Noble House Blog

Have you ever experienced being on the inside or outside of a group? Jerry Spinelli experienced firsthand what it felt like to be on the “inside” and the “outside” as he grew up. One year he was on the top of the world and the next year everything suddenly changed and he seemed to lose everything. We will read about some events from his life in his memoir entitled, Knots in My Yo-Yo String.  In addition, we will also read some of his interviews.

After learning about Spinelli’s life, students will choose one or more books of his to read, including Maniac Magee, Crash, Loser or Wringer. Later, they will meet with other students in discussion groups in order to discuss themes, points-of-view and how Spinelli might have used his own life  experiences in his stories. In addition, I will read aloud one of Spinelli’s books and we will compare the plot, themes and character development with his other works. For the final project, students will create a brand new book jacket design, summary and “About the Author” for the Spinelli book of their choice.