Jerry Spinelli has stated that he “mines” his own memories, meaning he gets his ideas based off his own childhood experiences. In this picture I saw Spinelli “being a kid again.” He does not remember things he said or did, but he remembers his reactions and his feelings as a child. He believes children do not change: a child from when he was growing up went through the same things a child of today goes through. Jerry Spinelli believes this is what makes children like his books.

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This image of a person in a different pose than everybody else represents the main characters in Spinelli’s books. It also represents another common theme: nonconformity. Spinelli’s characters, Stargirl and Zinkoff, are not worried about what people think of them. Despite looks and comments from others, they stand for who they are and do not try to fit it.

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This image of a beautiful, red tulip surrounded by white tulips captures a common theme in Jerry Spinelli’s books: be yourself. Most main characters in Spinelli’s work march to the beat of their own drum, and they are okay with that. The characters are happy, they accept themselves, and they love themselves the way they are. When they are not themselves, that is when they are not happy.

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Wringer
Maniac Magee

In 1998 Wringer was titled a Newbery Honor Book and in 1991 Maniac Magee won the Newbery Medal. The Newbery Medal is given by the ALA for the most distinguished children’s book, the Honor Books are the “runners-up.” This award was the first children’s book award in the world.

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Golden Kite Award

In 2004 Milkweed was awarded a Golden Kite Award in the category of fiction. The award is given by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and is therefore judged and awarded by children’s books authors and illustrators.

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Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award

Both Loser and Maniac Magee have won the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award. This award is given by students in Vermont in grades four through eight, who vote for their favorite book. The award honors excellence in children’s literature.

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Spinelli, J. (1997). Wringer. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Palmer does not want to be a wringer. A wringer is a 10 year-old boy who wrings pigeons’ necks who have not died from being shot on Pigeon Day. At age 9 Palmer befriends Beans, Mutto, and Henry—all three love Pigeon Day. Palmer never admits to his friends he does not want to be a wringer, he does not want to be made fun. One day a pigeon pecks at his window and Palmer feeds it, becoming Palmer’s pigeon, Nipper. Palmer hides Nipper from his friends. He confides in Dorothy, a neighbor, who does not like Pigeon Day and they become friends. Palmer’s friends learn about Nipper and unfriend him. He realizes he needs to let Nipper go and asks Dorothy to release him while on her trip to the coast. On Family Fest Palmer goes to see the shooters and finds out Dorothy let Nipper go in the city, by the train tracks, in the same area they catch the pigeons. Palmer looks for Nipper and finds him, except it is too late, Nipper has been hurt. Palmer walks away with Nipper as a young boy asks his dad if he, too, can have a pet pigeon.

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Spinelli, J. (2000). Stargirl. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Leo Borlock moved from Pennsylvania to Arizona when he was 12. During his 11th grade school year a new 10th grader started high school. The new girl, Stargirl, walked to the beat of her own drum. She dressed differently, carried a ukulele around with her and sang in the cafeteria, did not wear makeup, and was simply different than everyone else; she did not care what others thought of her. At first, Leo does not befriend her, but he tells the reader about Stargirl and the increase of her popularity. Until one day at a game she decided not to cheer for her school team because she felt bad for the other team who was losing. This began her decline in popularity. It was also the beginning of the friendship between Leo and Stargirl. As their friendship turned into a romantic relationship, Leo begins to lose friends and confronts Stargirl as to why she cannot be “normal.” Just as quickly as their relationship started, their relationship ended. One day, Leo went to the her house and saw a “For Sale” sign. At visit to his teacher’s house, Archie, Leo learns Stargirl gave up herself for him.

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Spinelli, J. (2007). Love, Stargirl. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

Love, Stargirl, the sequel to Stargirl, is told by Stargirl’s point of view as a letter to Leo, her ex-boyfriend, narrator of Stargirl. Stargirl moved from Arizona to Pennsylvania and is home schooled again. On a meditation trip, she meets Dootsie, an energetic six year old girl, and befriends her. As we read about Stargirl’s adventures with Dootsie, we read Stargirl’s point of view of events and memories with Leo back in Arizona. Stargirl has been having a hard time with her breakup with Leo and has somewhat lost herself. Because of her sadness over the breakup, her happy wagon is down to one pebble. Stargirl also befriends Dootsie’s friend, Betty Lou, a woman with agoraphobia. She also makes a new friend, Perry, who she begins to like, but is torn between Perry and the memories of Leo. Through her adventures and experiences with Dootsie, Betty Lou, and Perry, Stargirl she finds herself.

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Spinelli, J. (2008). Smiles to go. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

As a young child, Will learns about about protons; because of this, he always believed he was indestructible. One day he learns a proton had died, changing his life. His two best friends are Mi-Su and BT, who he finds kissing at a star party. This causes him to realize he likes Mi-Su and asks her to a dance, but he finds out someone already asked her. Will feels discouraged, first a proton died and now Mi-Su had accepted an invitation from someone else. At a chess tournament that he agreed to attend because his annoying little sister, Tabby, would not be there, just as he was getting close to winning, his dad told him they had to leave. Will finds out his sister had an accident and is in the hospital. After realizing how much his sister truly loves him and that he loves her, Will blames himself for the accident. Will is relieved when Tabby wakes up from the coma, and he now sees the world in a different way.

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Spinelli, J. (2002). Loser. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Donald Zinkoff has always been different than other children, a “loser,” though he does not notice. Since the beginning of first grade children have made fun of him, but he has never noticed. He has also always loved school even though he is not the smartest. He does not have real friends—he thought he had them, but they were not really his friends; let alone, a best friend. Zinkoff was ecstatic when he received his first “A,” not because he got an “A,” but because it made everyone happy, not realizing they were really making fun of him. He was always an “extra” on the playground or during field day, nobody wanted him on their team. On a snowy night he found out Claudia was missing. He decided to look for her, not knowing she had been found. He accidentally fell asleep in the snow and his parents went out looking for him and found him at 1 a.m. The town found out about this, including his schoolmates. Students were playing outside and started calling names for teams, Zinkoff is the last one, an extra. Only this time, he was chosen to play.