Rating: 
Summary: Boring and Long
Review: This book to me was very boring it just went on and on. Never ending. I think that unless you like rather depressing stories you won't like this book. I read this book when i was in 5th grade and it did not appeal to me. Its very strange; you keep switching from one place to another. I had trouble keeping all the characters in order. I kept mixing up the charcters; is what i'm trying to say. MOst people like it but i found it extremely boring.
Rating: 
Summary: Kid helping racism
Review: A kid trying to find a home. A kid name Jeffrey Lionel Magee but then given the nickname [Maniac Magee] a [white kid ] is in search for a family and a home after living his uncle Dan and aunt Dot. Maniac againts racims and ran 200 miles to the east end were theres no whites only blacks. Thats were he meets a girl name Amanda a [black girl] who invites Maniac to live with the Beales. But then there was a writing on a wall saying ishbelly go home so maniac
Rating:
Summary: He's a maniac, maniac on the floor. And he's dancing...
Review: I sort of lump Jerry Spinelli and Kate DiCamillo into the same category. Though Spinelli has always been more prolific than DiCamillo (partly because he's been working longer), both authors create similar upbeat-but-acknowledge-the-world's-problems type children's books. And people love Spinelli and DiCamillo. Love them because they want to feel that these books really capture the unattainable good within the bad that is so very hard to write about. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of DiCamillo, and Spinelli's "Stargirl" left me kinda cold. So I picked up "Maniac Magee" with a kind of vain hope. Maybe this book would be better than I'd expected. Maybe it wouldn't drown the darker elements of life and society in the ooey-gooey syrup of a "Full House" episode. Maybe, in fact, this would be a great book. And you know what? It kind of is.This is a tall tale. The awesome story of Maniac Magee. He was the fastest, smartest, coolest kid you'd ever meet. He could untie any knot you handed him, and outrun anyone you could name. He was tough and funny and never went to school. He was a living legend in his day and was colorblind as they come. When Maniac Magee moves into the black side of town, his appearance there and subsequent actions trip off a series of events that lead, if not to greater understanding between townspeople, then to a lessening of prejudices. This is what I liked about "Maniac Magee". I liked that this book didn't end with Maniac ala Keesha Knight Pullman in "Polly" destroying the barriers between the white side and the black side of town single-handedly. I liked that he didn't destroy racism itself and that the ending of the book, rather than clearing up the town's problems, cleared up Maniac's problems. I liked that he had problems in the first place and that though he was an extraordinary human being, he made mistakes. I liked Mars Bar Thompson, a boy that is, in a way, a tall tale of his own and Maniac's worthy rival. I liked all these things, and more. I liked the story itself. It knew where to draw the line, how much to say, and how much to leave unsaid. This is what I didn't like about "Maniac Magee". I didn't like that the book never really explained why the blacks hated the whites so much. Once in a while a black character would get angry at Maniac's appearance on the wrong side of town and yell at him things like, "Never enough, is it, Whitey? Just want more and more. Won't even leave us our little water in the street". The man who says these things to Maniac has obviously suffered heartily at the hands of whites in the past, but Spinelli paints the character as more of a crazy aberration representing a minority opinion. He doesn't explain WHY the African Americans wouldn't want a white person amongst them, and kids reading this might just think the guy was mean or unbalanced. To read this book is to already understand the underpinnings of racism. Otherwise, you might get a little bent out of shape reading a story in which a white kid beats a black one so badly that the white kid is able to run backwards over the finish line, effectively humiliating his black opponent. There are things to love and dislike about "Maniac Magee". All in all, I found it fairly strong. The tall tale aspect of the storytelling, the rhythmic rise and fall of the action and words, and the book's telling conclusion all make it a rather good piece of writing. It's not as neatly tied up as much as it could be at the end, and that's just fine. Though I might not have handed it a Newbery award, it's well worth perusing and deserves to be on every child's reading list for a long long time.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is fabulous.
Review: I read Maniac Magee for the first time when I was ten years old. I was impressed then and and a decade later I am still impressed by this intelligent, poignant story. This book doesn't talk down to children and addresses some tough issues in a frank light. A must-have for any book-lovin' kid you know (or adult, for that matter).
