Most Popular Books by Jerry Spinelli

ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A modern-day classic from Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli, this beloved celebration of individuality is now an original movie on Disney+! And don''t miss the author''s highly anticipated new novel, Dead Wednesday! Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’ s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first. Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal. In this celebration of nonconformity, Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the perils of popularity and the thrill and inspiration of first love. Don’t miss the sequel, Love, Stargirl, as well as The Warden’s Daughter, a novel about another girl who can''t help but stand out. “Spinelli is a poet of the prepubescent. . . . No writer guides his young characters, and his readers, past these pitfalls and challenges and toward their futures with more compassion.” —The New York Times

The long-awaited prequel to the bestseller FOURTH GRADE RATSGeorge, aka "Suds," has just entered third grade, and he''s heard the rhyme about "first grade babies/second grade cats/third grade angels/fourth grade rats," but what does this mean for his school year? It means that his teacher, Mrs. Simms, will hold a competition every month to see which student deserves to be awarded "the halo" - which student is best-behaved, kindest to others, and, in short, perfect. Suds is determined to be the first to earn the halo, but he''s finding the challenge of always being good to be more stressful than he had anticipated. Does he have to be good even outside of school? (Does he have to be nice to his annoying little sister?) And if Mrs. Simms doesn''t actually see him doing a good deed, does it even count?A warm, funny return to elementary school from master storyteller Spinelli.

Take a look behind the bully in this modern classic from Newbery medalist Jerry Spinelli that packs a punch. And don''t miss the highly anticipated new novel, Dead Wednesday. Cocky seventh-grade super-jock Crash Coogan got his nickname the day he used his first football helmet to knock his cousin Bridget flat on her backside. And he has been running over people ever since, especially Penn Webb, the dweeby, vegetarian Quaker kid who lives down the block. Through the eyes of Crash, readers get a rare glimpse into the life of a bully in this unforgettable and beloved story about stereotypes and the surprises life can bring. "Readers will devour this humorous glimpse of what jocks are made of." --School Library Journal, starred review

When I grow up, what shall I be? This exuberant book offers up everything from a paper plane folder to a puppy dog holder, from a silly joke teller to a snowball smoother. Newbery-Award winning author Jerry Spinelli''s simple and charming rhymes are accompanied by internationally-renowned illustrator Jimmy Liao''s vibrant and fantastical illustrations. This book is an imaginative joyride about hopes and dreams, and a reminder of all the possibilities life has to offer. So, what do you want to be? Remember--you can be anything!

The New York Times bestselling sequel to Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli’s modern-day classic Stargirl, now an original film on Disney+! And don''t miss the author''s highly anticipated new novel, Dead Wednesday! Love, Stargirl picks up a year after Stargirl ends and reveals the new life of the beloved character who moved away so suddenly at the end of Stargirl. The novel takes the form of "the world''s longest letter," in diary form, going from date to date through a little more than a year''s time. In her writing, Stargirl mixes memories of her bittersweet time in Mica, Arizona, with involvements with new people in her life. In Love, Stargirl, we hear the voice of Stargirl herself as she reflects on time, life, Leo, and - of course - love. “Spinelli is a poet of the prepubescent. . . . No writer guides his young characters, and his readers, past these pitfalls and challenges and toward their futures with more compassion.” —The New York Times

Palmer LaRue is running out of birthdays. For as long as he can remember, he''s dreaded the day he turns ten -- the day he''ll take his place beside all the other ten-year-old boys in town, the day he''ll be a wringer. But Palmer doesn''t want to be a wringer. It''s one of the first things he learned about himself and it''s one of the biggest things he has to hide. In Palmer''s town being a wringer is an honor, a tradition passed down from father to son. Palmer can''t stop himself from being a wringer just like he can''t stop himself from growing one year older, just like he can''t stand up to a whole town -- right? Newbery Medal winner Jerry Spinelli''s most powerful novel yet is a gripping tale of how one boy learns how not to be afraid.

A Newbery Medal winning modern classic about a racially divided small town and a boy who runs. Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee might have lived a normal life if a freak accident hadn''t made him an orphan. After living with his unhappy and uptight aunt and uncle for eight years, he decides to run--and not just run away, but run. This is where the myth of Maniac Magee begins, as he changes the lives of a racially divided small town with his amazing and legendary feats.

