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Maniac Magee
Unavailable
Maniac Magee
Unavailable
Maniac Magee
Audiobook4 hours

Maniac Magee

Written by Jerry Spinelli

Narrated by S. Epatha Merkerson

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

He wasn't born with the name Maniac Magee. He came into this world named Jeffrey Lionel Magee, but when his parents died and his life changed, so did his name. And Maniac Magee became a legend. Even today kids talk about how fast he could run; about how he hit an inside-the-park "frog" homer; how no knot, no matter how snarled, would stay that way once he began to untie it. But the thing Maniac Magee is best known for is what he did for the kids from the East Side and those from the West Side.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateOct 23, 2001
ISBN9780807205976
Unavailable
Maniac Magee
Author

Jerry Spinelli

Jerry Spinelli received the Newbery Medal for Maniac Magee and a Newbery Honor for Wringer. His other books include Stargirl; Love, Stargirl; Smiles to Go; Loser; Jake and Lily; Hokey Pokey; and The Warden’s Daughter. His novels are recognized for their humor and poignancy, and his characters and situations are often drawn from his real-life experience as a father of six children. Jerry lives with his wife, Eileen, also a writer, in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

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Reviews for Maniac Magee

Rating: 3.993384289693593 out of 5 stars
4/5

1,436 ratings108 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a pretty easy read. I enjoyed it a lot when I was younger and it's something I would recommend to young readers.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    What an endearing story. The story line is a little stilted or fragmented information. Even so the information you're given makes you think and wonder.
    This book was a school book for my child this year and so apropos in the circumstances happening in the news at this time.
    Jeffrey Magee doesn't understand why there's an imaginary boundary in a town where blacks live on the east side of town and the west live on the west side.
    The story has good and bad on both ends and Jeffrey Magee makes friends and enemies on both sides of town.
    In the end, hate is such a waste.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    effrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee might have lived a normal life if a freak accident hadn't made him an orphan. After living with his unhappy and uptight aunt and uncle for eight years, he decides to run--and not just run away, but run. This is where the myth of Maniac Magee begins, as he changes the lives of a racially divided small town with his amazing and legendary feats.Amazon.com review
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Maniac Magee was born Jeffery Magee, but when he lost his parents in a train accident and then ran away from his aunt and uncle, the name sort of got lost in the shuffle. The new name, Maniac, arrived with his series of strange feats as he begins to integrate himself amongst the streets of Two Mills, PA, running through, playing games and meeting people. But what he cannot see that so many others point out, is that he is a little white boy crossing traditional colored boundaries, and not many appreciate his colorblind behavior. It is unsurprising that this book is a Newberry Award winner. Jerry Spinelli gives us this very sweet and honest young man--not even a young man, a boy--running from tragedy and a split home into a world he cannot understand. We are never given Jeffery's age, but we can only assume he is quite young to be on his own as he is--young enough to see the world relatively unbiased but old enough to establish himself as an individual person. The most basic idea behind the book is a boy looking for a home in a world he does not fully understand--you can go all metaphorical for man's journey and blah, blah, blah, but I do not think it is necessary. I think, because of its simplicity, made possible by the choice in age and situation of the main character, Spinelli crafted a brilliant story that is accessible on multiple levels without textual picking. Without becoming philosophical, this book explores themes of personhood [for lack of a better word], home, family, homelessness, understanding...in essence, I am trying to explain that this book is pretty much awesome. It's fun, funny, but also good for the mind and the person behind it. Spinelli did an excellent job. But not Nick and their TV adaptation. It is an atrocity, a travesty--they removed much of what made the book as powerful as it could be, treating it from the 'legendary' angle and distancing the audience from Magee himself. I adore Michael Angarano, but don't see it. It's probably only available on YouTube anyway [which is, admittedly, where I saw it].
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This story is about a young orphan. It was sad and happy, and is a great way to talk about a time that was very difficult for us in our past. This book can be used to teach so many different things to students and I was also and orphan at one period in my life.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great book. Interesting plot and real. Enjoyed it very much and would recommend to my young readers grades 3 - 6.