originally posted September 5, 2003
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. Newbery Medal 1991
Wonderful. I loved it. I put a big star beside this one. Highly recommended!
It's hard to do justice to a review of this one, so let me just say it's better than what ever I'll be able to say about it here! It's a story about a kid who is a legend. A parentless kid who runs, sneakers flapping, until he comes to a certain city where he has various adventures leading him back and forth into, and into the heart of, both the black side and the white side of town.
He's a wonderful character. The windows on the various families and neighborhoods he passes through are illuminating.
Ultimately it's a story about belonging.
I think kids 9 or 10 and up would love this story. I don't remember anything horrible for kids younger than that, but I just think it would be more enjoyed by the slightly older ones.
If I had to recommend only 4 or 5 of the Newbery books I've read, this would be on the list. Holmes also loved it. Writing this makes me want to check it out and read it again. Maybe I will.
Love, Louise
I'm very excited to have started to read Maniac Magee with my son Jabu last night. He liked it right away. I'm happy to be re-reading one of my favorites!
ReplyDeleteFinished Maniac with Jabu. This book is complex and beautiful. Maniac is a legend and vulnerable all at the same time. Eight years later, I'm still impressed. Jabu liked it too, though he said he didn't like the ending, I think it was partly because he was sad it was over!
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