Summary: Jeffrey Lionel Magee was born in the town of Bridgeport. When he was three years old, his mother and father were killed in an accident. Jeffrey was forced to go live with his aunt and uncle. Jeffrey is tired of his aunt and uncle's constant fighting, so he decides to run away. On Jeffrey's adventure he learns many life lessons about perseverance, independence, love and prejudice. Jeffrey also earns the name "Maniac" from his amazing running, batting and tremendous speed. Maniac Magee spends many nights at the zoo with the animals, but also finds a home with a nice family willing to take him in. Maniac thinks that the color of a person's skin does not make them any different, however, many others think a "white" boy should leave the "black" side of town. Together the town and Maniac learn many lessons of tolerance and togetherness.
Citation:
Spinelli, J. (1990). Maniac magee. New York, NY: Little Brown.
My Impression: The story of Maniac Magee is as heart warming as they come. A young boy finds himself alone and desperately wants a family to love him. The undercurrents of racial tension and divide show the struggles that face our world. It is easy to see why Maniac Magee won the Newbery Medal for the writing of the story. The descriptive writing moves the reader seamlessly through the story. It makes the reader want to keep reading to find out the next trials and tribulations that happen to Maniac. The story helps you believe in the good inside people waiting to get out. This is a definite must-read for all ages.
Professional Reviews:
Kirkus Review (1990)
"An occasionally long-winded, but always affecting, parable-like story about racism and ignorance. Jeffrey Magee is twice homeless--once involuntarily, at age three, when his parents plunge with a high-speed trolley off a bridge; the second time eight years later, when he voluntarily leaves the troubled home of his aunt and uncle. Jeffrey's subsequent yearlong flight generates a host of legends:, his sudden appearances and astonishing athletic prowess earn him the name "Maniac," and his just-as-sudden disappearances ensure his fame. Innocently, he crosses between two strictly segregated parts of town, the white East End and the black West End, making friends and enemies in both camps and managing to soften the lines of segregation; later, he finds a new home in the West. If this is sometimes a bit like a chalkboard lesson, it may be because racism is still a volatile subject that is more comfortably dealt with in parable form. The metaphorical style is a brave change from the realism of Spinelli's other books, while fans of his earlier, tongue-in-cheek, streetwise tone will find it also an integral part of this story--ballast for the mythic, shifting picture of Maniac's year on the run."
Kirkus Reviews. (1990, May 7). [Review of the book Maniac magee, by
J. Spinelli]. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com
Publishers Weekly
"In this modern-day tall tale, Spinelli ( Dump Days ; Jason and Marceline ) presents a humorous yet poignant look at the issue of race relations, a rare topic for a work aimed at middle readers. Orphaned as an infant, Jerry Magee is reared by his feuding aunt and uncle until he runs away at age eight. He finds his way to Two Mills, Pa., where the legend of ``Maniac'' Magee begins after he scores major upsets against Brian Denehy, the star high school football player, and Little League tough guy, John McNab. In racially divided Two Mills, the Beales, a black family, take Maniac in, but despite his local fame, community pressure forces him out and he returns to living at the zoo. Park groundskeeper Grayson next cares for the boy, but the old man dies and Maniac moves into the squalid home of the McNabs, who are convinced a race war is imminent. After a showdown with his nemesis, Mars Bar, Maniac bridges the gap between the two sides of town and finally finds a home. Full of snappy street-talk cadences, this off-the-wall yarn will give readers of all colors plenty of food for thought. Ages 8-12."
Publishers Weekly. (1990, May 11). [Review of the book Maniac magee, by J. Spinelli].
Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com
Uses within the Library:
1. Zoo Mania: Have students create a paper zoo to decorate a special location of the library to highlight the book. Allow the students to use word bubbles to write comments that the zoo animals might have said to Maniac for sleeping in the zoo with them.
2. Tennis Shoe Tuesday: In honor of Maniac's running abilities, choose a Tuesday to collect gently used tennis shoes to distribute to needy children in the community.
3. Feeling Folder: After reading the story, have students create a tri-fold of feelings. Describe three types of feelings that Maniac felt in the story and illustrate the events that caused these feelings.
Book Cover: Book cover courtesy of the Mansfield Public Library.
Retrieved from http://www.mansfield-tx.gov/departments/library/
No comments:
Post a Comment