Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Maniac Magee
Book Review: "Maniac McGee" Jerry Spinelli
Summary: 4 Stars
Jerry Spinelli vividly describes the life of an adventurous young run away. The feats that Maniac achieves lead the people in the community to call him a hero. Even though Maniac does not have a normal, practical family, many people care about him. Not only do they allow him to stay in their homes, but they worry about him when he is gone. Jerry Spinelli creates a tale that will captivate young readers and keep them reading to discover what will happen. Young readers will be able to relate to the adventures Maniac gets into and they will learn a lesson of bravery and trust.Book Review: "It's Confusing!! What?"
Summary: 2 Stars
The Story Maniac Magee was a very confusing book. Some of the reasons that I didn't like the book are that he ran so many places. Just like running to the Beales in the East end, then running to the McNabs in the West end. There was a little to much fighting. For example,when Maniac (Jeffery) messes with the Cobras and Mars Bar. There were too many slang words. Somtimes I had to reread it a couple of times. One time Mars Bar said "Gimme my Book!" But most of all he loses many people. Once he is very happy, then he has to separate. He finally goes with the Beales and lives there. Overall the story was hard to understand.Book Review: "a story that is very careful not to get the facts mixed up"
Summary: 5 Stars
Maniac Magee is the story of one boy and his courage that helped bring about an end to racial prejudice to a central Pennsylvania town, and helped to create a legend. Jeffrey Lionel Magee wanders into Two Mills, PA and instantly creates a larger than life character who can out run a dog, hit a homerun off the best pitcher in town, and win a race by running backwards. Aside from the unbvelievable physical feats Maniac Magee also helps erase the invisible line drawn between the east and west sides of town. Why is Jeffrey a maniac? Because he can do Houdini-like feats, or because he is willing to confront, albeit unknowingly the status quo of Two Mills?
The slight exaggerations of nearly impossible situations are really brought to life as Spinneli examines real issues such as illiteracy, homelessness and racial prejudice...the story is "real", but it may have been embellished, and I dare say that has made it a great book!
Book Review: *Teacher Review of Maniac Magee*
Summary: 5 Stars
Title: Maniac Magee
Author: Maniac Magee
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co. Young Readers
Publication Date: 9/1/199
Reading Level: Accelerated Reader Level: 4.9 Appropriate for children ages 9-13.
Number of pages: 184
Genre: Fiction (Young Adult)
Jerry Spinelli's classic book Maniac Magee is still read and enjoyed by thousands of young adults every year. A Newberry Award winner, Spinelli's story of a young orphan named Jeffrey "Maniac" Magee provides its readers with both an exciting and moving plot. Maniac becomes a legend in the town of Two Mills for numerous feats, among them running along train rails, untying an enormous knot and beating the fastest kid in town running backwards. At the same time, the book addresses the important issues of racism, segregation and ignorance. This review will provide potential readers with a brief synopsis of the plot, some negative aspects of the book and the reviewer's opinion of the book as an elementary school teacher.
The plot of Maniac Magee revolves around the story's main character, Jeffrey Lionel Magee. Known simply as "Maniac," Magee appears suddenly in Two Mills, a segregated town divided racially into East and West Ends. Maniac's parents were killed in a trolley accident, and he arrives in Two Mills after running away from his aunt and uncle. Magee first meets Amanda Beale, a young black girl who loves her books so much that she carries them around in a suitcase at all times. Well-developed characters like Amanda are found throughout Spinelli's story, providing readers with a variety of personalities to interact with Maniac. The more time Maniac spends in Two Mills, the more his legend grows. He takes on John McNabb, the town bully, in a baseball game and hits home-run after home-run off of him. He races Mars Bar Thompson, the self-anointed fastest kid in Two Mills, and backpedals the last part of their race to victory. He unties Cobble's Knot, a prolific knot outside of a pizza parlor, earning himself free pizza for a year. As the story progresses, Maniac lives in a variety of locations: first with the African-American Beale family, for a time with racist and white McNabb family and even in the Two Mills Zoo in the buffalo enclosure. Throughout the story the reader is introduced to real-world issue of segregation between the town's East and West Ends. Maniac experiences the ignorance and racism that exist between the town's African-American and white communities that have simmered below the surface for years. Maniac is thrust into the middle of this issue because of his comfort with both groups of people, and the author Spinelli does an excellent job of illustrating to his young audience the danger and outright silliness of such close-minded ideas.
If there is a negative aspect to Spinelli's story, it might be the book's ending. As a caution to potential readers, after following such an engaging plot the book's conclusion is a bit of a letdown. As to avoid being a spoiler, this review will not detail the ending, but will ensure potential readers that the conclusion is short and the book remains thrilling up to this point.
As a fourth grade teacher, I have read this book aloud to my class and they would beg me to continue every time we had to stop. My students and I thoroughly enjoy the great characters and the thrilling adventures that Maniac has throughout the story. Not only is Maniac Magee incredibly fun to read, it also provides its readers with important real-world issues such as racism and close-mindedness. I would highly recommend this book to any student in fourth through eighth grade, but even as an adult I enjoy reading Maniac Magee every time!
Book Review: 10 year- old reader
Summary: 2 Stars
I read this book when I was in fourth grade. It didn't make any sense. I don't suggest it. It was kind of good, but one thing happened after the other. It was way too confusing for my age readers!!