Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

Spinelli, Jerry. Maniac Magee. Boston: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 1990. ISBN 13: 9780316809061. Paperback. USD $7.99. 

Awards/Honors:

-1990: Boston Globe/Horn Book Award.

-1991: Carolyn Field Award, Newbery Medal (American Library Association.)

-1992: Charlotte Award, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, Flicker Tale Award, Indian Paintbrush Book Award, Rhode Island Children's Book Award.

-1993: Buckeye Children's Book Award, Land of Enchantment Award, Mark Twain Award, Massachusetts Children's Book Award, Nevada Young Readers' Award, Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award, Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award, West Virginia Children's Book Award, William Allen White Award.

-2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." 

-2012 It was one of the "Top 100 Chapter Books" of all time in a poll by School Library Journal.

Annotation:

Skin color is not a big deal for Maniac Magee. It is a big deal to everyone else though. Running away may be the answer for now, but you have to run home eventually.

Booktalk: 

“Nobody knows who said it first, but somebody must have:

 'Kid's gotta be a maniac.” 

Born Jeffrey Lionel Magee but known as Maniac Magee, this twelve-year-old is like no other. Maniac Magee ran from it all. He ran from the death of his parents, the foster care of his aunt and uncle, and into the arms of a black family. He stepped into the boundaries that others strayed away from. Race was insignificant to Maniac but trouble brewed and Maniac moved on to run the roads of new places and new friends.

Why does race even exist? Why can’t we all get along and ignore the color of our skin? Why can’t everyone in Maniac’s town be friendly with one another? This is how Maniac thought and wanted life to be. Befriending the black boy that was causing trouble for Maniac is a small start to a stubborn society. Run the streets with Maniac Magee and become a part of his crazy adventures!



Jerry Spinelli's official page





Listen to the first chapter of Maniac Magee!



 

An adorable song version of Maniac Magee!