Jerry Spinelli
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| Jerry Spinelli | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 1, 1941 Norristown, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Occupation | author |
| Genres | Children's books, Young adult, novels |
| Notable work(s) | Maniac Magee |
Jerry Spinelli (born February 1, 1941 in Norristown, Pennsylvania) is a noted children's author, specializing on novels written for and about early adolescence. Among his books are Milkweed, Space Station Seventh Grade, Maniac Magee (winner of the 1991 Newbery Medal), Wringer (1998 Newbery Honor book), and Stargirl.
Spinelli first decided he wanted to become a writer at the age of 16, when his high school football team won a big game. He wrote a poem about this, and the next day the poem was published in the local newspaper.
When he began his professional writing career, Spinelli attempted to write four books for adults, rather than for children. These books were never published. The publishers to which he sent the books rejected them. Spinelli's writing direction changed one night when one of his six children ate some fried chicken that he had been saving for the next day. Spinelli wrote about this event. Eventually, what he wrote turned into his first published novel, Space Station Seventh Grade. Spinelli originally intended Space Station Seventh Grade to be an adult novel as well, but since the protagonist is 13 years old, adult publishers rejected it and it became a children's book.
Mr. Spinelli is a 1963 graduate of Gettysburg College. He earned an MA from Johns Hopkins University in 1964, and in 1977 he married his wife Eileen Mesi and is the father of 6 children. From 1966 to 1972 he served in the United States Navy Reserve.
[edit] Complete list of Spinelli's children's novels
- Space Station Seventh Grade, 1984
- Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush?, 1984.
- Jason and Marceline, 1986.
- Dump Days, 1988
- Maniac Magee, 1990 (Newbery Award Winner, has been made into a movie).
- The Bathwater Gang (illustrated by Meredith Johnson), 1990.
- There's a Girl in My Hammerlock, 1991.
- Report to the Principal's Office, 1991.
- Fourth Grade Rats (illustrated by Paul Casale), 1991.
- The Bathwater Gang Gets Down to Business, 1992.
- Who Ran My Underwear Up the Flagpole?, 1992.
- Do the Funky Pickle, 1992.
- Picklemania, 1995.
- Crash, 1996. Has a film contract
- The Library Card, 1997.
- Wringer, 1997. Has a film contract
- Knots in My Yo-Yo String, 1998 - Autobiography
- Loser, 2001.
- Stargirl, 2001. Has a film contract
- Milkweed, 2002.
- Tooter Pepperday, 2004.
- Eggs(novel), 2007
- Love, Stargirl, 2007
- Smiles to Go, 2008
