Maniac Magee by: Jerry Spinelli

Kate and Sheila are joined by Jonah as they recap Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli.Their one word choices were Kind, Protect, and Brave. The beginning is grim. A tragic accident leaves Jeffery Magee an orphan at the age of three. He is sent to live with a divided family, his aunt and uncle do not talk to each other. By age 11 Jeffery runs away and ends up in Two Mills, a divided town. East side versus West side, of course, to Jeffery there are no sides. He meets a girl hefting a suitcase to school. Amanda Beale is the real deal. She carries her beloved books to school each day to prevent her siblings from destroying them. Jeffery pleads for a book, Amanda reluctantly gives in: Friendship begins!Later on, Jeffery gets the name, Maniac, and becomes a town legend. He runs unbelievably fast, hits homeruns against the neighborhood bully, sleeps in the buffalo pen at the zoo and even beats the town’s fastest runner, Mars Bar, in a contest. Did I mention Maniac was running backwards?What can we learn from Maniac? He wants to make the world a better place by being kind to every person he meets. In a town with social inequality and racial tension Maniac bravely searches for a place to belong; to find a family. Does he find one? Is he able to untie the famous Cobble’s knot and get free pizza for a year? Will he be able to teach an elderly man how to read and prevent two misguided kids from running away? There are many ‘knots’ to untie in this Newbury winner from 1991!  Isn’t life like untying knots? Let's see problems as opportunities to grow and help others like Maniac did. He lived each moment to the fullest. Are you ready to meet the Legend? Let’s connect to reflect! Blessings!