Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli Date of Publication: 1990 ISBN: 0-316-20906-3 Number of Pages: 184

REQUIRED READING ABILITY: Junior: Average Intermediate: Low/Average
GENRES: Realism
THEMES : Good versus Evil – Family - Prejudice - Loyalty - Survival – Isolation – Appearance versus Reality – Life versus Death

SUMMARY:
Jeffrey (Maniac) Magee becomes an orphan after his parents die in an accident. He is sent to live with his aunt and uncle but he is very unhappy there and decides to leave. He runs away to Two Mills which is a segregated town, African Americans on the East End and white people in the West end. He meets many different characters along the way and changes the lives of many with his legendary stunts and amazing feats.

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...
· has a hard time making friends
· is a reluctant reader
· likes humour
· comes from a broken home
· is a bully or has been bullied
· likes sports (baseball, track, football)
· likes to root for the underdog

WHAT ELSE?
This is one of many books by award-winning author Jerry Spinelli, and it was chosen as a Newbery Book when it was published.

RELATED LINK:
There are a plethora of resources for teachers online, including: http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/maniacmagee.html
http://www.classzone.com/novelguides/litcons/maniac/guide.cfm
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/social-issues/racial-desegregation/8976.html
http://www.lite.iwarp.com/bltgr5.htm#5magee
http://reading.indiana.edu/ieo/bibs/spinel.html (a collection of Spinelli links)