Maniac Magee: A Novel Teaching Pack

by Jerry Spinelli

Spinelli, Jerry, Whisnant, Margaret

Genres: Realistic Fiction

81 pages, Paperback

First published January 30, 2007

About the author

When Jerry Spinelli was a kid, he wanted to grow up to be either a cowboy or a baseball player. Lucky for us he became a writer instead.

He grew up in rural Pennsylvania and went to college at Gettysburg College and Johns Hopkins University. He has published more than 25 books and has six children and 16 grandchildren.
Jerry Spinelli began writing when he was 16 — not much older than the hero of his book Maniac Magee. After his high school football team won a big game, his classmates ran cheering through the streets — all except Spinelli, who went home and wrote a poem about the victory. When his poem was published in the local paper, Spinelli decided to become a writer instead of a major-league shortstop.

In most of his books, Spinelli writes about events and feelings from his own childhood. He also gets a lot of material from his seven adventurous kids! Spinelli and his wife, Eileen, also a children's book author, live in Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Elijah Rodriquez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was about a white kid that looked like he was homeless named Maniac Magee. He was from the opposite side of town were all the white people lived. But Maniac Magee one day ran away to the other side of town where all the black people lived. The black people didn't know who he was but they all knew he did't belong on there side of town. But he does something important for the people to like him.

[Aurora Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really care for it.

[Amye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maniac Magee tells the story of a young boy who loses his parents. He has a minor breakdown when he goes to live with his passive aggressive aunt and uncle. From then on, he roams the streets, lives out adventures, and meets some friends that become family. Throughout the book, Maniac is surrounding by myths and legends, and the author sets out to tell the real story.

When I started this book, I did not know it would tackle the issue of racism, but a large part of the book includes Maniac living with a black family. Many of the town people do not like that a white boy is living with a black family, and the family becomes the victim of hate crimes. The hate becomes so bad, Maniac leaves the family. Because Maniac himself is a child, he does not fully understand what is happening, and the author does a good job of talking about racism from a child's perspective. This book and subject of racism could prompt many class discussions as students themselves try to process why people would act the way they do toward Maniac and his adopted family.

On a lighter note, I also like the way the book handles the idea of myths and legends. It would be a good starting place to introduce these terms. Then the class could sort through what is truth about Maniac, what is myth, and what has become town legend.

[Justin Sexauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maniac Magee Jerry Spinelli
This book is great for kids ages 10 to 15, especially if you are learning about racial segregation in school. This book takes place where the town is split into two sides the east and the west and the African American and the white are separated but a kid “Maniac Magee” was African American but he played all his sports on the white side and a lot of people dislike him.
This book is really good, I liked that it had a plot twist at the end and the characters had a lot of story behind them. What wasn’t good about it is it was hard to tell where they were every chapter. The characters had strong opinions on segregation and some characters were being mean to Maniac. The themes were very good and strong, and Maniac had a good story behind him. Maniac was really good at sports he could hit off the fastest pitcher and catch every football and still people disliked him.
This is a very good book and I would give it a 4.5 stars because it still was hard to know where they were in every chapter. This book is one of the best and I would recommend it to everyone in middle school

[Tatiana · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book is about a boy named Jeffrey who , lived in Bridgeport with his parents until he was three years old. During that year he became an orphan. His parents were killed in a trolley accident over the Schuylkill River. During the next eight years, Jeffrey lives with his Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. The household is extremely dysfunctional because his aunt and uncle never speak to each other. They dislike each other but, being strict Catholics, refuse to divorce. After being bounced back and forth between his aunt and uncle, Jeffrey reaches his breaking point. At the spring musical at Jeffrey's school (Jeffrey is in the chorus), which his aunt and uncle attend, he screams at the top of his lungs, "Talk! Talk! Talk!" and then runs away. after all of that he decided to leave and then he was off, to find a new home some where else.

[Nicole Platte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maniac Magee by Margaret Whisnant is a very interesting book. This book was hard for me to understand some of the times. Manic Mcgee was an east book to read but it still would be a bit confusing. I would recomed this book to anyone who likes a bit of a challenge to read but it is a very easy book to read.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

From what I recall, this book entails the dichotomous existence of the two class-separated worlds of a youngster. I cannot remember when it takes place. I plan to re-read it. It was very intriguing. . .

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I didn't actually read this edition (the teachers pack) but the book is great and shows alot about people and what's important in life.

[Aubrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

really really awesome book:)!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bryan Spahr]

read for school in 8th grade