Maniac Magee

Title: Maniac Magee
Author: Jerry Spinelli
ISBN: 9780590452038
Published: April 2002
Genre: fiction
Awards: Newbery Medal
Characters: Jeffrey "Maniac" Magee
Reading Level: 5th grade
Interest Level: 4th-8th grade
Awards: Newbery Award
Plot Summary: Jeffrey Magee has two loving parents but when they are killed in an accident Jeffrey is forced to live with his aunt and uncle. After living with his aunt and uncle and their fighting for eight years Jeffrey can't take it anymore and runs away. Jeffrey runs and runs until he finds himself in a town where the blacks live on one side and the whites on the other. Jeffrey soon becomes known as Maniac Magee and moves in with a black family. Despite being white Jeffrey doesn't really understand the racial issues that plague the town. But when the family that took him in starts getting harassed Maniac runs away again. But Maniac is slowly becoming a legend in the town to both whites and blacks. Can one person change the attitude and behavior of a whole town? Well, if your name is Maniac Magee you just might.
Review: This book tackles some heavy issues like death, homelessness, racism and prejudice. But Spinelli doesn't allow these tough issues to bring down the story or come off as preachy. Instead the story is fun and moving and gripping. Maniac Magee seems to adjust to every situation and his acceptance of everyone and all types of situations shows just how odd racism and prejudice is. Magee can't understand the racism, he just sees all the things that makes everyone the same instead of different. He sees a caring family that is willing to take him and care for him, not that they are a different color than him. Magee also sheds the light on child homelessness. While Magee seems to do okay at times, it is heartbreaking to see him forced to sleep with the animals. I think the book brings up some great topics for discussion and does it in a fun and entertaining way.
Reader's Annotation: Jeffrey Magee lost his parents and can't stand living with his aunt and uncle. So one day Jeffery starts running and becomes the legend, Maniac Magee.
Main Themes: homelessness, racism, friendship, family
Read Alikes: Holes by Louis Sachar, Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
Why for Tweens? Jeffrey is a tween who faces many challenges but he does so with determination and an innocence that tweens can relate to. It will highlight some issues of racism that some tweens may not be aware of. This may also help some tweens understand homelessness and death.