Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee might have lived a normal life if a freak accident hadn't made him an orphan. After living with his unhappy and uptight aunt and uncle for eight years, he decides to run—and not just run away, but run. This is where the myth of Maniac Magee begins, as he changes the lives of a racially divided small town with his amazing and legendary feats.
After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.
Jerry Spinelli is the author of over fifteen immensely popular books for young readers, including Eggs, Stargirl, Space Station Seventh Grade, Newbery Honor winner Wringer, and Maniac Magee, winner of more than fifteen state children's book awards in addition to the Newbery Medal. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, Eileen. His website is www.jerryspinelli.com.
But not for long.
One day his parents left him with a sitter and took the P & W high-speed trolley into the city. On the way back home, they were on board when the P & W had its famous crash, when the motorman was drunk and took the high trestle over the Schuylkill River at sixty miles an hour, and the whole caboodle took a swan dive into the water.
And just like that. Maniac was an orphan. He was three years old.
Of course, to be accurate, he wasn't really Maniac then. He was Jeffrey. Jeffrey Lionel Magee.
Little Jeffrey was shipped off to his nearest relatives, Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan. They lived in Hollidaysburg, in the western part of Pennsylvania.
Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan hated each other, but because they were strict Catholics, they wouldn't get a divorce. Around the time Jeffrey arrived, they stopped talking to each other. Then they stopped sharing.
Pretty soon there were two of everything in the house. Two bathrooms. Two TVs. Two refrigerators. Two toasters. If it were possible, they would have had two Jeffreys. As it was, they split him up as best they could. For instance,he would eat dinner with Aunt Dot on Monday, with Uncle Dan on Tuesday, and so on.
Eight years of that.
Then came the night of the spring musicale at Jeffrey's school. He was in the chorus. There was only one show, and one auditorium, so Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan were forced to share at least that much. Aunt Dot sat on one side. Uncle Dan on the other.
Jeffrey probably started screaming from the start of the song, which was "Talk to the Animals," but nobody knew it because he was drowned out by all the other voices. Then the music ended, and Jeffrey went right on screaming, his face bright red by now, his neck bulging. The music director faced the singers, frozen with his arms still raised. In the audience faces began to change. There was a quick smatter of giggling by some people who figured the screaming kid was some part of the show, some funny animal maybe. Then the giggling stopped, and eyes started to shift and heads started to turn, because now everybody could see that this wasn't part of the show at all, that little Jeffrey Magee wasn't supposed to be up there on the risers, pointing to his aunt and uncle, bellowing out from the midst of the chorus: "Talk! Talk, will ya! Talk! Talk! Talk!"
No one knew it then, but it was the birth scream of a legend.
And that's when the running started. Three springy steps down from the risers - girls in pastel dresses screaming, the music director lunging - a leap from the stage, out the side door and into the starry, sweet, onion-grass-smelling night.
Never again to return to the house of two toasters. Never again to return to school.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli Copyright © 1990 by Jerry Spinelli. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Balina
Posted Thu Aug 18 00:00:00 EDT 2011
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That was great. I enjoyed every minute reading this.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Jeffery Magee a.k.a Maniac Magee's life is full of up's and down's. he can't find a true family. His aunt Dot and uncle Dan aren't a help to beggin with so he runs. He ends up with the beale's and is at ome there but there is one huge problem. There black and he is white and that is something that doesn;t work for anyone. So Maniac runs again. This time he ends up in the Buffalo pen, where Grayson the zoo attendent works. Grayson takes Maniac to a baseball equipment room where they live until a couple days after Christmas Grayson dies. Maniac is soon on the run again. He lives many places after that and finally ends up witht he Beale's again. That ends up to be his true home. Maniac runs from his problems and it creates a heart warming story. I recomend this book for anyone no matter what age.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Mar 26 00:00:00 EDT 2009
Maniac Magee
Maniac Magee is a fiction book. If you enjoy adventure books such as Maniac Magee written by Jerry Spinally, then this is the book for you. It is not a predictable book; you do not know what's coming at you as you rapidly move through the book.
