Books › Knots in My Yo-Yo String
Knots in My Yo-Yo String
187 pages
A warm, funny time capsule of scraped knees, first crushes, and the messy, beautiful business of growing up.
What it feels like
Reading this memoir feels like flipping through a slightly faded, deeply cherished family photo album with a master storyteller as your guide. The pace is brisk and episodic, bouncing effortlessly from the sun-drenched innocence of early childhood to the gloppy, awkward milestones of adolescence. Spinelli's prose is conversational and inviting, stripping away any pretense to deliver a deeply relatable, self-deprecating look at growing up. The mood is overwhelmingly warm and nostalgic, capturing the universal sting of a first punch or the humiliation of a sports failure with gentle humor and grace. It is a comforting, lighthearted read that will delight middle-grade readers currently in the trenches of puberty, as well as adults longing for a nostalgic trip back to simpler times.
- Mood
- sun-warmed
- lighthearted
- reflective
- comforting
- Tone
- warm
- humorous
- nostalgic
- self-deprecating
- earnest
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the awkwardness of adolescence · universal childhood milestones · finding one's voice · hometown nostalgia · the messy transition to growing up
- The writing
- Conversational, vivid, and highly accessible, reading like a favorite uncle telling stories around a kitchen table.
- The arc
- Moves from the innocent, wide-eyed wonder of early childhood through the clumsy, poignant stumbles of adolescence, landing on a quiet realization of self.
- Who it's for
- Middle-grade readers navigating their own awkward years, as well as adults looking for a nostalgic, comforting trip back to mid-century childhood.
Content notes
- mild bullying
- childhood embarrassment
About the book
"A master of those embarrassing, gloppy, painful, and suddenly wonderful things that happen on the razor's edge between childhood and full-fledged adolescence" (The Washington Post), Newbery medalist Jerry Spinelli has penned his early autobiography with all the warmth, humor, and drama of his best-selling fiction. From first memories through high school, including first kiss, first punch, first trip to the principal's office, and first humiliating sports experience, this is not merely an account of a highly unusual childhood. Rather, like Spinelli's fiction, its appeal lies in the accessibility and universality of his life. Entertaining and fast-paced, this is a highly readable memoir-- a must-have for Spinelli fans of all ages. From the Trade Paperback edition.
Description from Open Library.
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