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a fun story. I love the lessons within it about friendship not being dependent on race, age or any other arbitrary factors, but rather on mutual respect. Some of the black vs white dichotomy within the book feels outdated, but this was still a heart-warming read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Jeffrey Magee is living a normal life until his parents are killed in a trolley accident when he's three. So he is sent to go live with Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan. Uncle Dan and Aunt Dot are strict Catholics who hate each other. Maniac grows up in a bad house hold, he isnt loved and he is usually quiet. When he is 11 yrs. old finally had enough, and takes off running, literally. He runs for miles and miles a year, and ends up in Two Mills, Pennsylvania. Two Mills is a divided town. The East and the West End are separated by Hector Street. Maniac's first stop is the East End, where he meets Amanda she owns a suitcase of books. Maniac goes from the East and West End over and over again, making a few friends, but mostly enemies. Maniac dosent relize that the West End is entirely Cacuasion and the East End is entirely Aferican American. love this book because its about a boy who is running away and has to take care of him self, which I would never be abel to do. And this is my review on Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I did not personally enjoy this book, but it has some good messages. It has kind of an outdated feel to it. ("Butterscotch krimpets" etc.) I was surprised to learn that the book was published in 1999 because of this. The novel follows the story of Jeffery Magee, an orphan who wanders into a segregated town where skin color means everything. However, Jeffery is too naive and innocent to judge people based on race. Jeffery becomes known in both sides of town as Maniac Magee for amazing feats. He is not the typical kid his age, Jeffery is responsible and loves to wake up early, do the dishes, and run. Eventually this lost orphan finds a family, and an address.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great read. Poor beginning,ran away. Made friends along the way. Many wanted to befriend him and give him a home. Many years getting a home.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It is still one of my favorite books .
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is good. A kid runs away from home.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fast, funny, touching, original, and smart...not to mention well-written: this is everything a YA novel Should be. Spinelli's world and characters come to life beautifully, and this may well remain my favorite YA reading long into the future. Certainly, this is a book that I'll be remembering and passing on to others. Absolutely recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A strange, yet interesting, look at segregation and race relations in the United States. It's presented as comical and absurd, yet it takes itself so seriously that the reader has to, as well.A really good book for middle school students.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Jeffrey "Maniac" Magee has no parents and no home (that he wants to go to). He wanders into Two Mills and the legend begins. Maniac is able to cross the boundary between the East and West side of town even though he looks like he should just belong on the "White Side." He is also able to worm his way into the hearts of the buffalos in the local zoo, two local families, and the caretaker of the school. Maniac teaches the residents of Two Mills how to look past skin color and family history into what makes a person who he or she really is. I don't know if this book would resonate with kids the way that it may have when it was originally written, but it was still a good story with a good message.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A very good book that makes you think. It discusses tough issues, so I suggest an adult near by to ask questions. Be prepared for racism and people acting in ways that you don't agree with. In the end all people in this book learn something from each other which helps them grow - which I think will happen to the reader who thinks and asks questions while he or she reads this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    magge is a teenager who lives with his aunt and uncle. His parents died in a troly train accident when he was young. He was soon forced to live with his relative. they both argued a lot and magee couldn't stand it any longer. he ran away from home and never came back. now will face a new adventure to find a new home.I like this book because maniac does a lot of cool stuff in this book. the best part was when he met Mars bars. the worst part was when he was getting hit by rocks. the most exciting part was when he was running on the train rail. i like how he travel by himself . I also like the the things maniac can accomplish. If you like books with adventure this is the book for you.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I don't care how old you are, I know you will love this book. It made me laugh and cry and feel loved. Jerry Spinelli is a very good writer.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An amazing tale of a young adult version of Forrest Gump. Maniac is a tall tale everywhere he goes. He has fought his way through family issues, growing up without friends, and trying to figure out who he is, and what and where his home is. I love this story because Maniac is so comfortable with the person he is, yet he still feels like he doesn't belong. Despite this fact he never compromises his identity. It is a great lesson for readers young and mature alike!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was one of my favorite books when I was in late elementary and middle school - I read it over and over again. I loved the character of Maniac and I was fascinated by his adventures and his legendary abilities. The book's depiction of the racial divide was especially powerful for me - Maniac lived with a loving African-American family, and then later with a hateful white family, and this was quite a powerful juxtaposition. I think this book does a really good job of showing, not just telling, how wrong it is to think that the two "sides" are so different or that one is better than the other. This book does a lot to dissolve stereotypes and is a fantastic story with many great characters. I would recommend it to male and female readers.