Rating:
Summary: Maniac Magee
Review: Maniac Magee
By: Jerry Spinelli
Reviewed by: J. Fujii
Period: P.5 Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli is about a boy named Jeffrey Lionel Magee. He was born in Bridgeport and was an orphn by the age of three because the P & W trolly crashed and killed Jerry's parents. Jeffrey then lived with Uncle Dan and Aunt Dot. Jeffrey's aunt and uncle hated each other, but didn't divorce because they were strong Catholics. The two never shared anything until the day of Jeffrey's show when Jeffrey ran away. Jeffrey ran to Two Mills. There, Jeffrey met Amanda who he bugged to lend him a book. Jeffrey then got a book and ran to a school interfering with a gym class. Jeffrey caught a football, scored a touchdown and kicked the football with a book in his hands. Jeffrey then saved a boy from Finsterwald's backyard and sat on Finsterwald's front steps which no one else had ever done. Jeffrey then battled against a pitcher who had struck out 16 players. Jeffrey hit all of the pitches and then hit a homerun by bunting a pitched frog! After that, Jeffrey got the name of Maniac Magee. He saw Amanda again and she invited Maniac to her house. When Maniac was at her house, he met the younger brother and younger sister and the two liked him. The next day, the doctor found out that Maniac was allergic to pizza. Maniac became famous from all the rumors passed around. Then one day, Maniac was told that he didn't belong with the blacks since he was white. Maniac then got a chance to show that he wanted to stay with the Baele's. Maniac went to Cobble's Corner Grocery and untied a knot that no one had ever untied before. It was Cobble's Knot and on that day, Maniac untied the knot. Maniac left Amanda's family and lived in the zoo until an old man named Grayson found him. Grayson then had Maniac live in the band shell and he did live there until Grayson died. Maniac then ran to Valley Forge and met the McNab brothers. It was there that McNab (the pitcher) found Maniac and his brothers. Maniac lived at the McNab house for a while. Maniac made deals with Piper and Russell McNab so that the two would go to school. Then one day, Maniac was invited to Russell's party and Maniac brought Mars Bars Thompson who was black. At first, Mars Bars was angry with Maniac for taking him to a white party, but they eventually became good friends. In the end, Maniac ends up living with the Baele family and he has his home.
I liked this book because it had a ton of humor. It's humorous because Maniac did all of these things that nobody else would ever or could ever do. A humorous part of the book is when McNab pitched the fast frog and someone said, "What's this ? - a legball - it's got legs - long legs spin wheeling toward the plate. It wasn't a ball at all, it was a frog." Another thing that was funny was that Maniac untied the knot, but he took a nap to rest before he untied it.
I also disliked the book because it took place during a time when people were very prejudiced. It was written about the time when whites stayed with whites and blacks stayed with black. Maniac who was white was with the Baele's who were black. A line that an old man said that was racist was "What happens when we go over there? Black is black! White is white! The sheep lie not with the lion! The sheep knows his own! His own kind!"
My favorite part of the book was when Maniac bunted the frog off of McNab. I enjoyed this part because I love baseball. I also enjoyed this part because no one has ever hit an infield homerun with a frog. Once I read this line, I started to laugh.
Rating:
Summary: Maniac Madness
Review: Have you ever heard of Jeffrey Lionel Magee? Jeffrey is the
main character, known as Maniac, in the thrilling novel,
Maniac Magee. Why is Jeffrey called "Maniac"? Well, he
runs faster than anyone else, sleeps with the buffaloes,
bunted a frog, and most importantly, he crossed Hector
Street. No kid ever crosses Hector Street, day or night. Two
Mills is separated by this street, whites on the West End,
blacks on the East End. Maniac, a white kid, once lived on
the East End! No white had ever done that! Maniac ran for
many miles from Holidaysburg to Two Mills, so he could
get away from his aunt and uncle. After the boy's parents
died in a trolley crash, Maniac went to live with his Aunt
Dot and Uncle Dan, but they always fought. He got fed up
and ran away. Hopping from home to home, family to
family, Maniac didn't have the best life you would ask for.
Does Maniac Magee's story have a happy ending? Find out
in Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli.
Rating: 
Summary: Maniac Magee
Review: Have you ever heard of Maniac Magee? This book was written by Jerry Spinelli and is an
adventure about a young boy who could live with the buffaloes and go into Finsterwald's
backyard. This story is about Jeffery "Maniac" Magee whose parents died in a famous
trolley crash. So, he went to live with his Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan who couldn't get
along. Maniac was fed up and so he ran away 200 miles to Two Mills, Pennsylvania. He
had lots of problems with family and loved ones. I think that this was a wonderful book
because Maniac went through very hard times, but never gave up. He also showed
perseverance because he never gave up and started a life on his own. What do you think
Maniac will do? Read Maniac Magee to find out!
Rating:
Summary: Maniac Magee
Review: Do you want to meet a famous legend named Maniac Magee? The
book Maniac Magee was absolutely great! I loved it and so will
you. Maniac Magee lost his parents at the age of about 3 so he
had to live with his crazy Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan. Maniac
couldn't stand them so he ran for miles and miles everyday till he
got to Two Mills, Pennsylvania. He now is 12 and didn't know
that the blacks and whites were separated, but Maniac doesn't care
about the difference in skin color. (...) See what happens by grabbing up this 5
star, great book!
Rating:
Summary: Maniac Magee
Review: Jeffrey Lionel Magee was an ordinary child till he was three. When the P and W high-speed trolley took its famous crash, and just like that Jeffrey Magee was an orphan. I would recommend this book to any person how likes suspense and action. I liked this book so mush I could read it again. When Russell was hanging on for dear life and Piper was screaming off his that was there to save them. When maniac was dared to go to East End black people territory, something amazing happened. Read this book to see what happens.
Rating:
Summary: Maniac Magee
Review: Have you ever heard of a kid named Maniac? If you haven't read Maniac Magee, you
should. I really liked this book because it had suspense. It had suspense when Maniac
begged Amanda Beale for one of her books. When Maniac ran away from his aunt and
uncle's he ran to Two Mills a pleasant town where the whites and blacks are separated by
East and West. Since Maniac didn't know about the East and West End, he crossed over
to any side he wanted. He was adopted by a black family named the Beale's, then he ran
away. Do you think Maniac will be adopted again? Read Maniac Magee to find out.
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