About Jerry Spinelli

Spinelli is known for contending with themes that are highly relatable to young people in his novels. These include identity, adolescence, and other challenges one might face while growing up. His best-loved novels are those that appeal to pre-teens and teenagers who are only just starting to discover their personalities and may be struggling to fit in with their peers.

Famous Books

• Stargirl – This is a unique young adult novel that follows high schoolers and, specifically, a young girl named Stargirl who sets herself apart due to her unique personality and interests. It should inspire readers to stay true to themselves no matter how the world treats them. It’s one of his most popular novels and is read by middle and high schoolers around the world.
• Maniac Magee – This is another well-known Jerry Spinelli novel. It won the Newbery Award in 1991 and features a town that is intensely segregated. The title character is a runner who becomes incredibly well-known for his athleticism and kindness. He cares nothing for the racial boundaries the city tries to implement. In 2003, a TV movie was made of the novel.
• Wringer – This is another really popular Spinelli novel that won the Newberry Award in 1997. It features a young boy named Palmer who lives in Waymer, a unique town that celebrates by releasing pigeons into the air and shooting them to raise money. The story follows Waymer as he contends with the pigeon shooting and the various young people of the town.
• Eggs – This is another quirky novel that focuses on two children. It was published in 2007. One of the two children is David, whose mother slipped and died. He meets Primrose Dufee, a thirteen-year-old girl who is unlike anyone he’s ever met. She’s beautiful and lives in a van outside her home.
• Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush? – This is a children’s novel that’s one of Spinelli’s lesser-known books. It was published in 1984. The book follows the different arguments and conflicts that arise between siblings. The main characters are based on Spinelli’s children. The characters’ names are Megin and Greg. Interestingly, Leo Borlock is mentioned in this book. He is later featured as the main character in ‘Stargirl.’ 

Early Life

Jerry Spinelli was born in Norristown, PA, and focused mainly on sports when he was a child. One of his earliest pieces of writing was a poem about a recent football game. It was later published in a local newspaper by his father, without Spinelli knowing.

When speaking about his life, he also noted that it was around this time that he realized that a career in sports was not going to be in his future, and he decided to become a writer.

He attended Gettysburg College and while there worked as the editor of the college’s literary magazine, The Mercury. After finishing school, he worked a similar job as the writer and editor of a magazine.

For the years that followed, Spinelli worked what he called “normal jobs,” making time when he could to write.

Writing Career

At the beginning of his career, Spinelli was interested in writing books for adults but after struggling to get any traction in that genre, he moved into writing young adult fiction. His first book for kids was published in 1982. It was followed by his award-winning ‘Maniac Magee’ in 1990. He then wrote ‘Wringer,’ ‘Stargirl,’ and ‘Milkweed,’ in 199, 2000, and 2003, respectively.

More recently, he published a follow-up to ‘Stargirl’ titled ‘Love, Stargirl’ in 2009. Then, ’Jake and Lily’ in 2012, ‘Hokey Pokey’ in 2013, and Mama Seeton’s Whistle’ in 2015.

Spinelli has also worked with his wife, Eileen, to create children’s books, like ‘Today I Will: A Year of Quotes, Notes and Promises to Myself’ which was released in 2009.

Literature by Jerry Spinelli

Explore literature by Jerry Spinelli below, created by the team at Book Analysis.