Jeffery Magee is his real name, but he is the ultimate legend of the town Two-Mills so they named him Maniac Magee. Maniac Magee was born in Hollidaysburg, PA. Maniac is a little Caucasian boy whose parents died in a trolley accident. The driver of the trolley was drunk and it was his shift to drive that night. The trolley crashed and fell into the river down below and every single person died. Two of the people on the trolley happened to be Maniac's parents. He was taken in by his Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan, who absolutely hate each other, but they are strict Catholics, and it's against Catholics to get a divorce. So they dealt with each other. After living with his aunt and uncle he decided to run away; he couldn't stand to be shared between to adults. So he decided to run away to Two-Mills were he became the legend of all legends. When he arrived in Two-Mills he met a little black girl about the same age as Maniac, Amanda Beale. She became Maniac's best friend. When she found out that he had no place to live she offered to give up her room for him to sleep. She moved into her brother and sister's room, Hester and Lester. They fell in love with Maniac at first sight. He was like their older brother. He also took care of most of the house work. Mrs. Beale didn't know what to do with herself; she had no housework to do. A couple of punks in the neighborhood scared Maniac right out. During this time period that this story takes place there are two different sides of Two Mills, the West End which is made for the black people and the East which is where the white people were. If you were black or white you stayed in your end no white ever went into the West End and no black ever went into the East End, that's just how it was. So when Maniac met Amanda he was the only white in the West End. That was when the punks scared him away. He ran away to the baseball equipment room, were he made a new friend named Grayson. He fed him, gave him clothes, and whatever he needed. After a couple of months he died, and Maniac had no one.
John McNab was the baseball legend of Two-Mills until Maniac arrived. He was the pitcher of all pitchers in the baseball little league. Baseball legend Maniac was the only person ever to hit McNab's fastball.
This book was about the importance of friends, and sadness. This book showed me that there is no need in the separation of blacks and whites. Maniac had friends that were black and white. He didn't understand why they didn't like each other.
This book was one of my favorite books that I have ever read. It is really exciting. There are a lot of metaphors that make it even more interesting. I give this book four stars. Although it was a little confusing to follow. I would recommend this book to all ages.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Feb 04 00:00:00 EST 2010
Jeffrey Lionel Magee (Maniac Magee) is a homeless boy who's parents died in a horrible crash, when he was very young. He lives with his aunt and uncle for a while, but unexpectedly runs away to Two Mills. In Two Mills there are two separate parts of town, the east end and the west end.
The first couple of weeks there, he lives in the deer pen, but when a girl named Amanda Beale finds out he has no place to go, she offers to let him stay with her family. He runs away from her too, because he doesn't feel like he belongs living with an African American family.A bully named Mars Bar doesn't like the idea of a white boy running around town.When Mars Bar acually gets to meet him, they become friends. Later that day Maniac and Mars are at the zoo, just looking at animals, when suddenly Amanda Beale comes, and tells Maniac he's living with her. When Amanda doesn't take "no" for an answer, Maniac knows her has a real friend and a real home.
I give this book four stars. It made me always want to keep reading Though at times it could get pretty confusing. I like the weord choice and how the author really expressed the characters feelings. I also like how the chapters are short, so it keeps you in suspense.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sat Jan 23 00:00:00 EST 2010
Couldn't put this book down and didn't want it to end. It was such fun to read! It was a terrific story filled with imagination and a great lesson on life. I was thrilled with Mr Spinelli's use of words. His descriptions were like nothing I have ever read before. They made me want to call someone up and read to them. I strongly recommend this book to readers of any age. I am considerably older than the age group the author may have had in mind. Yet, I related to the characters as much as anyone would.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2009
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The book Maniac Magee is about a boy, who feels like running away after having no parents and a terrible experiance containg terrible Aunts and Uncles who fight and will not get divorced for they are Cathlic. Following no random path in Particular to no planned destination Maniac sets out on an adventure to a city just like "the city" named 2 mills. On his journey he encounters a suitcase of books belonging to a girl named Amanda Beale. As one of Manaics temporarily Guardians Amanda Beale has a good family a good education and a really funny little brothers and sisters. A bully named Mars Bars also in the funny and hilariously type of page turning story and also follows thru to being a well handled and shallow "softie" type pf bully in the end offering a home for Maniac in the end of the story. Along with that, the cityof 2 mills will have spirited and well and appropriately humorous memories of their tempoarly unexpected visitor, like a knot rope pulled tight and a very good memory of a homeless boy who just runs as if no where to go was the destination he was planning as going on as the route planned ahead at his old evil home. Jerry Spinelli gives the stroy a spin on things all including a boy carrying a book as the main mysterious boy carrying a book during the segment of the chapter/part and then followed in thru the containg elements of the end of the intresting segment of the stroy. These kinds of segments were in the begging of the 1st parts of the story. In the seconds part the story followed on with Maniac as the following "shadow" of the main character in the section or chapter of the story. This story also accompanies my intrest with other famous parts of two Mills even before Maniac arrives.
To summ up this review, the story was simply funny and good.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Spinelli, J. (1990). Maniac Magee. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
0316809063
As an orphan, Jeffrey Magee is sent to live with his aunt and uncle who live separately within their house and refuse to share anything. At the age of eleven, Jeffrey, unable to deal with his aunt and uncle's refusal to interact or communicate, runs away. A year later, he appears in a strictly racially segregated town, doing amazing feats and running like a mad man, earning him the nickname, Maniac. Quick to make both friends and enemies, Maniac searches for a home.
