Wringer - by Jerry Spinelli (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

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.

From the Back Cover

He was not aware that he ever stopped crying.In his sleep a voice echoed down the long dark barrel of a cannon: You have run out of birthdays. In the morning he awoke suddenly to a flutter of wings.

Birthdays are an obsession where Palmer comes from, but if turning a year older means initiation into a violent practice he despises, he'd rather not. Unfortunately, Palmer cannot stop time any more than he can change tradition. So as this next and most important birthday approaches, Palmer knows that it's now or never. Something must be done.

Review Quotes

"Deeply felt. Presents a moral question with great care and sensitivity." - The New York Times

"A story both comic and disturbing, this is lit by Palmer's growing courage." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)