What do You think about Knots In My Yo-Yo String: The Autobiography Of A Kid (1998)?
Although it's really simple and very different from what I grew up with, this memoir is wonderful. Perhaps because of its simplicity, the kids that Spinelli talks about are people I could relate to others I knew, and he absolutely captures the magic of the boundless enthusiasm of kids. Also, it's a great window into the 50s and growing up with such exciting things as new televisions, the slowing railroad business, and a neighborhood where kids were perfectly able to run where they liked.Very fun and very quick; I'm hanging on to this one to remind myself never to grow up too much.
—Jen
Knots in My Yo-Yo String Biography/Non-Fiction/Childhood/Coming of Age/SportsI love this book. Jerry Spinelli talks about his life as a kid, but he also weaves his experiences into how being a kid has helped him as a writer. Spinelli has said his best experience as a writer was being a kid and growing up. He beautifully captures what it's like to be a carefree kid. I long to return to those days even though they are far gone, but I find myself somewhat satisfied when Spinelli helps me revisit my own childhood through his stories. He covers the gamut from neighborhood games and legends, to first kisses and school dances. I would consider this a must read for any aspiring young adult novelist.
—Clarissa
An autobiographical piece by Jerry Spinelli covering mostly his formative years in grades K-12. Its mostly separated into chapters which each teach a specific life lesson through a personal anecdote or two and only occasionally spends time describing the how’s and why’s of Spinelli’s family and career. I personally enjoyed that it taught life lessons in parables and thus did not have to didactically confront the lessons head on. He gets the messages across by example and the personal nature of it makes it easy to feel at home. Spinelli is actually opening up his life to the reader and that creates a friendly, trusting atmosphere that gives greater force to the morals. It covers his infancy through high school at a brisk pace, giving the reader a chance to grow up with him and see a lot of personal reflections. The post high school chapters are brief and highly abridged but give some idea as to his process of becoming a writer. Only marginally useful as an informational text, but a great personal read for youth who may need a solid character model or, by selecting a specific chapter it can be used to target an appropriate life lesson.Genre: autobiography, moral lessons, childhood reminiscencesfulfills non-fiction requirement, author presentation novel
—Daniel Asay