Can playing dead bring you back to life? Maybe on Dead Wednesday… On this day the worlds of a shy boy and a gone girl collide, and the connection they make will change them both forever. A brilliant new novel from the Newbery Medal winner and author of the New York Times bestseller Stargirl. "Jerry Spinelli has created another middle grade masterpiece." —BookPage, starred review On Dead Wednesday, every eighth grader in Amber Springs is assigned the name and identity of a teenager who died a preventable death in the past year. The kids don black shirts and for the whole day everyone in town pretends they''re invisible—as if they weren''t even there. The adults think it will make them contemplate their mortality. The kids know it''s a free pass to get away with anything. Worm Tarnauer feels invisible every day. He''s perfectly happy being the unnoticed sidekick of his friend Eddie. So he''s not expecting Dead Wednesday to feel that different. But he didn''t count on being assigned Becca Finch (17, car crash). And he certainly didn''t count on Becca showing up to boss him around! Letting this girl into his head is about to change everything. This is the story of the unexpected, heartbreaking, hilarious, truly epic day when Worm Tarnauer discovers his own life.

Now a seventh grader, Jason finds out the hard way just how different things are where ninth graders are the kings.

From renowned Newbery-winning author Jerry Spinelli comes a powerful story about how not fitting in just might lead to an incredible life. This classic book is perfect for fans of Gordon Korman and Carl Hiaasen. Just like other kids, Zinkoff rides his bike, hopes for snow days, and wants to be like his dad when he grows up. But Zinkoff also raises his hand with all the wrong answers, trips over his own feet, and falls down with laughter over a word like "Jabip." Other kids have their own word to describe him, but Zinkoff is too busy to hear it. He doesn''t know he''s not like everyone else. And one winter night, Zinkoff''s differences show that any name can someday become "hero." With some of his finest writing to date and great wit and humor, Jerry Spinelli creates a story about a boy''s individuality surpassing the need to fit in and the genuine importance of failure. As readers follow Zinkoff from first through sixth grade, it becomes impossible not to identify with and root for him through failures and triumphs. The perfect classroom read.

Newbery medalist Jerry Spinelli has penned his early autobiography with all the warmth, humor, and drama of his best-selling fiction. And don''t miss the author''s highly anticipated new novel, Dead Wednesday! "A master of those embarrassing, gloppy, painful, and suddenly wonderful things that happen on the razor''s edge between childhood and full-fledged adolescence" --The Washington Post From first memories through high school, including first kiss, first punch, first trip to the principal''s office, and first humiliating sports experience, this is not merely an account of a highly unusual childhood. Rather, like Spinelli''s fiction, its appeal lies in the accessibility and universality of his life. Entertaining and fast-paced, this is a highly readable memoir-- a must-have for Spinelli fans of all ages.

This Father''s Day show dad how much you care with this gift-book celebrating the moments you share! I can''t wait for my daddy to come home from work. There are so many things to do! In a loving tribute to fathers and sons, Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli and New Yorker artist Seymour Chwast join talents to celebrate the very best moment of the day: when daddy comes home.

Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush? Sibling rivalry at its finest! Whether it''s on the hockey ice, at school, or at home, Greg and Megin just can''t seem to get along. She calls him Grosso, he calls her Megamouth. They battle with donuts, cockroaches, and hair. Will it take a tragedy for them to realize how much they actually care for each other?

A stunning novel of the Holocaust from Newbery Medalist, Jerry Spinelli. And don''t miss the author''s highly anticipated new novel, Dead Wednesday! He''s a boy called Jew. Gypsy. Stopthief. Filthy son of Abraham. He''s a boy who lives in the streets of Warsaw. He''s a boy who steals food for himself, and the other orphans. He''s a boy who believes in bread, and mothers, and angels. He''s a boy who wants to be a Nazi, with tall, shiny jackboots of his own-until the day that suddenly makes him change his mind. And when the trains come to empty the Jews from the ghetto of the damned, he''s a boy who realizes it''s safest of all to be nobody. Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli takes us to one of the most devastating settings imaginable-Nazi-occupied Warsaw during World War II-and tells a tale of heartbreak, hope, and survival through the bright eyes of a young Holocaust orphan.

What is stargazer, skateboarder, chess champ, pepperoni pizza eater, older brother, sister hater, best friend, first kisser, science geek, control freak Will Tuppence so afraid of in this great big universe? Jerry Spinelli knows.

Thirteen-year-old Maisie joins her school''s formerly all-male wrestling team and tries to last through the season, despite opposition from other students, her best friend, and her own teammates.

The lives of four young people in different circumstances are changed by their encounters with books. Four humorous, poignant stories about how books changed the lives of several youngsters.

From Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli comes the story of a girl searching for happiness inside the walls of a prison. And don''t miss the author''s highly anticipated new novel, Dead Wednesday! Cammie O''Reilly lives at the Hancock County Prison--not as a prisoner, she''s the warden''s daughter. She spends the mornings hanging out with shoplifters and reformed arsonists in the women''s excercise yard, which gives Cammie a certain cache with her school friends. But even though Cammie''s free to leave the prison, she''s still stuck. And sad, and really mad. Her mother died saving her from harm when she was just a baby. You wouldn''t think you could miss something you never had, but on the eve of her thirteenth birthday, the thing Cammie most wants is a mom. A prison might not be the best place to search for a mother, but Cammie is determined and she''s willing to work with what she''s got. "A tapestry of grief and redemption, woven by a master storyteller ....Moving and memorable." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Mourning the loss of his mother, nine-year-old David forms an unlikely friendship with independent, quirky thirteen-year-old Primrose, as the two help each other deal with what is missing in their lives.

