Spinelli has written many coming-of-age books for young readers with strong protagonists who are "regular" kids. His books also draw on humor as young people look at themselves and see that they are really more like each other than they are different from each other.

Space Station Seventh Grade is a humorous look at seventh grade and how kids survive the weird things happening to their bodies. Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush?

Jason and Marceline is a humorous sequel to Space Station Seventh Grade. Jason is now falling in love with his old friend Marceline, who rejects him. Unlike Marceline, Dorothy likes Palmer and startles him when she kisses him on the nose in Wringer. In Maniac Magee, Jeffery Lionel is an orphan seeking a home. Jeffery is a runner who can outrun...