Hatie it. I'm a student who read this book and DID NOT enjoy it at all. It's boring, confusing, and definitely stupid. Confusing message too. I want to burn this book.
Wringer
(1997, Fiction - Contemporary Fiction, Written by Jerry Spinelli)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Mesmerizing and disturbing moral allegory.
Themes in this book include: peer pressure
updated 01.28.10
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 10 and Up
The good stuff
What to watch out for
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Role models:
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Wringer was written by Tara L. Rivera
Parents need to know that readers will be hooked from the beginning to the story's suspenseful climax.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about peer pressure. Why does Palmer treat Dorothy differently in public?
- Have you ever acted like that?
- How did you feel?
- Have you ever defied peer pressure?
- What happened?
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More on Wringer
Book Summary
Most boys can't wait for their tenth birthday--Palmer is dreading his. In Palmer's town, ten-year-old boys become wringers, who break the necks of wounded pigeons at the town's annual Pigeon Day shoot. Spinelli's taut, gripping tale of a good-hearted boy in a violent town gives the fear of growing up a whole new meaning.
For Palmer, there are perks to being ten: acceptance by neighborhood bullies Beans, Mutto, and Henry, getting a nickname (Snots!), and showing off his bruise from the Treatment (one punch in the arm for every year of his life). But there is one perk Palmer dreads: becoming a wringer. His small town hosts the annual Pigeon Day shoot, where eager ten-year-old boys wring the necks of wounded birds. Palmer secretly finds the entire ritual repellent.
To make matters worse, like a guilty conscience a stray pigeon comes tapping at his window one day, takes up residence in his closet, and won't leave. In a town that murders pigeons, how can he keep it secret ... and safe? Palmer asks his friend, Dorothy, for help, but she unknowingly sets the bird free in a place where it is captured, thus directing the tale to its unexpected climax.
Is It Any Good?
Reminiscent of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, WRINGER is a mesmerizing morality tale about a gruesome town-unifying event and a boy who cannot make sense of it. The dread is pervasive from the first page, the casual cruelty of almost everyone around Palmer -- adult and child -- is frightening, and the rush of events sweeps the reader along just as it does Palmer.
Palmer struggles for bit to try to fit in, but the wild pigeon changes all that. Jerry Spinelli skillfully blends in bits of comic relief, like Palmer anxiously pacing back and forth as Nipper mimics and struts behind. This has the effect of making Nipper so charming, in a pigeon sort of way, that the reader is as frightened for him as Palmer is. Even the parallel of Palmer's secret friendship with Dorothy creates a sense of anguish and insecurity.
Publisher’s Details
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books, Publication date: 1/1/1997
Number of pages: 228, Price: $16.99 (hardcover)
Read Aloud: 10+, Read Alone: 10+
Number of pages: 228, Price: $16.99 (hardcover)
Read Aloud: 10+, Read Alone: 10+
Our Members Say
See all 20 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it
Boring, bad, stupid book. Don't read.
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
i thought the message was good. Stand up for yourself and what you believe in and eventually life will take you somewhere.
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
Wringer teaches young people how to stand up for animals!
The book discusses a real problem of pigeon shoots and how a boy struggles with his decision of whether or not to become part of the cruelty. This book can help many other young people learn how to stand up for what they know is right! Check out the great literature circle teaching unit available for free at www.humanesociety.org/youth, click "Resources".
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Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents say there are good role models |
| 100% | of parents say it gives kids positive messages |
| 100% | of parents say it's educational |
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