Maniac Magee
First edition
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| Author | Jerry Spinelli |
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| Cover artist | Alyssa Morris |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Published | 1990 (Little, Brown) |
| Pages | 184pp |
| ISBN | |
| LC Class | PZ7.S75663 Man 1990 |
Maniac Magee is a novel written by American author Jerry Spinelli and published in 1990. Exploring themes of racism and homelessness, it follows the story of an orphan boy looking for a home in the fictional Pennsylvania town of Two Mills. He becomes a local legend for feats of athleticism and fearlessness, and his ignorance of sharp racial boundaries in the town. It is popular in elementary school curricula, and has been used in scholarly studies on the relationship of children to racial identity and reading. A film adaptation was released in 2003.
Jeffrey Magee's parents were in a trolley when a drunk driver crashed and sunk it into the Schuylkill River in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, orphaning him at age three. After living with his Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan in another town and enduring their mutual hatred and silence for eight years, he runs away during a school musical performance. One year and 200 miles later, he finds himself across the river from Bridgeport in Two Mills, where Hector Street divides the East End from the West End.
He meets Amanda Beale, an East Ender who carries her suitcase full of books to keep them away from her little brother and sister, Hester and Lester, who crayon everything in sight, and borrows one before continuing his dash through town. Along the way, he intercepts a football pass made to local football star James "Hands" Down, infuriates gigantic little leaguer John McNab by hitting home runs off his fastball, and saves an unlucky child from Finsterwald’s backyard, which is full of negative energy. Because of these acts, he earned the nickname "Maniac" and started a local legend.
When "Mars Bar" Thompson corners Jeffrey and rips a page from Amanda's book, he is rescued by Amanda. He finds a home there, helping Mr. and Mrs. Beale with the chores and pacifying Hester and Lester. Soon though, a few East Enders make it clear to him that they don't want him in there anymore by writing racist graffiti on the Beales' front door, "Fishbelly go home" to be exact. His final effort to gain acceptance is by untying the famous Cobble’s Knot. After finishing the task he is praised by everyone as confetti is thrown into the air. Amanda realizes, too late, that it was made from the pages of her favorite book, an encyclopedia A Edition. Jeffrey runs away, taking shelter at the buffalo pen at the zoo.
At the zoo, Jeffrey meets Earl Grayson, a minor-league baseball pitcher who turns out to be a groundskeeper, who never learned to read, and who insists he has no stories to tell. For a few months Jeffrey has a home again with him, helping him at work, celebrating holidays with him, and teaching him to read. Grayson winds up dying 5 days after Christmas, and Jeffery runs off again.
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