Jerry Spinelli Books In Order

Publication Order of Space Station Seventh Grade Books

Publication Order of Fourth Grade Rats Books

Publication Order of Tooter Tale Books

Publication Order of Stargirl Books

Publication Order of School Daze Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Picture Books

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Jerry Spinelli is American author of literature and children fiction books famously known for his Stargirl series. Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania Spinelli wanted to grow up to be either a professional baseball player or a cowboy, but luckily for the reader’s community, he became an author.

Spinelli spent his childhood in rural Pennsylvania and attended Gettysburg College and later joined Hopkins University. He began writing at the age of sixteen and not too older than the main character of his story Maniac Magee. After his high school team won a competition, his classmates cheered for the friends across the street- except for Spinelli who ran home and wrote a poem about the victory. His poem was featured in a local newspaper, and since then Spinelli decided to become a novelist and forgot his childhood dreams of becoming a baseball player.

Since his debut book Space Station Seventh Grade, he has published more than twenty-five books. Most of his books tell the feelings and events from his childhood and also gets many ideas to put down in writing from his seven adorable kids. Spinelli lives in Pennsylvania with his wife who’s also a children’s book author.

Stargirl

The first book in Stargirl series introduces us to Stargirl Caraway, an enigma and the type of girl you would either hate or love without any room for emotions in between. When she first makes her appearances as a sophomore in a high school in the small town Mica, Arizona- she becomes the talk of the day and her name echoes throughout the hallways.

Is Stargirl a name? Was she homeschooled all these years as she claims or did she magically appear out of nowhere in Mica? How can Stargirl be so serene, calm, and eating alone in the lunchroom and then playing her ukulele as if alone?

Her astonishing beauty instantaneously strikes all the boys in the schools while the girls are both jealous of her beauty and also excited to have her in the school. However, for Leo Borklock, it is a mixture of excitement and fear that has him falling deeply in love with the strange Stargirl. Leo desires to see Stargirl on the Hot Seat, a local school television show that he runs with his good friend Kevin.

Stargirl’s schoolmates soon embrace her individuality, quirkiness, her exuberance, and enthusiasm for every that she does. She makes new friends, becomes a member of the cheerleading squad and in no time she’s famous.

However, her popularity comes with a price, and soon Stargirl finds herself rooting for the opposition but suddenly she’s not the popular girl anymore, and no one wants to hang around with her. The popularity she once enjoyed has been snubbed away, and the only person who wants to be around her is Leo the young boy who is head over heels in love with the enigmatic Stargirl. Luckily for Leo, Stargirl whole-heartedly loves him back.

However, soon Leo finds himself forced to make a life-changing decision- to choose the affection of Stargirl or that an entire school. When faced with this dilemma- one person versus many, Leo may not be brave enough to make a sound decision.

Jerry Spinelli has crafted a novel that goes directly to the core of wanting to fit in, straight to the heart of sometimes being too good to believe, the heart of love, life, heartbreak and the desire to be different and yet be like everyone else.

The story itself is fascinating. It explores issues around social conventions and how the issues impact our lives- negatively or positively. They all take place at a stage of life when children are more susceptible to peer pressure. Jerry Spinelli’s perceptions are engaging and thought-provoking. In the end, the story will make you want to change your ways to be a better person.

Love Stargirl

Love Stargirl is the second book in Jerry Spinelli’s series Stargirl, and it picks up right from where Stargirl the first book in the series left off. Stargirl has left Mica, Arizona and the most important thing in her life, her boyfriend, Leo. The farewell to Leo left a deep wound on her, so Stargirl kept thinking and wondering and sad all the time. Yes, that’s the impression for the beginning of this book, it’s moody.

Little by little Stargirl begins to find herself again but through unusual friendships. Dootsie, a six-year-old ‘crazy’ girl; Alvina the fierce girl; Betty Lou, who had never been out of the house for nine years with agoraphobia, and Charlie, who for four years after the death of his wife Grace, sat down every day faithfully at the side of the wife’s grave.

According to Charlie, the story of his life is the story of Charlie and Grace, whom he loved since they were six years old.

Throughout the story, you’ll increasingly love Stargirl’s parents, who provide the widest space for their only daughter to be herself. How many parents are willing to spend all the hours in their homes because their daughters consider life not to be limited by time? How many would want to sew a large tent from super thick cloth so that their daughter can celebrate the solstice? How many parents can wake up early every Thursday to take their daughter to stick a marker on the top of a dark hill?

The second book in the series offers a stunning glimpse at getting over first heartbreak and moving on and at the same time nurturing the hope that someday your paths will cross again and your love might work for the second time. Stargirl once again shows that being yourself, our true selves, without being influenced by anyone and is the most beautiful and most peaceful thing in the world. Love Stargirl is narrated from Stargirl’s point of view unlike the first book in the series told from Leo’s point of view, and through her narration, you get to understand things from her perspective, seems to be more human and less magical unlike what her schoolmates in Mica thought about her.