Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli is another story that I read as part of my preparation for the readers response project. What I liked about this story is how Jerry Spinelli framed the plot of Maniac Magee as a legend because this removes the story from space and time. This then allowed Spinelli to touch upon the issues of race relations and homelessness from a detached point of view. I think that this was a clever move on Spinelli's part because it allowed me to focus more on his message and less on the specificities of a particular place or time in history.

Another thing I really enjoyed about the story was the relationship Maniac shared with Grayson. Their genuine interaction and sweet dependence upon one another was an unexpected bright spot in the novel. It reminded me of the relationship that David and Primrose had in the novel Eggs by Spinelli. I think that these meaningful and important friendships are one of the reasons I love Spinelli books so much. They not only make for a heartwarming read, but they remind me of how lucky I am to have friendships like the ones told in the book. 


1 comment:

  1. This was a great review of Maniac Magee Christina, but I'm left wondering how it changed you? Perhaps you felt rushed with this entry because of your project?

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