Maniac, Maniac, He's so cool! Maniac, Maniac, Don't go to school. Runs all night, Runs all right, Maniac, Maniac kissed a bull!
I had to read this title again since it was a Battle of the Books title. I forgot how sad it was. It's still a fantastic book. ( )

reviewed - Michael

#1325 in our old book database. Rated: Good.
Adele's rating: Good. ( )

Really sweet book about belonging. Quick, good characters. Classic Spinelli— a tinge of sadness, but overall such a heartwarming story. Like soup on a cold,rainy day.

“…the history of a kid is one part fact, two parts legend, and three parts snowball.”

Homelessness = sad. Allergic to pizza? Devastating! 😆 But in all seriousness, this is a pretty decent read, that touches on issues of homelessness and race. Maybe 'lightly' touches is a more accurate description, as someone as famous as Maniac would probably not be allowed to be unhoused and not in school in a 'real' town, East End or West End. And the really uninformed things some of the white people 'say' in this book seem otherworldly ignorant, and I wondered several times what year this was supposed to be occurring in? (yes, I do know how ignorant some folks are, but many of the questions that Grayson asks are just... come on!)

At the end of the book, I just hoped Maniac would end up in school and using his physical gifts to his benefit! As a baseball nut myself, I hope he ended up on the diamond! ( )

Newberry Medal Winner!

I don't care much for protagonists who are perfect at everything and develop a savior complex (besides Harry Potter) - as in, I didn't much care for Maniac Magee. However, I did like the Beale family and the Pickwell family quite a bit; loving and easy-going families that can welcome in any strangers and make them feel like part of the family are a bit of a weakness of mine. ( )

Independent Reading Level: 5th Grade
Awards/Honors: Newbery Medal ( )

I just remember this book being mind-blowingly good in 4th grade. ( )

Star and a half. I liked Amanda's family a lot, and the Pick-people (sorry, I thought the name was cute). (sighs) Fellow lovers of reading, I was so excited to hopefully rate this book five stars and explain the roots of my hoped-for adoration of this book, and delve briefly into a fond childhood memory. I hoped to remember most of the book, and draw praise, and sniffle a little. None of that happened. We read this book in fifth grade, in 1999. My widely-adored teacher read parts of this out loud to us on Fridays as a treat. This was during the fierce rivalry between the LA Lakers and the Pacers, and our homework was to go home and watch the games, or watch with friends if we didn't own a TV. Our class split into two competitive groups, driven not by the love of basketball, but of our teacher, who was born and raised in Indiana, but came to Seattle anyway. We placed bets fit for ten-year-olds and sniped at one another before school. R, a friend, slipped a note into one of my schoolbooks that read, "A loves the Pacers." I snickered and kept the note for decades, right in its original position. I was a Pacers fan but liked insults like that. So, I do have some normal childhood memories kind of.

This book was unquestionably written for children, and in a way that celebrates childhood in some ways, and it doesn't make children feel stupid. Spinelli doesn't talk down to children at all, which can be common in some kid lit. I thought for decades that this book took place in upstate New York and nope, small town. That's--got unfortunate implications, as does most of this book. In a sentence: this is about a white savior who's a young homeless kid. When I think of small towns that have a sizeable white population that's low-income, I think of sundown towns. I am still learning about it, so this may not be accurate at all. But for a town so deeply divided--sundown town. The racial dynamics are so weird. It's a white savior fantasy, so that's to be expected, but it was weird. When does this take place? How is Maniac continually able to literally outrun social service people? He's a ward of the state. How is he able to cut school constantly? How did he fall through the cracks? How on earth did he break into the zoo constantly, -climb into animal enclosures-, and do so -without getting attacked-? The world-building left a lot to be desired, but it's also magical realism that wasn't properly introduced or developed.

His aunt and uncle in the beginning, with their strict views on how they should live separately--um, until 1996, divorce and separation were illegal in Ireland, and even after a new law was passed, it was still hard to get. So, Mum often lived upstairs, with Dad downstairs, and kids did eat with different parents at different times. That was totally a thing. But here, Spinelli's twisting it and making it seem bizarre and stressful in unrealistic ways, and adding a strange American twist. I did not approve. I also frowned at chapter transitions and passages of time so frequently being marked with Maniac running away, performing a fantastical feat, or character introductions of yet another person who would be changed by a young, homeless boy who was new in town. Months and seasons were anthromorphized in ways they didn't need to be, the Sledgehammer of Symbology (thanks to Das Mervin for the term) was wielded with alarming regularity, and wow, there's lots of broad caricatures and stereotypes in this book.

But--it's helped kids read. But I didn't like what it had to say, to be honest. And what makes my childhood memories viewed through such a filter--what a strange choice of book to read to fifth graders. Our class was over half Latinx kids, with the rest white kids. And -this- was the cherished and adored book? A white savior magical realism with cliche and unrealistic messages about race relations? By the time my younger brother entered the class two years later, this book was no longer assigned. I'm glad I reread it now, though, and with more life experience and social knowledge.. ( )

Jeffrey Lionel Magee, also known as "Maniac Magee," is an orphan and a runaway. He ends up in a small Pennsylvania town torn apart by racial strife, and astounds everyone with his extraordinary athletic feats as he works to heal the painful divide between the town's black and white citizens.

