By Jerry Spinelli
Maniac Magee is a folk story about a boy, a very excitable boy. One that can outrun dogs, hit a home run off the best pitcher in the neighborhood, tie a knot no one can undo. "Kid's gotta be a maniac," is what the folks in Two Mills say. It's also the story of how this boy, Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee, confronts racism in a small town, tries to find a home where there is none and attempts to soothe tensions between rival factions on the tough side of town.
This was one of those books my teachers read out loud to us in elementary school. But seen as how I’ve never had very good listening skills, I decided to read it again recently seen as how it is a Newberry medal winner. I was sorta surprised when I read it because I was expecting to like it more. I mean, it’s still good, but I guess I was expecting fantastic. It’s a great book that shows an outside character that comes into a racially segregated neighborhood and changes things upside down simply because he doesn’t get why it’s a big deal. I liked the simplicity of Maniac Magee. It makes it even more powerful when you understand the deeper meaning of the book. Great read, but not a book I’d read twice. You don’t need to.
Maniac Magee is a folk story about a boy, a very excitable boy. One that can outrun dogs, hit a home run off the best pitcher in the neighborhood, tie a knot no one can undo. "Kid's gotta be a maniac," is what the folks in Two Mills say. It's also the story of how this boy, Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee, confronts racism in a small town, tries to find a home where there is none and attempts to soothe tensions between rival factions on the tough side of town.
This was one of those books my teachers read out loud to us in elementary school. But seen as how I’ve never had very good listening skills, I decided to read it again recently seen as how it is a Newberry medal winner. I was sorta surprised when I read it because I was expecting to like it more. I mean, it’s still good, but I guess I was expecting fantastic. It’s a great book that shows an outside character that comes into a racially segregated neighborhood and changes things upside down simply because he doesn’t get why it’s a big deal. I liked the simplicity of Maniac Magee. It makes it even more powerful when you understand the deeper meaning of the book. Great read, but not a book I’d read twice. You don’t need to.
No comments:
Post a Comment