Jerry Spinelli's Society
Jerry Spinelli was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania. It was a small town with a close-knit community that had a major impact on Spinelli's life. As a child, Spinelli grew up in a neighborhood with several other children who would play games with each other after school. Reading and writing were not very important to him which explains why he originally wanted to be baseball player and also why he has only read 10-15 books from first to twelfth grade! However, the fun times he had outside were not the only things that shaped his childhood. Spinelli was born right in the middle of World War II and the Holocaust and grew up during the Cold War. He also lived during the Civil Rights movement and experienced segregation. These tough times also affected him and his writing greatly. They helped him write books such as Milkweed much more realstically. If you would like to learn more about World War II, the Holocaust, the Cold War, or the Civil Rights Movement, click below.