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What do you think?
Why did you like the story?
What themes do you find in Maniac Magee? Is it about prejudice? Courage? Fear? Understanding?
Nicknames play a big part in the book. How do some characters use them? Which characters don't? Do you think there's a reason why some use nicknames and some don't? Why?
It seems the most important thing to Maniac is having a home. How does Maniac define home? How do you define home?
Author Jerry Spinelli presents Maniac Magee as a legend. What makes the story a mythic tale?
How does Maniac's relationship with Mars Bars change over the course of the book?
Why does Maniac listen to Amanda when he doesn't listen to other kids?
Maniac wants to belong to someone or somewhere, but he's also a loner, standing apart. Sometimes you have to stand apart from others. Describe a time when you had to stand apart from your friends. Why did you? How did it make you feel? Would you do it again? Why or why not?
Author Jerry Spinelli was inspired to become a writer after a local newspaper published one of his poems. Spinelli was 16 when he wrote the poem, inspired by his winning high-school football team. He's gone on to write so many good books, with memorable characters that are both ordinary and extraordinary at the same time. What's ordinary about you? What's extraordinary about you?
Fun & Adventure Beyond the Book
Author Jerry Spinelli seems to remember what it's like to be a kid. He certainly likes to have fun! He's created a secret code to solve, a word puzzle and all sorts of other fun stuff for you to do on his website.
If you think you’re an expert on Maniac Magee, test your knowledge with this quiz.
Jerry Spinelli thinks calling yourself a reader is a big deal. Why? Find out for yourself here.
You can read a short interview with Spinelli on his publisher's website. (Opens a PDF download)
Maniac Magee is a great book to talk about with your friends or in your book club. There are a number of teaching guides and discussion questions that focus on the book. You might want to check some of them out just for the activities. This site suggests pretending Maniac Magee is a guest on a talk show.
Wasn't it cool when Maniac was able to untie Cobble's Knot? Think you could do it? This site has photos or diagrams of all different kinds of knots. If you can't untie them, maybe you can figure out how to tie them!
Maniac loved baseball, just like author Jerry Spinelli. "I played Little League in junior high and high school,” he's written in his memoir. "I only hit two home runs in my career, but I had no equal when it came to standing at shortstop and chattering to my pitcher: 'C'mon, baby, hum the pea.'" If you like baseball too, check out this site to learn about the different pitches as well as other aspects of the game.
The book starts with a chant that grade-school girls in Two Mills still use while jumping rope ("Ma-niac, Ma-niac, He's so cool..."). You can learn more jump rope rhymes here.
Maniac loved to run. In fact he spent a lot of his time running. Think you could keep up? If you'd like to start running, this site has some tips.
Nicknames play a big part in Maniac Magee. Do you have a nickname? Is it based on your personality or something you did? Maybe it's a shorter way to say your formal name. Nicknames are pretty common. This site has a list of the most common ones.
Maniac helped Two Mills integrate. You can help make your community more tolerant. This website is a great resource to learn what other kids are doing to fight racism. Psychologists at Harvard, the University of Virginia and the University of Washington have created "Project Implicit" to measure unconscious bias. You can take a demonstration test at their website.
In the book, Maniac taught an adult how to read. If you'd like to learn more about helping teach someone to read or encouraging a love a reading, check out the Literacy Connections website.
If You Like This Book, Check Out...
Grace Greene, from the Vermont Department of Libraries, says if you liked Maniac Magee, you’ll probably enjoy these books as well:
Other books by Jerry Spinelli:
Crash (Random, 1996)
Seventh-grader John "Crash" Coogan has always been comfortable with his tough, aggressive behavior, until his relationship with an unusual Quaker boy and his grandfather's stroke make him consider the meaning of friendship and the importance of family.
Loser (Joanna Cotler, 2002)
Even though his classmates from first grade on have considered him strange and a loser, Daniel Zinkoff's optimism and exuberance and the support of his loving family do not allow him to feel that way about himself.
Stargirl (Random, 2000)
In this story about the perils of popularity, the courage of nonconformity and the thrill of first love, an eccentric student named Stargirl changes Mica High School forever.
Fourth Grade Rats (Scholastic, 1991)
Suds learns that his best friend is wrong: you don't have to be a tough guy—a "rat"—to be a grown up fourth grader.
The Library Card (Scholastic, 1997)
The lives of four young people in different circumstances are changed by their encounters with books.
Companion Titles:
Slake's Limbo, by Felice Holman (Scribner, 1974)
Thirteen year-old Aremis Slake, hounded by his fears and misfortunes, flees them into New York City's subway tunnels, never again—he believes—to emerge.
Summerland, by Michael Chabon (Hyperion, 2002)
Ethan Feld, the worst baseball player in the history of the game, finds himself recruited by a 100-year-old scout to help a band of fairies triumph over an ancient enemy.
Gold Dust, by Chris Lynch (HarperCollins, 2000)
In 1975, twelve-year-old Richard befriends Napolean, a Caribbean newcomer to his Catholic school, hoping that Napolean will learn to love baseball and the Red Sox, and will win acceptance in the racially polarized Boston school.
Peter and the Starcatchers, by Dave Barry (Hyperion, 2004)
Soon after Peter, an orphan, sets sail from England on the ship Never Land, he befriends and assists Molly, a young Starcatcher, whose mission is to guard a trunk of magical stardust from a greedy pirate and the native inhabitants of a remote island.
Ruby Holler, by Sharon Creech (HarperCollins, 2002)
Thirteen-year-old fraternal twins Dallas and Florida have grown up in a terrible orphanage, but their lives change forever when an eccentric but sweet older couple invites them each on an adventure, beginning in an almost magical place called Ruby Holler.
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Maniac Magee was read by
S. Epatha Merkerson