Maniac Magee

By: Jerry Spinelli

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 5th - 7th grade. Expressions of prejudice, becoming more independent with reading and challenging themselves, enjoys stories of survival, increased understanding of time, highly  developed sense of concern for others, rich and complex story, and abstract relationships.

Plot: As a baby, Jeffrey Magee's parents died in a terrible accident. He is sent to live with his Uncle Dan and Aunt Don, who despised each other. After eight years of the silence and hate, Jeffrey ran away and  met Amanda Beale in the West End of Two Mills which was blacks only. Jeffrey didn't understand and didn't care. He continued along in the West End having various run-ins with Mars Bar Thompson and a few high-schoolers. When he goes to the East End which is whites only, he runs into John McNab, a pitcher for a little league that seems unbeatable. When Magee beats him and performs other crazy stunts, he earns the title "Maniac Magee". However, after living in the West End, prejudice takes over and runs Magee out of town where he meets Grayson, a down out pitcher from the minor leagues. He lives with Grayson for many months and they become somewhat of a family. Sadly, Grayson dies shortly after Christmas and Magee feels lost and hopeless. He comes upon two young boys trying run away to Mexico named Russell and Piper. Finding out they are also from Two Mills he takes them back and as luck would have it, they are the little brothers of John McNab. He stays with them off and on and reunites with Mars Bar Thompson and eventually comes to stay with Amanda Beale. Jeffrey Magee finally has a home.

Characters: Jeffrey "Maniac" Magee, Amanda Beale, Mars Bar Thompson, Mrs. Beale, John McNab, Russell and Piper, Hector and Lester, and Grayson.

Setting: Late 1960's or early 1970's Pennsylvania

Theme: Overcoming differences and prejudice

Award: John Newberry Medal 1991