Jerry Spinelli

     In my children's literature class, we have been working on an author study presentation. I was assigned Jerry Spinelli but I had never heard of this author. I began my research and went to the library to check out of few of his books.
     As a child, Jerry Spinelli thought he wanted to be a major league baseball player. After a victorious football game, he wrote  a poem and it was published in the newspaper. It was then that he realized he wanted to become an author.
     Spinelli's first few books were turned down so he continued to work "normal" jobs and use all of his free time for writing. In 1982, Spinelli got his first book publish, Space Station Seventh Grade. It was intended for adults, but was published as an upper elementary/early middle school book.
     Since then, Spinelli has written about 16 books. His most popular book Maniac Magee and it won a Newberry Medal in 1991. Spinelli writes mostly about bullying, nonconformity, diversity, and acceptance. He is a humorous but sensitive writer.
      I read three of Spinelli's books - The Library Card, Crash, and Fourth Grade Rats. My favorite was Crash. Crash is about bullying and throughout the book he learns a valuable lesson about how to treat people and ends up being best friends with the "weird kid."
     I think Spinelli's writing is perfect for the children who are "too cool" to read. The books will grab their attention and make them want to keep reading.