“A little hatred goes a long, long way. It grows and grows. And it’s hungry. You keep feeding it more and more people, and the more it gets, the more it wants. It’s never satisfied. And pretty soon it squeezes all the love out of your heart and all you’ll have left is a hateful heart.”

American writer of children's novels

Jerry Spinelli is an American writer of children's novels. He is known for fiction about adolescence and early adulthood, and for books such as Maniac Magee, Stargirl, and Wringer. His work often focuses on young people moving through difficult or defining stages of life. Spinelli's novels are widely read in children's literature, especially for their attention to growing up, identity, and the pressures that shape those years.