Maniac Magee
About
He wasn't born with the name Maniac Magee. He came into this world named Jeffrey Lionel Magee, but when his parents died and his life changed, so did his name. And Maniac Magee became a legend. Even today kids talk about how fast he could run; about how he hit an inside-the-park "frog" homer; how no knot, no matter how snarled, would stay that way once he began to untie it. But the thing Maniac Magee is best known for is what he did for the kids from the East Side and those from the West Side.
Read one section at a time, then discuss the questions to review understanding. These questions are a starting place for conversation, not a complete test of the chapter.
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
How does the introduction differ from the first chapter of the story?
Page 1 — The introduction describes Maniac Magee, the legend, the first chapter describes who Jeffrey Lionel Magee really was
1
Why does Jeffrey scream during the performance and run?
Page 7 — He’s angry that his aunt and uncle hate each other and that he’s had to live with their selfishness
7
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
Describe Jeffrey.
Page 8 — Friendly, 12 years old; homeless; could run far and fast
8
What unusual behavior did Jeffrey show?
Page 9 — He was friendly
9
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
Describe Amanda.
Page 10 — Friendly, kind, African American; close to Jeffrey’s age; smart, liked books
10
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
Why were the high school kids in awe?
Page 14 — Jeffrey intercepted a football, ran down the field and punted it to the wide receiver all while holding a book in one hand
14
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
How did Jeffrey go against the grain in this chapter?
Page 18 — He carried a kid out of a mean neighbor’s backyard and then read his book on the front porch
18
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
How did Jeffrey show bravery in this chapter?
Page 21 — He joined a family for dinner without an invitation and he ran on the train rail
21
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
What did the author compare McNab to in this chapter?
Page 23 — A shark waiting for his victims to walk the gangplank
23
How did Jeffrey humble McNab?
Page 24 — He hit every ball McNab threw at him; hit a home run with a frog McNab pitched to him
24
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
How did Jeffrey receive the name, “Maniac”?
Page 28 — Nobody knew his name, but in awe, they called him a maniac
28
Where did Jeffrey stay?
Page 29 — In the shed at the Elmwood Park Zoo
29
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
Why was it such a big deal for Maniac to cross the boundary from the West End to the East End?
Page 32 — People knew that the kids that didn’t belong in one or the other would be treated badly; the people with white skin lived in one and the people with darker skin lived in the other
32
What didn’t McNab and his buddies realize about Maniac?
Page 32 — He’d already been on the East End and was fine
32
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
Summarize this chapter.
Page 34 — Maniac got into a challenge with another kid; the kid took his book, Maniac grabbed it back but a page was torn out; a lady stopped the fight with her broom and separated the boys; the kid gave Maniac the page and left; the woman told Maniac she couldn’t always save him and to leave
34
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
Who saved Maniac from Mars Bar and his friends?
Page 39 — Amanda
39
Chapter 12
Comprehension questions
Describe Maniac’s evening with the Beale family?
Page 42 — They played, ate, read stories and they gave Maniac a place to sleep
42
Why was it important for Maniac to have an address?
Page 44 — He didn’t have a home and now someone shared their home with him
44
Chapter 13
Comprehension questions
List two ways Maniac was a good addition to the Beale household?
Page 45 — He read stories and played with the kids, he helped around the house without being asked, walked (ran) the dog, able to untie knots; kept his room clean, bathed with the kids
45
Chapter 14
Comprehension questions
List three ways Maniac enjoyed his life at the Beale’s.
Page 50 — His new sneakers; running with the dog; pancake batter hissing while cooking; going to church; Fourth of July block party; the color of the people in the neighborhood; playing with the kids in the neighborhood
50
Chapter 15
Comprehension questions
How did hanging out with the other kids influence how Maniac behaved? Give an example from this chapter.
Page 56 — He started to behave like them; “trash talking”
56
What happened when he “trash talked” at home?
Page 56 — Mrs. Beale slapped his mouth and he hugged her and told her he loved her
56
Chapter 16
Comprehension questions
What couldn’t Maniac see?
Page 57 — That people didn’t like him due to the color of his skin
57
Why didn’t they like him?
Page 58 — He was a white boy in a black neighborhood
58
Chapter 17
Comprehension questions
Why did Maniac feel like he needed to leave?
Page 63 — Someone had written graffiti on their home, telling Maniac to leave; Maniac didn’t want Amanda’s family to get hurt
63
Chapter 18
Comprehension questions
Why did Maniac take on the attitude that he didn’t care?
Page 65 — He felt rejected and sad
65
Chapter 19
Comprehension questions
Describe Amanda’s plan.
Page 69 — Maniac should go untie the famous knot at the pizza restaurant and everyone will like him
69
Chapter 20
Comprehension questions
Was Maniac able to untie the knot? Explain.
Page 70 — Yes, but it took him all day
70
Chapter 21
Comprehension questions
What made Maniac decide to leave town for good?
Page 75 — Someone went into Amanda’s home and tore up her Encyclopedia A book
75
Chapter 22
Comprehension questions
Where was Maniac staying and who found him?
Page 79 — In the buffalo pen at the zoo; Grayson the park attendant
79
Chapter 23
Comprehension questions
Predict the little worm feeling Grayson has.
Page 86 — Listen to your child’s answer
86
Chapter 24
Comprehension questions
Why couldn’t Maniac accept Grayson’s offer?
Page 89 — He felt like he had bad luck with parents
89
Chapter 25
Comprehension questions
Describe Earl Grayson.
Page 94 — Loved baseball; went to play in the minor league and was up for the major leagues when he played poorly while a scout was watching; he was 40 years old when he left baseball and started work at the park
94
Chapter 26
Comprehension questions
What school does Maniac go to?
Page 98 — His own; he buys books from the library and studies them
98
What did Grayson ask Maniac to do?
Page 99 — Teach him to read
99
Chapter 27
Comprehension questions
Summarize this chapter.
Page 100 — Maniac taught Grayson how to read
100
Chapter 28
Comprehension questions
List two ways Maniac was good to Grayson.
Page 104 — Taught him to read; baked for him; hugged him; loved him; invited him to sleep on his mat; praised him
104
Chapter 29
Comprehension questions
What holiday did Maniac and Grayson celebrate in this chapter?
Page 106 — Thanksgiving
106
How did they celebrate?
Page 109 — Went to a high school football game; ate a feast; danced; and Maniac wrote 101 on the building he lived in
109
Chapter 30
Comprehension questions
What does it mean to trim the tree?
Page 111 — Decorate a Christmas tree
111
Chapter 31
Comprehension questions
What special gifts did Maniac and Grayson give to each other?
Page 114 — A homemade book about Grayson’s experience and Grayson’s old baseball mitt
114
What happened at the end of this chapter?
Page 114 — Grayson died
114
Chapter 32
Comprehension questions
Was Grayson’s funeral special? Explain.
Page 116 — No, only Maniac, the funeral director and the grave diggers were there; everyone was smoking and disrespectful to Maniac and Grayson
116
Chapter 33
Comprehension questions
Why was Maniac waiting for death?
Page 123 — He was giving up
123
Chapter 34
Comprehension questions
What gave Maniac purpose?
Page 126 — Taking care of the two little boys that we’re running away
126
How did Maniac get them back to town?
Page 127 — He convinced them with his free pizza coupon
127
Who came looking for the little boys?
Page 128 — McNab
128
Chapter 35
Comprehension questions
Describe the McNab household.
Page 131 — Dirty; cockroaches everywhere; windows covered with wood; fighting; rough housing; no furniture; Dad brought home hamburgers then left and came back drunk; boys pretending to shoot the people in the East End
131
Chapter 36
Comprehension questions
What kind of deals did Maniac make with the boys to keep them in school each week?
Page 137 — He first gave them pizza, then he went into Finsterwald’s backyard and knocked on the door
137
Chapter 37
Comprehension questions
How did Maniac feel about the challenges the boys gave him?
Page 142 — He loved them; he was glad to give the boys the glory; he was happy to do them to make sure the boys were in school
142
Why did the little boys think going into the East End was such a perilous challenge?
Page 142 — They were white and were told that white people shouldn’t cross over into the black neighborhoods
142
Chapter 38
Comprehension questions
Why did Maniac regret how he ran the race?
Page 147 — He showed off and finished backwards
147
Chapter 39
Comprehension questions
Why didn’t Maniac want to hang around McNab’s anymore?
Page 152 — They were getting a bazooka ready to shoot the black people from the West End
152
Chapter 40
Comprehension questions
Why did Maniac stay with the McNab’s?
Page 155 — He cared about them and knew they needed him
155
Predict who Maniac’s going to invite to the party.
Page 157 — Listen to your child’s answer
157
Chapter 41
Comprehension questions
Who did Maniac bring to the party? Why?
Page 158 — Mars Bar Thompson; so, the different colored people could see they weren’t different from each other
158
Why did Maniac take him to the Pickwell’s first?
Page 160 — So, Mars Bar could see good white people
160
Chapter 42
Comprehension questions
Did the party end up the way Maniac thought it would? Explain.
Page 166 — No; the McNab’s and Mars Bar didn’t learn what Maniac was wanted them to
166
Chapter 43
Comprehension questions
Why did Maniac notice the homes and start sleeping in backyards or kitchen?
Page 168 — He wanted a home
168
Chapter 44
Comprehension questions
How did Maniac respond to Piper’s pleas?
Page 173 — He walked away
173
Predict how you think Russell was saved.
Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 45
Comprehension questions
Summarize this chapter.
Page 174 — Mars Bar comes to the zoo and finds Maniac; he tells him what happened to the McNab boys, he saved the one and took them home and his mom took care of them and they stayed all day and played games; Mars Bar’s mom wants to know why Maniac doesn’t go to his house; Maniac doesn’t answer but jumps into the buffalo fence
174
Why is Maniac struggling with going over to Mars Bar’s?
Page 179 — He doesn’t want them to get hurt
179
Chapter 46
Comprehension questions
What did the author mean when Maniac said, “…at long last, someone was calling him home”?
Page 184 — He was so happy to have someone tell him he was their family
184
List one theme the author tried to get across in this book?
All people are the same no matter the color; everyone wants a place to call home; people are good no matter where they come from; love and kindness is key
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