Maniac Magee

Major characters

Plot summary

Jeffrey Magee's parents were in a trolley when a drunk driver crashed and sunk it into the Schuylkill River in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, orphaning him at age three. After living with his Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan in another town and enduring their mutual hatred and silence for eight years, he runs away during a school musical performance. One year and 200 miles later, he finds himself across the river from Bridgeport in Two Mills, where Hector Street divides the East End from the West End.

He meets Amanda Beale, an East Ender who carries her suitcase full of books to keep them away from her little brother and sister, Hester and Lester, who crayon everything in sight, and borrows one before continuing his dash through town. Along the way, he intercepts a football pass made to local football star James "Hands" Down, infuriates gigantic little leaguer John McNab by hitting home runs off his fastball, and saves an unlucky child from Finsterwald’s backyard, which is full of negative energy. Because of these acts, he earned the nickname "Maniac" and started a local legend.

When "Mars Bar" Thompson corners Jeffrey and rips a page from Amanda's book, he is rescued by Amanda. He finds a home there, helping Mr. and Mrs. Beale with the chores and pacifying Hester and Lester. Soon though, a few East Enders make it clear to him that they don't want him in there anymore by writing racist graffiti on the Beales' front door, "Fishbelly go home" to be exact. His final effort to gain acceptance is by untying the famous Cobble’s Knot. After finishing the task he is praised by everyone as confetti is thrown into the air. Amanda realizes, too late, that it was made from the pages of her favorite book, an encyclopedia A Edition. Jeffrey runs away, taking shelter at the buffalo pen at the zoo.

At the zoo, Jeffrey meets Earl Grayson, a minor-league baseball pitcher who turns out to be a groundskeeper, who never learned to read, and who insists he has no stories to tell. For a few months Jeffrey has a home again with him, helping him at work, celebrating holidays with him, and teaching him to read. Grayson winds up dying 5 days after Christmas, and Jeffery runs off again.

On the verge of death he encounters Piper and Russell, child ruffians that turn out to be John McNab's brothers. He leads them back home, bribing them with free pizza, and stays at their cockroach-infested, waste filled house. Here, he finds the worst that the West End has to offer, as he learns that the McNabs are making a bunker because they believe the East End is planning a rebellion. He endures the coarseness and squalor of their home in hopes of keeping Piper and Russell in school and under control, but he is kicked out when he crushes Piper and Russell's toy guns.

After beating Mars Bar in a foot race and goading him into crashing Piper's birthday party at the McNabs' house, Jeffrey is homeless again. He moves back into the buffalo pen, and runs for miles every morning before Two Mills wakes up. Before long, Mars Bar starts running with him as if by coincidence, and they never say a word to each other. One day they come across a hysterical Piper McNab, who frantically leads them to Russell, stuck on the trolley trestle where Jeffrey's parents died. He walks away silently, nearly unconscious and stunned by fear, while Mars Bar rescues Russell, becoming a hero in his eyes. Jeffrey retreats once again to the buffalo pen, where Mars Bar leads Amanda to it. She brings him to her house in a huff, with Jeffery and Mars Bar following her.

Two Mills and Norristown

The imaginary town of Two Mills is based on Jerry Spinelli’s childhood town of Norristown, PA. Spinelli has said that material from the story was inspired by his childhood experiences there, and a number of geographical correspondences confirm this. Norristown, like Two Mills, is across the Schuylkill River from Bridgeport, and neighboring towns include Conshohocken, Jeffersonville and Worcester, all of which are mentioned in the novel. The Elmwood Park Zoo is in Norristown, and Valley Forge, where Maniac wanders, is nearby as well.

Critical reviews

The book was well-received upon publication, variously lauded in reviews as "always affecting," having "broad appeal," and being full of "pathos and compassion." Booklist reviewer Deborah Abbot says, "...this unusual novel magically weaves timely issues of homelessness, racial prejudice, and illiteracy into a complicated story rich in characters and details...an energetic piece of writing that bursts with creativity, enthusiasm, and hope."

Reviewers noted that the theme of racism was uncommon for "middle readers". Criticism concentrated on Spinelli's choice of framing it as a legend, which Shoemaker calls a "cop-out," which frees him from having to make it real or possible. It has also been called "long-winded," and seeming like a "chalkboard lesson."

Awards and honors

Awards and honors for the book include:

The U.S. National Education Association named Maniac Magee one of "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children" based on a 2007 online poll. In 2012 it was ranked number 40 among all-time children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal, a monthly with primarily U.S. audience.

Use for educational and research purposes

The book is popular in elementary schools as a historical-fiction novel. Many study units and teaching guides are available. including a study guide by the author. It has been used as a tool in scholarly work on childhood education and development. Fondrie cites it as an example in a discussion of how to bring up and discuss issues of race and class among young students. McGinley and Kamberlis use it in a study of how children use reading and writing as “vehicles for personal, social, and political exploration.” Along the same lines, Lehr and Thompson examine classroom discussions as a reflection of the teacher’s role as cultural mediator and the response of children to moral dilemmas, and Enciso studies expressions of social identity in the responses of children to Maniac Magee.

In a less pedagogical vein, Roberts uses the character of Amanda Beale as an archetypical "female rescuer" in a study of Newbery books, and Sullivan suggests the book as being useful in discussions of reading attitudes and difficulties.

Adaptations

The book was adapted as an audiobook by Listening Library in 2005 (ISBN 978-0-307-24318-8) and as a TV movie in 2003, which was nominated for the Humanitas prize in the children’s live action category.