Maniac Magee

by Jerry Spinelli

I recently read THE HELP and it reminded me of MANIAC MAGEE by Jerry Spinelli. My mother read this book to me when I was young and then I read it in elementary. The story follows a young boy, Jeffery Magee, as he learns what being prejudice is about. His family is dysfunctional and it pushes him over the edge one day. He runs away from home. He is an amazing runner and I loved the descriptions about him traveling through the various places. Everyone is amazed by his running ability. A year after running away he ends up in a town that is separated by color.

He is a white kid who ends up living with a black family and doesn't even realize the problems he is causing for them. All he sees is a family who is willing to take him in. As the book progresses he learns that though he doesn't see a difference between him and anyone else in town, there are a lot of other people who think it is wrong to mix between the whites and the blacks. The more he learns about the contention between the two sides of the town, the more he is determined to make peace between everyone.

This is a great young adult book that really made me realize how bad it was even when slavery had been abolished. I always wanted to be like Magee in the fact that he didn't care about anyone's race or skin color. The descriptions are fun and the characters are lively and unique. MANIAC MAGEE is an educational read if not entertaining as well.