Jerry Spinelli
By: Madi Denton, McKenzie
Manning, Maleya Fleming, and James
Glass
Table of Constance
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Childhood
Family
Books he wrote
Career
Book Overviews
Book Talks and Reader chair prompts!
Timeline
Compare and Contrast
Word Search Puzzle
Childhood
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Jerry Spinelli was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania
He went to Gettysburg College & John Hopkins University
Born on Feb. 01, 1941
When growing up he wanted to be a baseball player or a
cowboy.
J Began writing when he was 16 after is High school won a
football game.
J Played little league in Junior High and High School.
J Spent free time when a child doing sports, races, bikes, yoyo’s, and GIRLS!
Family
J He has a brother named bill.
J Jerry has 6 kids
J Jerry Spinelli also has 16
grandchildren
J He married Eilleen in 1977
Books He Wrote
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Smiles To Go (James’s Book)
Eggs ( McKenzie’s Book)
Crash
Milkweed (Madi’s Book); his newest book
Space Station Seventh Grade: first book ever written
Wringer ( Maleya’s Book);Newberry honor book1998
J Maniac Magee: Newberry Medal winner!-1991
Career
J Degrees from Gettysburg college & John
Hopkins University
J His father published a poem he had written
and he realized he would not become a Major
league baseball player.
J Career included editing and engineering
magazine published by the Chilton company
and Military service.
Overview on Smiles to Go!
• Smiles To Go is about the life of Will
Tuppence, who's life spins out of control when
a proton of an atom dies. Suddenly he’s
wondering if his friends are really his enemies
and his enemies are his friends. Then he finds
out his sisters in the hospital and he suddenly
realizes he cares for her.
Overview on Eggs
• Eggs by Jerry Spinelli is about the life of David
who is 9 years old and Prudence who is 13
years old. David does not have many friends
and he doesn’t want any since his mother has
died. Until he meets Prudence a 13 year old
that does not like her fortune teller mother so
she live in a van in the driveway. They become
friends and share things they have in common
and talk about what they are missing in life.
Then they realize they really are true friends.
Overview on Milkweed
• The book Milkweed is about the Holocaust.
The main characters name is Misha he is
homeless and doesn’t know who his parents
are. When then soldiers come and take him to
a camp he meets a girl named Jaine. They
become best friends almost like brother and
sister. They find ways to sneak out of the camp
and get food for their families. One day the
soldiers tell them they have to leave and get
on a train they no if they do they will die.
Overview on Wringer
• This book is about a boy named Palmer, and
he lives in a town that wrings pigeons. Palmer
has a secret pet pigeon and no one except his
friend Dorothy knows. Will his town find out?
Palmer is scared, he doesn’t want his pigeon
to die.
Book talk and Reader’s chair prompts!
McKenzie’s book talk- Q:What have you learned from
Eggs about people, families, friends, life in general?
A: I have learned that everybody needs friends and family
even if something terrible has happened in your life.
Madi’s book talk- Q: If the author could have written one
more chapter, or an epilogue in Milkweed, what do you
think it would have included?
A:If he had to write another chapter it would probably be
about Misha telling his granddaughter about why he
made her middle name Jaine.
Book talk and Reader’s chair prompts!
James's book talk- Q: How did this book Smiles
to go measure up to your expectations?
A: When I got it, I had no idea what it was going
to be about. So no it kind of didn’t. But all the
same it was still a good book.
Maleya’s book talk- Q: How did Wringer provide
a new type of reading experience for you?
A:I’ve never read a book about personal
problems, usually I read mysterious books.
Timeline
1941
• Born Feb. 1, in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
1957
• At the age of 16 he decided to be a writer.
1963
• Graduated from Gettysburg College.
1964
1966
1972
1984
• Completed His Masters from John Hopkins College.
• Served in the Navy Reserved for 6 years.
• wrote his first succesful book, Who Put that Hair in My Toothbrush?
1991
• Won a Newberry Medal Award, for his book, Maniac Magee.
1998
• Wringer, Won a Newberry Honor Book.
2007
• Published the novel, Eggs.
2010
• Now Jerry has over 20 books published.
Compare and Contrast