Book
Maniac Magee
Written by Jerry Spinelli
Citation
Spinelli, J. (1990). Maniac Magee. New York: HarperCollins.
Summary
Jeffrey Lionel Magee doesn't grow up in a normal house, under normal circumstances, experiencing normal childhood situations. Orphaned as a small child, Jeffrey chose to escape the love-less home of his aunt and uncle by running away. Learning early on that fear of much of anything eluded him. He exhibited extraordinary talent in physical feats as well as seeing people for who they are and loving the unlovable, despite his own lack-of-love-upbringing. Because of his abilities, Jeffrey earns the nickname "Maniac" and moves forward in his quest to find love and goodness and a home of his own. We meet characters that are drawn to Maniac for good reasons and bad; that mold and shape him into a caring and thoughtful young man who seems colors as beautiful and not a reason to hate. Maniac Magee finds the home he's been looking for in the most unusual places, amid the most unlikely brood of characters, despite the most off-putting social stereotypes.
Reviews
Kirkus Review (1990): An occasionally long-winded, but always affecting, parable-like story about racism and ignorance. Jeffrey Magee is twice homeless--once involuntarily, at age three, when his parents plunge with a high-speed trolley off a bridge; the second time eight years later, when he voluntarily leaves the troubled home of his aunt and uncle. Jeffrey's subsequent yearlong flight generates a host of legends:, his sudden appearances and astonishing athletic prowess earn him the name "Maniac," and his just-as-sudden disappearances ensure his fame. Innocently, he crosses between two strictly segregated parts of town, the white East End and the black West End, making friends and enemies in both camps and managing to soften the lines of segregation; later, he finds a new home in the West. If this is sometimes a bit like a chalkboard lesson, it may be because racism is still a volatile subject that is more comfortably dealt with in parable form. The metaphorical style is a brave change from the realism of Spinelli's other books, while fans of his earlier, tongue-in-cheek, streetwise tone will find it also an integral part of this story--ballast for the mythic, shifting picture of Maniac's year on the run.
School Library Journal (June 1990): Gr 6-10-- Warning: this interesting book is a mythical story about racism. It should not be read as reality. Legend springs up about Jeffrey ``Maniac'' Magee, a white boy who runs faster and hits balls farther than anyone, who lives on his own with amazing grace, and is innocent as to racial affairs. After running away from a loveless home, he encounters several families, in and around Two Mills, a town sharply divided into the black East End and the white West End. Black, feisty Amanda Beale and her family lovingly open their home to Maniac, and tough, smart-talking ``Mars Bar'' Thompson and other characters are all, to varying degrees, full of prejudices and unaware of their own racism. Racial epithets are sprinkled through the book; Mars Bar calls Maniac ``fishbelly,'' and blacks are described by a white character as being ``today's Indians.'' In the final, disjointed section of the book, Maniac confronts the hatred that perpetuates ignorance by bringing Mars Bar to meet the Pickwells--``the best the West End had to offer.'' In the feel-good ending, Mars and Maniac resolve their differences; Maniac gets a home and there is hope for at least improved racial relations. Unreal? Yes. It's a cop-out for Spinelli to have framed this story as a legend--it frees him from having to make it real, or even possible. Nevertheless, the book will stimulate thinking about racism, and it might help educate those readers who, like so many students, have no first-hand knowledge of people of other races. Pathos and compassion inform a short, relatively easy-to-read story with broad appeal, which suggests that to solve problems of racism, people must first know each other as individuals.
Suggested Use
Because of the racial stereotypes brought up in the book, Maniac Magee would be a great novel to partner with a study of the judicial system, putting characters from the book on trial for their actions and opinions, making judgements based on situations depicted in the book. Mock trials and readers theaters would be a superb way to illustrate that students have grasped the concept of character emotions, thoughts, perceptions, and evolutions. Be prepared for lengthy discussions and tense moments, but what a perfect way to address these controversial topics within literature.
Impression
I have known the title for as long as I can remember but have only just now taken the time to read the actual book. I had an easy time picturing the different places in which Maniac Magee found his 'home', cringing in the McNabb's and sighing with relief at the Beale's. I was struck with how forthright the author was in perceptions, and their ignorant origins, of racial color lines. I appreciated his willingness to be so bold as to put such in print.
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