This Newbery Winning story, without a clear setting in time, deals extensively with issues of race and segregation. Maniac, who is initially completely naïve of issues of race, seems almost too naïve. What is more, the fact that no character ever reports Magee's homelessness to the authorities may make this classic story difficult to accept for some adults.
Also present in the book are issues of literacy. Despite his refusal to go to school, Maniac loves to read. He also takes on the role of teacher, helping an older man he befriends learn to read. In the past, the presence of this book in schools and libraries has been challenged in some communities for the fact that it could encourage children to run away or quite school.
The beginning of the story, intrigued me most. Spinelli's narrator takes on the voice similar to that of a folklorist, examining the legend, the myth, the boy that is Maniac Magee.
Activities to do with the book:
This is a good book to discuss topics of race, segregation, school truancy, homelessness and loss. This is also a good way to introduce the idea of 'whiteness.'
To help students visualize the text, they could create maps of Two Mills, reinforcing the division between the sides of the town. Students could then create a second map, trying to unify the town.
Other techniques used with the text include making Venn diagrams, comparing and contrasting characters that have parallel positions.
Also, students could examine the characterization of Maniac as a transgressor.
Favorite Quotes
"The history of a kid is one part fact, two parts legend, and three parts snowball. And if you want to know what it was like back when Maniac Magee roamed these parts, well, just run your hand under your movie seat and be very, very careful not to let the facts get mixed up with the truth" (p. 2).
"If you listen to everybody who claims to have seen Jeffrey-Maniac Magee that first day, there must have been ten thousand people and a parade of fire trucks waiting for him at the town limits. Don't believe it. A couple of people truly remember, and here's what they saw: a scraggly little kid jogging toward them, the soles of both sneakers hanging by their hinges and flopping open like dog tongues each time the came up from the pavement" (p. 9).
"For the life of him, he couldn't figure why these East Enders called themselves black. He kept looking and looking, and the colors he found were gingersnap and light fudge and dark fudge and acorn and butter rum and cinnamon and burnt orange. But never licorice, which, to him, was real black" (p. 51).
For more of my reviews, visit sjkessel.blogspot.com
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri Sep 09 00:00:00 EDT 2011
This was A GREAT BOOK! This book is awesome. Read it, then read it again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Jul 20 00:00:00 EDT 2011
You would love to read this book. It is about a boy who is orphaned at the age three. His parents died in a trolly accident, and he has to deal with finding himself a place that he can call home.
Maniac Maniac he's so cool.
Read the book don't be a fool.
Read all Day
Read all Night
Read the book and you'll be alright!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The story of Maniac Magee is an adventure tale, that leads to great friends and understanding. Jeffery Magee aka Maniac Magee is orphaned after both his parents were killed during a trolley accident. So Jeffrey is sent to live with his relatives, but soon runs away because they are constantly fighting. On his own, Jeffrey is looking for a new home and soon finds himself in the small town of Two Mills which is a segregated town. Jeffrey soon finds himself the target of harassment by the best pitcher on the whites only little league team. Jeffrey is chased unto the black's side of town were he meets Amanda Beale, a young black girl that befriends Magee and ultimately defends Magee. In the East end of town Magee also is becoming unpopular. Basically a turf war breaks out but Maniac Magee helps to bridge the gap. However Magee doesn't want to cause more problems to see leaves the town again in search of a new family. There is more to his adventure but you must read the book to find out what more is in store for Jeffrey "Maniac" Magee.
Teachers, this story is great for a multicultural classroom. It will teach the children about segregation, also brings up the topic of orphans and friendship.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2011
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Maniac Magee is the perfect book to read the first time. The second and third time you read it, it just becomes boring. I would like the book to be longer too because I love Jerry Spinelli's writing style. The book is funny, moving, and I love it overall the first time reading it. It is great for younger audiences and older people too. You will love this book, but please don't read it a second time. It will spoil the book.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Apr 06 00:00:00 EDT 2011
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli, was one of Mr. Spinelli's first novels, and I knew that I have wanted to read it for a while, after loving books such as Stargirl, Love Stargirl, and Wringer. This book however, was not as good as those. I found the story good, and intruiging, but very hard to follow, and missing details often in the story. If I hadn't liked the ending as much as I did, I would have given this two stars. This book is alright, but I have read other ones that are better by the same author.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Tue Mar 29 00:00:00 EDT 2011
maniac magee is a good book even though the main character gr ayson dies. I very much rcamend this book to one and all in the world.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 2011
This story is about a boy named Jeffery Lionel Magee. His parents died so he had to live with his aunt Dot and uncle Dan. He gets chased to the other side of town by John McNab. He gets chased because he is the only one that is not striked out by his pitches. Then he lives with this girl named Amanda Beale. He gets picked on by this boy named Mars Bar, so he goes back to the west end. Then he lives with this old
man named Mr.Grayson. But he soon dies, and in the end, he moves back with Amanda Beale.
