Books like Wringer by Jerry Spinelli
In the small community of Greeley Pride, the annual Pigeon Day celebration transforms into a grim rite of passage. Each year teenagers compete to wring the necks of pigeons, a brutal spectacle that rewards and terrifies the participants. The story follows thirteen‑year‑old Palmer, who as a newcomer to the town’s brutal tradition, must decide whether to accept the violence as a necessary part of growing up or to muster the courage to oppose it. Facing peer pressure and the expectations of his peers, Palmer’s journey illuminates the struggle against cruelty and the strength needed to defy a community’s indignities.
First publish date: 1999
Genre: Children's Fiction/Children's Adventure
Authors: Jerry Spinelli
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