Maniac Magee

Author: Jerry Spinelli

Appropriate Age: 11-15

About the Author:

Jerry Spinelli has many different young adult books that are beloved by teen audiences everywhere. He decided he wanted to be an author when he was sixteen years old, this was when he was first published. He now is the acclaimed author of more than a dozen books that have received multiple awards, including a Newberry Medal. His books are very real, funny and personal to his targeted audiences. When asked where he get's his ideas, Spinelli always gives credit to his readers. He gets inspiration from his six children and the readers who love his books.

About the Book:

Readers meet Jeffrey Lionel Magee. However, after his parents are killed, he must start a new life with a new name. He goes to live with his aunt and uncle. When it becomes too much he runs away and makes a new life for himself. Maniac makes new friends, as well as some enemies on his travels through town. He also becomes a legend. It is a book that bridges communities, makes friends from those who are unwilling to make friends in the first place. It is about overcoming the odds to find what is really important in the end. It is a book everyone should read, no matter their age, to get back to their funny bone and find out what it is like to be thirteen again.

Why Little Aristotle's Library Loves It:

This book is a great tool for kids to continue reading when it's not necessarily "cool" to read anymore. Maniac Magee is a book beloved by all who read it and understand what it means to go above race, borders and problems to find what we truly want to fight for. While Maniac Magee has been banned in some places for "racial content," it is by those who have not gotten to the end of the book. Maniac is known for overcoming the stereotypes and borders that are set up for him. He walks along the borders of East Side and West Side.

"I loved Maniac Magee when I was in middle school. It was the first book that inspired me to run for the fun of it. I started to run more and more. Now I've run six marathons!" --Laurel S. (A Little Library Suporter)

Other Books You Might Like...

If you enjoyed Maniac Magee, Jerry Spinelli has many other books for avid readers. "Who Put Hair in My Toothbrush," "Space Station Seventh Grade," and Star Girl."