I would say this book is "all right". I would give it a rating of three stars because some of the characters just don't fit into the topic of the book. But many parts are good so I would reccommend reading this book if you like books with lots of suspense. It is also good for people who like books about out of the ordinary people. It also has some confusing parts during the book, so in that way, I would not recommend it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 2011
Jeffery Lionel "Maniac" Magee's parents pass away. While staying at his aunt and uncle's house, he decides to run away. When he runs away, he meets a girl named Amanda Beale. Amanda brings him to her house and her parents ask where he lives and he said nowhere. They decide to let him stay with them. He runs away again and lives in a baseball shed where he meets a person who used to be a baseball player in the minors. His name is Grayson. Grayson moves in with Maniac and they celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. After Christmas, Grayson dies. Maniac decides to run away again with food and meets two kids that also ran away. They are two boys and they go back to the two boy's house. Maniac realizes that the two kids are relatives to a bully that he knew. The bullies name is Jon McNabb and Maniac was hitting baseballs when Jon and Maniac hit a home run and Maniac never missed. So Jon is bulling Maniac and the two kids say "how do you know Maniac?" Maniac interrupts Jon and lies" Jon struck me out a lot when we played baseball." After Maniac lied, Jon and Maniac became friends and Maniac stayed at Jon's house. I liked this book because Maniac feels that he can do anything. He meets a girl named Amanda and lives at her house for some of the time. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.In the book maniac magee theres a kid who gets, made fun of pick on and laft at because of what he dosn"t have "parents".how? some one would ask. well they left for a vaation and thay were looking around when the were on there way to were ever the were going. they sterde off the rode and went into a ditch then into a river and dround. so now from wat has happend he is bullyd, laft at,and mest with because of wat he doesnt have. would you bully someone because of wat they dont have? can you put your self in his shows in his situation how would u feel.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.My son recommended this book for my college class (I needed one on racial issues). I loved it. I saw myself in many aspects of it, both as a child and now as an adult. It was easy to read, funny in parts, and very true to life in many ways.
Children ages 10 and up could read this book, it might help them deal with some of the issues of peer pressure which are just beginning to appear. It also has many 'survival tips' which they would probably like. Parents could definitely learn from this book. It shows how we are viewed from a child's eyes, both good and bad. It makes it very plain to see the effect of what we say and do, upon others. It gives us the opportunity to step back and choose what kind of person we want to be.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Jerry Spinelli is such a good author. Period.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Tue May 18 00:00:00 EDT 2010
I like the book Maniac Magee because it is irresistable to read.
It is irresistable to read because it is unpredictable and you just want to read it page after page. The main character is Jeffrey Magee. Some supprorting characters are Amanda, Mars Bar/Snickers, Grayson, and plenty more to come if you read the book. You need to read the book to see what happened to Maniac's parents. If your wondering where Jeffrey Magee lives it is anywhere he can find and have shelter. This is a fiction book. This would be a great book for children and adults who like action and adventure.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Feb 04 00:00:00 EST 2010
Manaic Magee. At first, just Jeffrey, but, due to several tragic events in his life, he ran away to a place known as Two Mills. Trying desperately to find a home, Jeffrey soon discovers that the people if Two Mills are divided by the color of their skin. Over the course of the story, Jeffrey performs daring feats and becomes a legend among the people of the town. After receiving fame, Jeffrey still dosen't give up on his quest to find a home. Along the way, he asks himself "Why are they divided?" Will the question be answered? It's best to find out for yourself.
This book was very good, but it did have a few flaws. In the story, Jeffrey is allergic to pizza, but they don't specify what part he's allergic to. It also dosen't tell what year the book takes place in. Plus, it's a little unbelievable that the buffalos didn't mind him. Though on the bright side, the book had a great introduction, as well as a satisfying ending. I would recommend this book for all ages. As a picky reader, I would give this book 4.8 out of 5 stars. Hail Krumpits!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee might have lived a normal life if a freak accident hadn't made him an orphan. After living with his unhappy and uptight aunt and uncle for eight years, he decides to run—and not just run away, but run. This is where the myth of Maniac Magee begins, as he changes the lives of a racially divided small town with his amazing and legendary feats.
After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes ...