Newbery Award Library IV: Maniac Magee, Scorpions and the Moves Make the Man

by Jerry Spinelli, Walter Dean Myers

This collection of award-winning novels from HarperTrophy contains 1981 Newbery Award winner Maniac Magee, 1989 Newbery Honor book Scorpions, and 1985 Newbery Honor book The Moves Make the Man. These contemporary, compelling favorites are fast-paced and cutting edge -- perfect for today's readers.

Paperback

First published May 1, 1998

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

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Maniac Magee was written by Jerry Spinelli. It is about a twelve year old boy named Jeffery Lionel. His parents died in a trolley accident when he was three. He was sent to live with his Aunt Dot and his Uncle Dan. They did not get along very well. They didn’t talk at all to each other and that bothered Jeffery. One day he got so upset that he decided to run away because he couldn’t handle his uncle and aunt not speaking to each other. He ran to a town called Mill. This place is very racist and the town is divided between the blacks and the whites. Jeffery does not understand why they don’t live together. He tries to make friends but gets in fights with gangs and bullies. He befriends a black woman named Amanda Beale who invites him to live with her. He realizes that she is different from him and he runs away from here. He then starts to live in a gymnasium with his friend Earl Grayson. On Christmas night Earl dies in his sleep. Jeffery is extremely sad and runs until he decides to go back to the zoo and live with the animals there. Amanda comes to see him and she invites him to live with her. Jeffery says ok and moves in with her again. Jeffery deals with external issues. The conflict is between him and his new parents and then it shifts to trying to live and survive in a large city as a child.
The book is written in a way so it is exciting to the reader. The author tries to make Jeffery’s adventures thrilling and exciting. I chose this book because it was recommended to me. I liked the book because it wasn’t boring at all. It’s fun for the reader to see how a child can live and mature through his life without guardians.
I would recommend this book to any age capable of reading a book like this. (336).

[JK · Rating 5 out of 5]

The substitute for my sixth grade teacher, who was on maternity leave, read this to our class. I still think Maniac is Spinelli's best.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

i only read maniac magee.
but it's a great story.
great for boys
but also great for anybody else.
i love it.
i haven't read it in years and years.
i have to read it again soon.