Module 4-Newbery Award Winners
Maniac Magee
ISBN:
978-0-3168-0906-1
Audience (according to School Library Journal):
Gr. 6-10
Spinelli, J. (1990). Maniac Magee. New York, NY:
Little,
Brown and Company.
Brown and Company.
Pricing (as of 9/12):
*Amazon: Paperback: $7.99
Hardcover: $11.56
Audio
CD: $38.00
Book Summary
After being orphaned, Jeffrey Lionel
Magee, aka “Maniac Magee” runs away from a loveless house with an aunt and
uncle in search of a place to call home.
He lands in Two Mills, a town sharply divided along black/white racial
lines. Truly colorblind, Maniac does not understand when he is forced by the
community to leave a possible home with the Beales just because he is white and
they are not. Briefly, he finds a place
of love and acceptance with Grayson, an older, washed up, former minor league
ball player, but must search again when Grayson dies. As he hunts for a place to call his own,
tales of his experiences grow into legend and he begins to meet and influence
unique characters from both sides of Hector Street—Mars Bar Thompson, the
Cobras, Big John McNab, Piper and Russell, to name a few. In the end, young Jeffrey finds that home he
yearns for and, hopefully, makes the town of Two Mills a better place.
APA Reference
Spinelli, J. (1990). Maniac Magee. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
Impressions
APA Reference
Spinelli, J. (1990). Maniac Magee. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
Impressions
This reviewer is just going to forget
about pretty words and just say--I absolutely love this book!! The characters are vivid and real—Amanda is
sweet and is the sister that anyone would love to have; Mars Bar is full of that cocky
attitude that is seen in all skin colors in every town; the gang of Cobras is
gritty and so over the top prejudiced that readers are appalled; Piper and
Russell are endearing and even young readers will feel sadness that they are
turning into their big brother John and don’t seem to care that they may turn
out with little to show for their lives.
But while the tone of the book has he potential to be completely negative and preachy,
Spinelli weaves in strands of funny adventures, warm moments in the bathtub or
reading a book, and hope that things can be different. The story never drags and, in the end, the
book can be closed with a satisfied sigh and a smile.
Professional Reviews
<<…His characters are also capable of gestures of great
generosity and courage. I believe that Maniac
Magee is the best-realized of
this quintessential Jerry Spinelli character. He is a boy who doesn't yet know
where he belongs in the great scheme of things. He runs from the darkness of
his troubles, but he runs toward the light he sees shining forth from the
decent people he encounters on his picaresque journey. Children, I am willing
to wager, will understand at once what Maniac
Magee is all about and accept
him immediately as one of their own. They'll put him in that pantheon of
beloved characters who become sacred points of reference when, years later,
they talk about the books that meant something to them as they took that
difficult, wonderful, and exciting trip through Childhood.
Keller, J. (1991). Jerry Spinelli. Horn Book Magazine, 67(4),
433-436. Retrieved from http://hbook.com.
<<Warning: this interesting book is a mythical story about racism. It should not be read as reality. Legend springs up about Jeffrey "Maniac" Magee, a white boy who runs faster and hits balls farther than anyone, who lives on his own with amazing grace, and is innocent as to racial affairs. After running away from a loveless home, he encounters several families, in and around Two Mills, a town sharply divided into the black East End and the white West End. Black, feisty Amanda Beale and her family lovingly open their home to Maniac, and tough, smart-talking "Mars Bar" Thompson and other characters are all, to varying degrees, full of prejudices and unaware of their own racism….In the feel-good ending, Mars and Maniac resolve their differences; Maniac gets a home and there is hope for at least improved racial relations….the book will stimulate thinking about racism, and it might help educate those readers who, like so many students, have no first-hand knowledge of people of other races. Pathos and compassion inform a short, relatively easy-to-read story with broad appeal, which suggests that to solve problems of racism, people must first know each other as individuals.
<<Warning: this interesting book is a mythical story about racism. It should not be read as reality. Legend springs up about Jeffrey "Maniac" Magee, a white boy who runs faster and hits balls farther than anyone, who lives on his own with amazing grace, and is innocent as to racial affairs. After running away from a loveless home, he encounters several families, in and around Two Mills, a town sharply divided into the black East End and the white West End. Black, feisty Amanda Beale and her family lovingly open their home to Maniac, and tough, smart-talking "Mars Bar" Thompson and other characters are all, to varying degrees, full of prejudices and unaware of their own racism….In the feel-good ending, Mars and Maniac resolve their differences; Maniac gets a home and there is hope for at least improved racial relations….the book will stimulate thinking about racism, and it might help educate those readers who, like so many students, have no first-hand knowledge of people of other races. Pathos and compassion inform a short, relatively easy-to-read story with broad appeal, which suggests that to solve problems of racism, people must first know each other as individuals.
