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A review by vermontsnowboarder
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Maniac Magee is an interesting book that deals with some heavy things in a lighthearted way.
This book isn't for everyone—the style that it's written in can make it difficult for some children to connect to. There were questions that my 11-year-old had and couldn't get over in order to get into the story. They were all legit questions. And while I know that some children can suspend disbelief for the sake of a story, my kiddo isn't one of them.
Those questions were:
- Why didn't Jeffery's aunt and uncle call CPS?
- Why didn't Mrs. Beale call the police?
- Why didn't the bison attack Jeffery?
- Why didn't Greyson help Jeffery get back to his family? Isn't it creepy that an old man just took in a random kid?
This book isn't for everyone—the style that it's written in can make it difficult for some children to connect to. There were questions that my 11-year-old had and couldn't get over in order to get into the story. They were all legit questions. And while I know that some children can suspend disbelief for the sake of a story, my kiddo isn't one of them.
- Why didn't Jeffery's aunt and uncle call CPS?
- Why didn't Mrs. Beale call the police?
- Why didn't the bison attack Jeffery?
- Why didn't Greyson help Jeffery get back to his family? Isn't it creepy that an old man just took in a random kid?