Once, I was out of the house 93 days in a year. I was missing grandparents' days at schools and kids' birthdays and Valentine's Day, not to mention the fact that when you're on the road, you can't get anything done. I had to learn to say 'No,' cut back on travel. Jerry Spinelli backbirthdaycut share on social
More often than not, my reference point is not the kids or the grandkids but myself when I was that age. I remember the days at Hartranft Elementary and Stewart Junior High in Norristown. Jerry Spinelli agedayelementary Change image and share on social
I pointedly avoid doing sequels, since for the most part I find that a sequel rarely stands up to the original. Jerry Spinelli avoidfindoriginal Change image and share on social
I don't really write for adults or kids - I don't write for kids, I write about them. I think you need to do that; otherwise, you end up preaching down. You need to listen not so much to the audience but to the story itself. Jerry Spinelli adultaudienceend share on social
Actually, between books is precisely when I do give myself vacations. Jerry Spinelli bookgiveprecisely Change image and share on social
There are bits and pieces of me probably in every one of my 35 or so books. Jerry Spinelli bitbookpiece Change image and share on social
I think I have a pretty goofy profile for a writer. It seems to me most writers were reading 'Little Women' when they were 6 months old. At the age of a lot of my readers, I wanted to be a major league baseball player. I didn't read much. Jerry Spinelli agebaseballgoofy share on social
I was very naive, and I thought it was just a matter of writing my first book and sending it in, and for the rest of my life I would be writing books and collecting royalties. Nobody told me how hard it was going to be to get published. Jerry Spinelli bookcollecthard share on social
Most people are looking for a challenging, interesting job. I wanted a boring, undemanding job so that I could forget about it at 5, so that I would have something left over at the end of the day to do my own stuff. Jerry Spinelli borechallengeday share on social
Just because so many conforming kids wake up every morning asking, 'What is everybody else going to wear today?' doesn't mean that they don't wish it were different. Peer pressure is just that: pressure. Jerry Spinelli conformkidmorning share on social