Maniac Magee
Jeffrey 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.
What you might want to know about Maniac Magee
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Jeffrey Magee runs away from his aunt and uncle and ends up in a small Pennsylvania town divided into a white side and a Black side. He runs through it as if the line were not there. People start telling stories about him.
Yes. Maniac Magee won the 1991 Newbery Medal. It is one of the most-taught middle-grade novels in American schools, particularly in classrooms engaging with race and homelessness.
Maniac Magee is middle grade, recommended for readers 9 to 13. The themes of racism and homelessness are central but handled in age-appropriate ways. It is widely used in upper-elementary and middle-school classrooms.
Maniac Magee was written by Jerry Spinelli, published in 1990 by Dtv.
Maniac Magee is 184 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Maniac Magee takes most readers 3 to 4 hours to finish.
Maniac Magee is a standalone novel by Jerry Spinelli, not part of a series.
Maniac Magee is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
