Maniac Magee

Spinelli, J. (2008). Maniac magee. Paw Prints.

Originally published in 1990.

ISBN: 9780316807227 | hardcover | 184p. | $15.95 USD

Annotation:  After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.

Cover image courtesy of goodreads.com

Book Talk:  Maniac Magee. Is he an ordinary kid? Or a superhero?  It’s difficult to say when even the citizens of Two Mills aren’t even sure what to make of him.  Some claim he was a myth, others say he was real.  But one thing everyone can agree on is Maniac Magee, born Jeffrey Lionel Magee, had some skillz!  He single-handedly showed up the varsity football team, braved Mr. Finsterwald’s backyard where kids never dared to tread,  ran faster than Mars Bar Thompson, shattered John McNabb’s strikeout record by hitting everything the pitcher hurled at him—even a frog!  Maniac had the ability to entertain little kids, untie gigantic knots, and even change the deep rooted racial perceptions of the townspeople.  Ordinary kid or superhero?  Make up your own mind by running as fast as Maniac Magee to get a copy of this book. 

My favorite thing about the book:

This book is chock full of laughs and heart. 

First Sentence:

“They say Maniac Magee was born in a dump.”

Favorite characters:

Maniac and Grayson

Awards/Honors:

1990 Boston Globe/Horn Book Award

1991 Newberry Medal

Winner of numerous state children's book awards including the Mark Twain Award, Massachusetts Children’s Book Award, and the Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award

Learn More:

Don’t miss this interview series with author Jerry Spinelli as he discusses his books and life experiences.  In this video he talks about what he wanted to be as a kid.  He describes going to school dressed as a cowboy and singing “I’ve Got Spurs that Jingle Jangle Jingle” to his class.  To hear more from Jerry click here.