Special Collections

The Library Card

Teens struggle with troubled, even dangerous lives, until a mysterious blue card appears as if by fate and begins to change each of their lives. None of them guesses it at first, but that strange blue card will be their ticket to the past—and to a future they never imagined. In stories that range from humorous to heartbreaking, Newbery-award-winner Jerry Spinelli reveals the amazing possibilities lurking behind library doors." Some would say there is a hint of magic in these stories. Some will say the kids are touched by miracles. All will agree that the library is portrayed as a welcoming safe haven and source of inspiration without bounds. Clearly Spinelli is a lover of libraries. This book will appeal to mature upper elementary students to adults who fondly remember their first library cards and youthful associations with libraries.

Date Added: 09/17/2019

Loser

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."

Date Added: 09/17/2019

Report To The Principal's Office

It's the first day of school at Plum stead Middle School and already there's trouble. It starts with Sunny, who is determined to do whatever it will take to get herself suspended. Then there's Eddie, who has a three-point plan for fitting in, but still gets beaten up on the morning bus. Salem is all too pleased to witness Eddie's troubles, and on top of it all, there's Pickles Johnson, who is just...well...Pickles. These four sixth graders have only one thing in common. They're all about to report to the principal's office.

Date Added: 09/17/2019

Jake and Lily

This is a story about me, Lily. And me, Jake. We're twins and we're exactly alike. Not exactly! Whatever. This is a book we wrote about the summer we turned eleven and Jake ditched me. Please. I just started hanging out with some guys in the neighborhood. Right. So anyway, this is a book about goobers and supergoobers bullies clubhouses true friends things getting built and wrecked and rebuilt and about figuring out who we are. We wrote this together (sort of) so you'll get to see both sides of our story. But you'll probably agree with my side. You always have to have the last word, don't you? Yes!

Date Added: 09/17/2019

Knots in My Yo-Yo String

"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), Newbery medalist Jerry Spinelli has penned his early autobiography with all the warmth, humor, and drama of his best-selling fiction. 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.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Date Added: 09/17/2019

Fourth Grade Rats

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?

Date Added: 09/17/2019

Eggs

Nine-year-old David has recently lost his mother to a freak accident, his salesman father is constantly on the road, and he is letting his anger out on his grandmother. Sarcastic and bossy 13-year-old Primrose lives with her childlike, fortuneteller mother, and a framed picture is the only evidence of the father she never knew. Despite their differences, David and Primrose forge a tight yet tumultuous friendship, eventually helping each other deal with what is missing in their lives. This powerful, quirky novel about two very complicated, damaged children has much to say about friendship, loss, and recovery.

Date Added: 09/17/2019

The Stargirl Collection

This ebook collection contains the complete text of Stargirl, Jerry Spinelli's modern classic for young readers, and its acclaimed follow-up, Love, Stargirl.

Date Added: 10/14/2019

Wringer

Newbery Honor Book * ALA Notable Children's Book "Deeply felt. Presents a moral question with great care and sensitivity." —The New York Times"A spellbinding story about rites of passage." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)"A realistic story with the intensity of a fable." —The Horn Book (starred review)"Thought-provoking." —School Library Journal (starred review)In Palmer LaRue's hometown of Waymer, turning ten is the biggest event of a boy's life. But for Palmer, his tenth birthday is not something to look forward to, but something to dread. Then one day, a visitor appears on his windowsill, and Palmer knows that this, more than anything else, is a sign that his time is up. Somehow, he must learn how to stop being afraid and stand up for what he believes in.Wringer is a powerful tour de force from Newbery Medal winner Jerry Spinelli.

Date Added: 10/14/2019

Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush?

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?

Date Added: 10/14/2019

My Daddy and Me

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.

Date Added: 10/14/2019

Space Station Seventh Grade

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

Date Added: 10/14/2019

Smiles to Go

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.

Date Added: 10/14/2019

The Warden's Daughter

From Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli (Maniac Magee, Stargirl) comes the knockout story of a girl who must come to terms with her mother's death from inside the walls of a prison. Cammie O'Reilly is the warden's daughter, living in an apartment above the entrance to the Hancock County Prison. But she's also living in a prison of grief and anger about the mother who died saving her from harm when she was just a baby. And prison has made her mad. This girl's nickname is Cannonball. In the summer of 1959, as twelve turns to thirteen, everything is in flux. Cammie's best friend is discovering lipstick and American Bandstand. A child killer is caught and brought to her prison. And the only mother figures in her life include a flamboyant shoplifter named Boo Boo and a sullen reformed arsonist of a housekeeper. All will play a role in Cammie's coming-of-age. But one in particular will make a staggering sacrifice to ensure that Cammie breaks free from her past. Master storyteller Jerry Spinelli spins a tale of loss and redemption like no other. The Warden's Daughter shows that kindness and compassion can often be found where we least expect it.

Date Added: 10/14/2019

Hokey Pokey

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.

Date Added: 10/14/2019

Maniac Magee

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.

Newbery Medal Winner

Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Junior Award

Date Added: 10/14/2019

Blue Ribbon Blues

Ever since her family moved to Aunt Sally's farm, Tooter's known that farm life is definitely not for her. There's no pizzeria for miles, her nearest neighbor is a dumb boy, and even her own pet chicken hates her! So Tooter decides to show everyone what she's made of by winning the blue ribbon at the County Fair's goat show. Now all she has to do is keep her little brother--and his paint brush--away from her prize goat!

Date Added: 10/14/2019

There's a Girl in My Hammerlock

When Maisie learns Eric is going out for the junior high wrestling team, she decides to try out for it too. What can get her closer to a boy than wrestling? It isn't long before Maisie finds out that she loves wrestling and has even earned Coach Cappelli's grudging support. Unfortunately, Maisie also comes to see that the coach was right when he said, "Wrestling is a men and boys' world." Most of the boys are far from happy to see her in the wrestling room, and it becomes harder and harder to buck the current of hostile boys, school opinion, and the nasty letters that turn up in the local newspaper. As for Eric, Maisie may get close to him in the wrestling room, but it's Lizard Liz Lampley he takes to the dances. The sign in the coach's office says, "It takes a little more to be a champion." Does Maisie have what it takes to stick it out--and win? With his usual flair and ability to target the concerns of young reader, Newberry Medal-winning writer Jerry Spinelli tackles some prevailing preconceptions about sex roles and pin them firmly to the mat. Readers will cheer Maisie and her champion spirit right to the end.

Date Added: 10/14/2019

Third Grade Angels

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.

Date Added: 10/14/2019

The Bathwater Gang

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.

Date Added: 10/14/2019

Crash

Now available in paperback, Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli's hilarious, poignant story of cocky seventh-grade superjock Crash Coogan. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Date Added: 10/14/2019

Jason and Marceline

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?

Date Added: 10/14/2019

Milkweed

He's a boy called Jew. Gypsy. Stopthief. Runt. Happy. Fast. 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 some day, with tall shiny jackboots and a gleaming Eagle hat 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 of World War II--and tells a tale of heartbreak, hope, and survival through the bright eyes of a young orphan.From the Hardcover edition.

Date Added: 10/14/2019

Mama Seeton's Whistle

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.Includes Read-Aloud/Read-to-Me functionality where available.Book Description: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?

Date Added: 10/14/2019