Wringer

Starred review from September 29, 1997
Tender scenes contrast with barbaric images in this spellbinding story about rites of passage. In Palmer's hometown, 10-year-old boys are awarded the time-honored privilege of becoming "wringers." At the most anticipated event of the year, the annual pigeon shoot, they are in charge of discarding dead pigeons and twisting the necks of wounded birds. Most of Palmer's friends await their turn with bloodthirsty eagerness, but nine-year-old Palmer is flooded with dread. While the community of Wagner appears in some ways to be a typical small town, albeit with more than its share of rednecks, Spinelli (Maniac Magee) bends the framework of normalcy to conjure a surrealistic atmosphere. Boys are typecast as violent aggressors while girls are somewhat wooden creatures embodying innocence. Animal rights activists are conspicuously absent; local customs are treated with an almost religious reverence. Somehow making improbable events seem plausible, the author maintains a sense of balance showing the best and worst sides of humanity. His eloquently wrought narrative alternates between allegory and realism, tracing Palmer's emotionally arduous journey towards manhood. Ages 8-12.

December 1, 1997
Gr 4-8-During the annual pigeon shoot, it is a town tradition for 10-year-old boys to break the necks of wounded birds. In this riveting story told with verve and suspense, Palmer rebels. (Sept.)

Starred review from September 1, 1997
Gr. 4^-7. There is violent action and gentleness and also much to think about in Spinelli's novel about a boy in a rural community who dreads the annual town Family Fest, when 5,000 captured pigeons are released in the park to be shot. The 10-year-old boys get to wring the necks of the wounded birds not killed instantly by the sharpshooters. The picnic and the killing raise funds to maintain the park. Sound unbelievable? It really happens in many parts of the country. Spinelli imagines what it must be like for one boy who cannot bear to be part of the brutality. Palmer wants to belong to the gang. He is thrilled when the hoodlum kids accept him, and he gains their grim respect. He dumps his best friend, Dorothy, and joins in when the bullies taunt her unmercifully. But he has always dreaded the annual pigeon massacre, and now that he is 10, he cannot face the initiation rite--especially when a pigeon flies through his window and becomes his beloved pet, soaring free by day and returning at night to be fed, to roost in his closet, to wake him each morning with a nip on the ear. Only Dorothy knows his secret. What if the gang finds out? Or his sharpshooter dad? Can Palmer save his pet from the slaughter? Dorothy's role is unconvincing, especially when she stands up to the bullies without being affected at all, physically or emotionally. However, the combination of the tender, sometimes comic pet story with the bloody public festival will move kids to think about a lot of issues. Can lawful horror be a part of fun and food in the park? Is hunting always wrong? Can one person make a difference? See the Read-alikes column on p.119 for books to recommend after "Wringer." ((Reviewed Sept. 1, 1997))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1997, American Library Association.)

January 1, 1997
In a realistic story invested with the intensity of a fable, nine-year-old Palmer faces his future as a wringer--one of the ten-year-old boys who strangle the pigeons wounded during the town's annual pigeon shoot. Spinelli's story is honest but not without hope, not only in its conclusion, but in Palmer's friendship with the girl across the street, in the surprising discoveries he makes about his parents, and in his love for Nipper, the pigeon he shelters and eventually saves.

(Copyright 1997 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 1997
Gr 4-8-When Palmer LaRue turns nine, he becomes one of the guys. Now a member of a popular gang, with the cool nickname of Snots, life is looking very good, except for one thing. He is now only a year away from becoming a wringer, one of the 10-year-old boys who break the necks of wounded birds in the town's annual pigeon shoot. Unlike his pals who can't wait for that privilege, Palmer dreads it. To make matters worse, a stray pigeon shows up at his window, and soon he is feeding and sheltering it in his room. His life becomes a balancing act of hanging out with the guys, who hate pigeons, and attending to his new pet, Nipper, and Palmer is required to go to great lengths to keep the two worlds apart. When he turns 10, and the pigeon shoot rolls around, the boy is forced to take a stand, and eventually has to rescue Nipper from being killed. Spinelli's characters are memorable, convincing, and both endearing and villainous; and they are involved in a plot that, from the first page, is riveting. The story is told in language simple enough for young readers, yet elegant enough for adults. There is humor, suspense, a bird with personality, and a moral dilemma familiar to everyone: how does one stand up for one's beliefs when they will be very unpopular? A wide audience will enjoy this thought-provoking book.-Tim Rausch, Crescent View Middle School, Sandy, UT

January 1, 2000
Palmer dreads his 10th birthday, when he will become a "wringer," trained to wring the necks of pigeons gunned down in an annual shooting contest. The thought of killing the birds sickens him, as does the bullying behavior of his three buddies. When Palmer makes a pet of a stray pigeon, he struggles to find the courage needed to confront his peers and act according to his conscience. A moral drama sure to engage young readers and promote classroom discussion. A Newbery Honor selection.

Copyright 2000 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.