My Daddy and Me
Jerry Spinelli, illustrated by Seymour Chwast
Hardcover: Knopf Books for Young Readers | 0-375-80606-7 | April 2003 | $ 15.95

Stargirl
Hardcover: Knopf Books for Young Readers | 0-679-88637-0 | August 2000 | $15.95
Hardcover Library Binding: Listening Library | 0-8072-6197-1 | April 2001 | $22.00

Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here for the reader's guide.

Leo Borlock follows the unspoken rule at Mica Area High School: don't stand out--under any circumstances! Then Stargirl arrives at Mica High and everything changes--for Leo and for the entire school. After 15 years of home schooling, Stargirl bursts into tenth grade in an explosion of color and a clatter of ukulele music, enchanting the Mica student body. But the delicate scales of popularity suddenly shift, and Stargirl is shunned for everything that makes her different. Somewhere in the midst of Stargirl's arrival and rise and fall, normal Leo Borlock has tumbled into love with her. In a celebration of nonconformity, Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the fleeting, cruel nature of popularity--and the thrill and inspiration of first love.

Knots in My Yo-Yo String
Trade Paperback: Knopf Books for Young Readers | 0-679-88791-1 | April 1998 | $10.95
Hardcover Library Binding: Knopf Books for Young Readers | 0-679-98791-6 | April 1998 | $16.99

"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.

Crash
Trade Paperback: Yearling | 0-679-88550-1 | March 1997 | $5.50
Hardcover: Knopf Books for Young Readers | 0-679-87957-9 | March 1996 | $16.00
Hardcover Library Binding: Knopf Books for Young Readers | 0-679-97957-3 | March 1996 | $17.99

Click here to read an excerpt.

Newbery medalist Jerry Spinelli tackles the tale of cocky seventh-grade super-jock Crash Coogan, who got his nickname the day he used his first football helmet to knock his cousin Bridget flat on her backside. And he has been running over people ever since, especially Penn Webb, the dweeby, vegetarian Quaker kid who lives down the block. Through the eyes of Crash, readers get a rare glimpse into the life of a bully in this unforgettable story about stereotypes and the surprises life can bring.

"Without being preachy, Spinelli packs a powerful moral wallop, leaving it to the pitch-perfect narration to drive home his point" --Publishers Weekly.

Blue Ribbon Blues
Trade Paperback: Random House Children's Publishing | 0-679-88753-9 | February 1998 | $ 3.99
Hardcover: Random House Children's Publishing | 0-679-98753-3 | February 1998 | $ 11.99

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!

Tooter Pepperday A Tooter Tale
Trade Paperback: Random House Children's Publishing | 0-679-84702-2 | April 1995 | $3.99
Hardcover: Random House Children's Publishing | 0-679-94702-7 | June 1995 | $11.99

Illustrated in black-and-white. Tooter was your average suburban kid, until her parents made her move to Aunt Sally's farm. It's not just that the pizzeria won't deliver--the vegetables on her plate were grown in a pile of compost, and everything smells like goat poop! But spunky Tooter has big plans for getting even--sabotage!