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Maniac Magee received the Newbery Medal in 1991 and also won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction in 1990. It was fascinating to follow the life of Jeffrey Lionel Magee as he transforms into Maniac Magee. The structure of the book reflects Maniac's journey; short chapters and sentences as he speeds toward another challenge or struggle. Maniac, having dealt with many struggles in his young life, simply accepts whatever comes before him without complaint. Maniac is an interesting character in that he just doesn't see the differences others focus on (race, address, etc.). The author weaves a tale that sees anyone lucky enough to have crossed paths with Maniac forever changed and Maniac finding his true desire. Highly recommended for those in Grades 7 - 9.Favourite quote, "For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why these East Enders called themselves black. He kept looking and looking, and the colors he found were gingersnap and light fudge and dark fudge and acorn and butter rum and cinnamon and burnt orange. But never licorice, which, to him, was real black."
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Name: Maniac Magee Author: Jerry Spinelli I think this book is very creative and it's intention is to hook its reader so they won't be able to put the book down. My opinions on this book are it's interesting, creative, and good literature.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A lot of people stop reading children's books altogether at some point, usually because they start seeming overly simple. I still like reading them from time to time, though, and this book is the perfect example why. It's not simple, it's just pared down to the purest storyline. No fancy author's tricks and writing cartwheels. Just a straightforward, honest, and heartfelt story about family and friendship, with no camouflage at all. It's sometimes nice to go back to a story that just tells me what it has to say without any games. It reminds me about why I fell in love with reading in the first place.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The author writes that the legend of Maniac Magee isn't all true, "but that's okay because the history of a kid is one part fact, two parts legend, and three parts snowball." Each of us -- even as adults-- have stories we tell ourselves. This is the story that Jeffrey "Maniac" Magee likes to believe is his story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I remember my children having to read this book in school. They never talked about it. This is the story about a young boy who becomes an orphan and is left with an aunt and uncle who don't love each other any more.You follow Maniac Magee around as he runs away from his 'family'. He feels that anytime he gets close to having a home that something happens to prevent it from lasting. Maniac meets a family of blacks that he feels like one of them. The child Amanda of the family wonders why he is on the wrong side of the tracks. She keeps telling him to go back to where he belongs.I enjoyed Maniac and his wild ways and the people that he met along the way. Maniac's real name is Jeffery Magee. He got the name Maniac because of the stuff he did.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Young Jeffrey Magee an orphan with nowhere to go finds himself alone and homeless on the wrong side of the tracks. A legend is born surrounding events that take place, such as how far he hit a baseball and how fast he can run, therefore he gets the nickname Maniac Magee. He is taken in by a family not of his race but departs because he feels he is putting them in danger and once again he finds himself alone. He befriends a zookeeper who helps him through the winter only to be found alone once again. Through all of his trials his attitude is never bending and he chooses to see the good in all. It is a book that deals with racial stereotypes and how to see through them and look beyond to all that is good in everyone. Very inspiring book for young readers.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Maniac Magee is about a boy named Jeffrey whos parents die when he's young and lives with hes aunt and uncle. When his aunt and uncle start fighting he runs out of town looking for a place to call home. When he meets the Beale's family who live on the East End, will they be kind enough to share there home with Jeffrey, or will Jeffrey not find a home.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When Jeffrey Lionel Magee's parents died, he began running in order to find a new place to live away from relatives and orphanages. Unaware of the strict racial boundaries of a town, he steps into a race war. Maniac Magee's ignorance or ability to avoid being typecast allowed him to remain in the middle ground between the two racially divided sides of town. His courage and kind heart makes friends, wins races, unties knots, and eventually ends the racial divide among the children in the town. This book is great for units on stereotypes and prejudice, and both girls and boys alike enjoy it.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    A story that has great points about different races and colors of people. The book had a good message and the ending was worth everything. I think the book had enough action to keep it moving. I would definitely suggest this book to a middle school student.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    this book was boring and really slow in the begining. i barley remember this book because i was not intersted in it.