Maniac Magee is a popular story about racism and segregation that is often taught at the middle school level. The main character is Jeffery Magee, a young , white, orphan boy who becomes a local hero in his very divided town due to his severe lack of care about race, something that is completely unlike everyone else in Two Mills. This book won several awards in the years following its publication in 1990, and I actually read this book in 6th grade ELAR and still remember details about it to this day because it was so impactful. A cross content aspect of this book is in Social Studies due to its focus on race, racism, and segregation, but it could be kept on any classroom bookshelf or read aloud to any class. ( )

Who should read it?
This book is considered a "classic" by many of the students and teachers I've talked to, and I can see what. There are important lessons about independence, racism, determination, death, poverty, and role models embedded in a craftily narrated story of a local legend, Maniac Magee. Due to the vocabulary and writing style, I would recommend this book for younger young adult readers, like upper elementary or early middle school, depending on the student’s maturity, but if a high schooler was looking for a fun, quick read, I would recommend it to them as well. It would make a fun read-aloud for as young as third grade, I feel.

The version I read is the 25th-anniversary edition pictured above.

Curious why Maniac Magee is still popular over 25 years after its original publication? Check out this article "25 Years On, 'Maniac Magee' Is Still Running By Shannon Maughan: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/artic... ( )

I’d read this book again just for the writing. The story’s not too shabby either. ( )

My son is reading this for school, so I thought I'd see what it was all about.

Not sure which was worse - the creepy, illiterate old guy who moves in with Magee or the depiction of the McNab family as prejudiced white trash. If the McNabs had been a black family, the depiction of ignorance and squalor in the household would have been declared hate speech and Spinelli branded a racist.

The story moves about as quickly as Maniac can run, which is to say it moves at a good clip. One of those tales where the protagonist remains the same - has very little character arc - while everyone around him is changed by being around him. In this way, the story suffers from a bit of a white savior problem. Maniac bridges a racial divide in a city that has always had an us/them mentality. Still, there's a lot of hope and celebration in the story, and it truly is a compelling read. ( )

I enjoyed reading this book. It was aneasy read and I could not put it down. students can related to him if they ever lost a loved one or do not live with their parents. ( )

This is a great read. It's as relevant today as it was 25 years ago when first published. It deals with racism and its effects on a young man who, though white, finds more warmth and kindness on the Black side of town than on "his own side." The characters are compelling, realistic, and will challenge whatever tendency you may have towards racial conflict. ( )

One sentence theme: The themes of race, poverty and homelessness are addressed in this story of a young boy finding his home.
Plot: A orphaned young boy runs away from his aunt and uncles home and crosses over the racial lines of a town trying to find his place.
Personal Connection: I wanted to like this book but I found it lacking in reality.
Curricular connections: A study of racial disparities from the white character perspective.

-One sentence theme: Orphaned white boy faces and challenges racism, homelessness, and belonging while becoming a legend among the kids in his town.

-Plot summary: Jeffrey "Maniac" Magee was orphaned and sent to live with his aunt and uncle. Miserable there, he opted to run away. Jeffrey encounters many people in the town of Two Mills, from a variety of homes. He faces tough situations, makes friends who are both black and white, young and old. This is an emotional, important story that challenges racist thinking and prejudice. Jeffrey's accepting heart will endear him to readers of all ages.
-Personal response: I selected this book because I remember my friend in junior high reading it and recommending it over and over again to all his friends. I didn't read it then, but decided to now as an adult and found many things to love. Jeffrey's resiliency and acceptance of all people was very touching to me; there were several scenes where I teared up. Beautiful writing with strong characterization and tough topics always impresses me. Spinelli nailed it here!
-Curricular connections: I could forsee using this book to teach about racism, and perhaps a history tie-in with civil rights. I also would consider this book for a literature circle, exploring character and themes in depth. ( )

I consider this book to be a masterpiece in modern myth lore. Everyone should read it. It feels a lot like Steinbeck's Tortilla Flat.

I've read it to 7th graders over a period of weeks, and they hung on the story - knowing from week to week exactly where we had left off. It was amazing. ( )

Jeffrey Magee is sent to live with his aunt after his parents die in trolley accident. This is not a fun place to live and his aunt is a super strict Catholic. He hates is so much that he finally takes off running. He literally runs until he reaches Two Mills, Pennsylvania, a divided town where he goes back and forth between the east and west side. Maniac ends up living with a new family but many tragic events unfold until he finally finds what he's looking for. ( )

This was a pretty easy read. I enjoyed it a lot when I was younger and it's something I would recommend to young readers. ( )

What an endearing story. The story line is a little stilted or fragmented information. Even so the information you're given makes you think and wonder.
This book was a school book for my child this year and so apropos in the circumstances happening in the news at this time.
Jeffrey Magee doesn't understand why there's an imaginary boundary in a town where blacks live on the east side of town and the west live on the west side.
The story has good and bad on both ends and Jeffrey Magee makes friends and enemies on both sides of town.
In the end, hate is such a waste. ( )