Shoemaker, J. (1990). Maniac Magee (book). School Library Journal,
36(6), 138. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com
Library Uses
Library Uses
1. In introducing the genre of legends, a librarian should
certainly include Maniac Magee in any book talk, display, or assortment
of books provided to an ELA teacher.
2. As counselors, teachers, etc. address issues of racism,
gangs, cooperation, concepts of family, Maniac Magee would absolutely be
on any list of resources that a librarian would provide to staff.
Bridge To
Terabithia
ISBN: 978-0-1403-6618-1
Audience
(according to Booklist): Gr. 5-8
Paterson,
K. (1972). Bridge to Terabithia. New York, NY:
Scholastic, Inc.
Scholastic, Inc.
Pricing (as
of 9/12):
*Amazon: Paperback: $6.99
Hardcover: $12.68
Audio CD: $17.13
Audible Audio
Edition: $15.95
Book Summary
Jess-poor, runner, artist,
lonely. Leslie-new to town, faster
runner, creative thinker, lonely. What
should have been a rivalry becomes a close friendship as fifth graders Jess and
Leslie escape loneliness and boredom by creating an imaginary world called
Terabithia in the woods near their home.
School continues with revenge against a bully and then an attempt to
help that bully with her own problems, but always, Jess and Leslie have
Terabithia. When catastrophe strikes,
Jess must deal with his own guilt and realizes that his life is forever better
because of Leslie.
APA Reference
Impressions
APA Reference
Paterson, K. (1972). Bridge to Terabithia. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
While the two protagonists are male
AND female, readers of Bridge to Terabithia are likely to be overwhelmingly
female. Emotions run high in this book
and Paterson continues with her trend of writing stories that do not
necessarily end in that fairy tale “happily ever after” that most are comfortable
with. The friendship between Jess and
Leslie seems logical and right and readers will enjoy watching it develop and
seeing Jess become more comfortable with himself as Leslie changes him. Paterson uses outstanding word pictures to
convey deep feelings and to help the reader “see” Terabithia through the eyes
of Jess and Leslie. This reviewer saw the tragedy coming and yet still cried when it happened. Readers of all ages will ache with Jess as he struggles with loss, guilt, anger, and then rejoice as he begins his recovery.
Professional Reviews
Eve Bunting says:
<<I believe Bridge
to Terabithia (Crowell, 1977) by
Katherine Paterson is a classic now and always will be. It has appealing, real
children in Jess and Leslie; a family that loves strongly and without
sentimentality; an imaginary fantasy place that young readers can share-and a
terrible tragedy. You will smile as you read one line, cry as you read the
next. Can you write a book that is both heartbreaking and uplifting? You can,
if you're Katherine Paterson.
Margolis, R. (2004). Will you still read me when I'm 64? School
Library Journal, 50(11), 58-61. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2103/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=15024287&site=ehost-live&scope=site
<<…Outcasts at school, the two fifth graders forge a deep
friendship and develop an empathetic rapport. New student Leslie introduces Jess to
Terabithia, a fantasy world filled with creatures and stunning landscapes. The story offers insight into the power of
friendship, fantasy, and imagination while exploring issues of loss and
mourning.
Alpert, A. (2008). Bridge to Terabithia. Booklist, 104(13), 75.
Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2103/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=31295064&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Library Uses
1.
Book Club choice-Creating a book club would foster
discussions of readings within groups of students. Paterson’s work would encourage talk on
subjects such as friendship, bullying, loss, guilt, mourning, and the value of
individuality.
2.
Inter-curricular activities-A book like Bridge to
Terabithia would easily cross curricular lines-art teachers could encourage
the type of drawing that Jess did, trips to museums, illustrations of
“Terabithia. Social Studies teachers
could incorporate the economic hardship of the time and differences in
transportation, technology, etc. between that era and ours. Reading teachers would have a wealth of
material for their class. Physical
education could have races like those of Jess and Leslie’s school. Science
teachers could focus on the effects of the water cycle and flooding. And it all
starts with a librarian who makes a pitch for such cooperation between
teachers!