Bertie''s all-girl gang becomes involved in a harmless but heartfelt war with an all-boy gang, until Bertie''s grandmother steps in with a perfect solution.

A fast, fun, friendship read from the Newbery-award winning author of , Maniac Magee. Fourth graders are tough. They aren''t afraid of spiders. They say no to their moms. They push first graders off the swings. And they never, ever cry.Suds knows that now that he''s in fourth grade, he''s supposed to be a rat. But whenever he tries to act like one, something goes wrong. Can Suds''s friend Joey teach him to toughen up...or will Suds remain a fourth grade wimp?

Beloved Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli, author of Maniac Magee and Wringer, addresses issues of identity, belonging, family, and bullying in this humorous and heartfelt novel about twins. Jake and Lily are twins. Despite their slightly different interests and temperaments, they feel exactly the same—like two halves of one person. But the year they turn eleven, everything changes. Their parents announce it’s time for separate bedrooms. Jake starts hanging out with a pack of boys on the block. And Lily is devastated, not to mention angry. Who is she without Jake? And as her brother falls under the influence of the neighborhood bully, he also must ask himself—who is the real Jake? This is an often funny, poignant, and profound story of growing up, growing apart, and the difficult process of figuring out who you really are.

On the first morning of the first day of their summer vacation, J.D. Kidd and his best friend resolve to have an absolutely perfect day before the summer ends.

Welcome to Hokey Pokey. A place and a time, when childhood is at its best: games to play, bikes to ride, experiences to be had. There are no adults in Hokey Pokey, just kids, and the laws governing Hokey Pokey are simple and finite. But when one of the biggest kids, Jack, has his beloved bike stolen—and by a girl, no less—his entire world, and the world of Hokey Pokey, turns to chaos. Without his bike, Jack feels like everything has started to go wrong. He feels different, not like himself, and he knows something is about to change. And even more troubling he alone hears a faint train whistle. But that''s impossible: every kid knows there no trains in Hokey Pokey, only tracks. Master storyteller Jerry Spinelli has written a dizzingly inventive fable of growing up and letting go, of leaving childhood and its imagination play behind for the more dazzling adventures of adolescence, and of learning to accept not only the sunny part of day, but the unwelcome arrival of night, as well.

Four friends discover ways to fit in at school during the football season.

Picnics! Singing! Fireworks! It''s time to celebrate the best day of all--the Fourth of July! Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli and award-winning illustrator Larry Day join forces to celebrate America''s birthday, the Fourth of July. A responsible little boy who''s eager to do his part wakes up joyful and ready to celebrate his favorite day of all. But there''s a lot of work to do--pies to be baked, deviled eggs to be filled--and the boy has lots of jobs to complete before he can enjoy the fun . . . the world''s best picnic! Face painting! A band concert! And then, after what seems like the longest wait ever . . . he can kick back and enjoy the fireworks with the rest of the country. This delicious and spirited book celebrates small town America and is full of nostalgia for times gone by, yet absolutely of the moment.

Without even thinking about it,Mama Seeton puckered her lips and whistled.It was not a loud whistle.Or a fancy whistle. Just a simple two-note whistle. When Mama Seeton whistles, her children run home for chocolate cake, hugs, kisses, and shared memories. But as time passes, they travel farther and farther away from the familiar sound. Can mama''s whistle be heard all over the world, and bring her children home one more time? Newbery Award-winning author Jerry Spinelli''s sweet lyrical text and New York Times bestselling illustrator LeUyen Pham''s charming illustrations show the timeless love between a mother and her children.

Jason and Marceline have been friends since the end of seventh grade. Now in ninth grade, Jason''s starting to think that they could be more than friends, and Marceline''s starting to think so, too. But does the beginning of romance mean the end of their friendship?

Certain that the new dance he has learned will finally win Sunny''s heart, Eddie performs the Funky Pickle at school and finds himself attracting Angelpuss, a female classmate with orange spiked hair and a nose ring. Original.

This beloved celebration of individuality is now an original movie on Disney+! A modern-day classic and New York Times bestseller from Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli. And don''t miss the author''s highly anticipated new novel, Dead Wednesday! Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of "Stargirl, Stargirl." She captures Leo Borlock'' s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first. Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal. In this celebration of nonconformity, Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the perils of popularity and the thrill and inspiration of first love. "Spinelli has produced a poetic allegorical tale about the magnificence and rarity of true nonconformity." -- The New York Times