Wringer

Newbery Honor Book * ALA Notable Children's Book "Deeply felt. Presents a moral question with great care and sensitivity." —The New York Times "A spellbinding story about rites of passage." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A realistic story with the intensity of a fable." —The Horn Book (starred review) "Thought-provoking." —School Library Journal (starred review) In Palmer LaRue's hometown of Waymer, turning ten is the biggest event of a boy's life. But for Palmer, his tenth birthday is not something to look forward to, but something to dread. Then one day, a visitor appears on his windowsill, and Palmer knows that this, more than anything else, is a sign that his time is up. Somehow, he must learn how to stop being afraid and stand up for what he believes in. Wringer is a powerful tour de force from Newbery Medal winner Jerry Spinelli.

Find the power to stand up for yourself and what you believe in. Students will become highly-engaged in the activities presented in this resource. Make predictions about what will happen in the following chapters based on what you know of the characters so far. Describe how Palmer felt about pigeons based on his reactions from the first two Pigeon Days. Answer multiple choice questions about Palmer's experience with his friends. Retell Palmer's reasons for not wanting to be a wringer as he tells them to Dorothy. Create a poem that describes Palmer's actions throughout the story. Describe three important settings from the novel and discuss some of the important plot events that happened at each of them. Aligned to your State Standards, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: Wringer teaches students the importance of self confidence and standing up against bullying. Palmer LaRue dreads the day he will turn ten years old. When he was just four years old, he witnessed his first Pigeon Day—a yearly celebration that takes place during Family Fest in the small town of Waymer. On this day, five thousand pigeons are shot. Traumatized by what he saw, Palmer forever feared the day he would turn ten and become a wringer. A wringer is someone who wrings the neck of wounded pigeons. Nearing his tenth birthday, Palmer falls in with a group of bullies who hate pigeons more than anything. At first, Palmer is proud of his new friendship, but that all changes when he befriends a pigeon. Wringer highlights Palmer’s struggle between what his friends think and what he feels is right.