Loser

There are winners everywhere .... The sidewalks. The backyards. The alleyways. The playgrounds ...
Except for Zinkoff. Zinkoff never wins.
But Zinkoff doesn't notice. Neither do the other pups.
Not yet.
Zinkoff is like all kids -- running, playing, riding his bike. Hoping for snow days, wanting to be his dad when he grows up.
Zinkoff is not like the other kids -- raising his hand with all the wrong answers, tripping over his own feet, falling down with laughter over a word like "Jabip." The kids have their own word to describe him, but Zinkoff is too busy to hear it.
Once again, Newbery Medal-winning author Jerry Spinelli uses great wit and humor to create the unique story of Zinkoff as he travels from first through sixth grades. Loser is a touching book about the human spirit, the importance of failure, and how any name can someday be replaced with "hero."

Children's Books

SPINELLI, JERRY

Literature & Fiction

Harpercollins

Zinkoff is unlike other kids in school and so doesn't worry about coming in last place or always having the wrong answers, despite the teasing and comments he gets from those around him, in a tale about maintaining individuality amidst pressures of fitting in with the crowd. 75,000 first printing.

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.

Wringer (Newberry Honor Book)

Classics

Wringer (Joanna Colter Books)

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.

Smiles to Go

Growing Up & Facts of Life

HarperColl

Jake and Lily

Beloved Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli, author of Maniac Magee and Wringer, addresses issues of identity, belonging, family, and bullying in this humorous and heartfelt novel about twins. 
Jake and Lily are twins. Despite their slightly different interests and temperaments, they feel exactly the same—like two halves of one person. But the year they turn eleven, everything changes. Their parents announce it’s time for separate bedrooms. Jake starts hanging out with a pack of boys on the block. And Lily is devastated, not to mention angry. Who is she without Jake? And as her brother falls under the influence of the neighborhood bully, he also must ask himself—who is the real Jake? This is an often funny, poignant, and profound story of growing up, growing apart, and the difficult process of figuring out who you really are.

Balzer + Bray

From renowned Newbery-winning author Jerry Spinelli comes a powerful story about how not fitting in just might lead to an incredible life. This classic book is perfect for fans of Gordon Korman and Carl Hiaasen. 
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."
With some of his finest writing to date and great wit and humor, Jerry Spinelli creates a story about a boy's individuality surpassing the need to fit in and the genuine importance of failure. As readers follow Zinkoff from first through sixth grade, it becomes impossible not to identify with and root for him through failures and triumphs. 
The perfect classroom read.

Wringer: A Newbery Honor Award Winner

Teen & Young Adult

Historical Fiction

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by SPINELLI, JERRY. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by SPINELLI, JERRY

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by SPINELLI, JERRY. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Loser

Loser

Wringer (Newberry Honor Book)

Wringer (Joanna Colter Books)

Smiles to Go

Smiles to Go

Jake and Lily

Jake and Lily

Loser

Wringer: A Newbery Honor Award Winner