Grade 5 Teacher Bob Goldwin's students students are improving their reading skills by learning how to read non-fiction books and gleaning from them key features that can help them to write their own autobiographies. Currently, in small groups students are reading aloud Knots in my Yo-Yo String, the autobiography of famous children’s author Jerry Spinelli (Maniac Magee, Crash, and Loser). Knots in my Yo-Yo String paints an entertaining picture of childhood that 10 and 11-year-olds can relate to thanks to Spinelli’s knack for storytelling with humor and honesty. Students have been giggling through the pages and drawing inspiration from the book to write about what they view as important moments in their own lives.