Jerry Spinelli's first published novel was Space Station Seventh Grade (1982). Since then, he has written over fifteen novels for adolescents, about adolescence. Spinelli's writing concerns controversial topics such as racism, sexism, and homelessness, while accurately and humorously depicting adolescents. At times, he has experienced parental objections because his stories are seemingly "too realistic." His young readers, however, relate to his characters and their dilemmas because they share similar experiences. Spinelli relies on memories of his own adolescence and the real-life events that have occurred in the lives of his six children to convey his views of the world to his audience.
Spinelli was born on February 1, 1941, in Norristown, Pennsylvania, to Lou Spinelli, a typesetter, and Lorna Bigler. His family lived in an apartment that was situated in front of a smelly brewery in the East End of Norristown. A few years later, his family moved a few streets away, to a house located just two doors away from his grandparents' house, and in 1945, his brother, Billy, was born. When Spinelli was six years old, his parents bought a house in the West End of Norristown, so they moved once more. They spent the next ten years in this house. Spinelli grew to love the neighborhood — it was home. When Spinelli wasn't in school, he spent time riding his bicycle, skimming stones across Stony Creek, flipping baseball cards, and running on the railroad tracks behind their house. Spinelli was always involved in one sport or another — he played basketball, track and field, football, and Little League baseball (he always wanted to be a major league baseball player).
Spinelli didn't read much as a child because he was always too busy playing sports. He reserved reading for times when he was "bored." He did, however, read comic books and had a subscription for Bugs Bunny comic books. He also read books by Clair Bee who wrote a series of books about Chip Hilton, a high school athlete.
