Wringer: A Newbery Honor Award Winner (Trophy Newbery)

Great book. Good lessons, lovely story, pulls at the heartstrings. Our oldest couldn’t put it down.

I was just going to read this book as a last minute "Summer Reading" assignment, but as soon as I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down!!! The book i thought would take a week to read only took one day! This book made me laugh and want to keep reading it from cover to cover (or in my case "screen to screen") and I just LOVED IT!! As a person who normally doesn't read that much, having a book that I really WANTED to keep reading and not put down until the book was over felt great! This book was fantastic and I cannot wait to read more books by Jerry Spinelli!! This was a without a doubt "five star" rating! -S.S -

Spinelli’s novel takes us to the town of Waymer, where an annual pigeon shooting event is held to raise money for the town. There we follow Palmer, a nine-year-old boy who reluctantly makes peers with a group of very troublesome boys who are preparing for the upcoming pigeon day so they can become the event pigeon wringers. As he goes through some serious pressure from them and his father who was also a wringer, Palmer hides his real feelings about the events so he won’t get picked on. He also finds a surprise on his window that needs to be kept a secret or else. “Wringer” is a really emotional story of childhood, peer pressure and standing up for yourself. Palmer’s story can get pretty rough as we see him deal with his so-called friends, his new pet and his feelings surrounding Pigeon Day while the topics of it can be a bit uncomfortable for some. Definitely a story for older kids or even YAs. It does leave you with a soft feeling of warmth and satisfaction that flies solemnly. <b>B+ (83%/Very Good)</b>

This is a very good reading material to learn about how people treat birds because they can but at the same time how birds can interact with people to show them see I am not going to hurt you and that we all have a place and reason to be on this earth.

Although Wringer by Jerry Spinelli centers around a horrific concept, a right of passage for 10 year old boys to wring the necks of pigeons that are not shot dead by the target shooters during a festival, the author tells a tender tail of friendship and loyalty. This book is compelling and really raises questions of ethics and the importance of fitting in in a community that embraces brutality. I loved this book for any and all ages.

This book is captivating and intriguing. In a world were peer pressure is such an issue for our young adults, it's refreshing to read a story that challenges that and values humanity above else. If you are a parent worried about what your children will experience and what decisions they will make in life, give them the gift of Wringer and see them fall in love with Nipper, and watch as their humanity unfolds.

I got this book as an assignment for my daughter. I read the book with her and we found it entertaining. We were able to have nice conversations about bullying, animal cruelty and good/bad friendships.

I was fascinated by this book. It seemed like such an odd topic to write about. Overall I wasn't the biggest fan. I really didn't care too much for the pigeons. That being said I was intrigued by the way Palmer saw his situation and how he rationalized or I guess de-rationalized it. I do think this would be a good book to use in order to teach perception and how adults and children view the world differently.

When I taught elementary school I read many of Jerry Spinelli books. Wringer is a great read, it challenges students to determine right from wrong. Bought this for a hardcover copy for ME!

Amazon presentation. I loved it!