MANIAC MAGEEBy Jerri Spinelli

SET #1 CHAPTERS 1-9 1. How does Jeffrey become an orphan?

Jeffrey becomes an orphan when his parents are killed in the famous P&W high-speed trolley crash.

2. How did Jeffrey “Maniac” Mcgee end up in the town of Two Mills? Where does he come from?

Jeffrey ran away from his aunt and uncle in Hollidaysburg and ran all the way to Two Mills, over 200 miles.

3. Why is Amanda Beale suspicious of Jeffrey when she first meets him, and why does she tell him that he can´t come to her house to return the book?

Amanda is suspicious of Jeffrey when she first meets him because she doesn´t understand why a white boy is in the East End and talking to her as if he knew her. She tells Jeffrey that he can´t come to her house to return the book because white people shouldn´t be in the East End.

4. What does Maniac do in Finsterwald´s backyard?

He saves Arnold Jones. He picks him up and puts him on the front porch.

5. Describe the Pickwell family. What does Maniac do at their house?

The Pickwell family is a huge generous family that lives in the East End. The family gets together every evening at 5 p.m. at Mrs. Pickwell´s whistle. They are always helping someone out and usually have a guest at the dinner table. Maniac goes there for dinner with no one really knowing whose guest he was.

6. How does Maniac make history at the Little League field?

He hits the world´s first frogball homerun.

7. Why did John McNab and the Cobras start chasing Maniac, and why do they stop chasing him?

John McNab is mad at Maniac because he couldn´t stike him out and made him look bad in front of his friends. They start chasing Maniac to beat him up, and stop when Maniac crosses Hector Street into the East Side. Kids didn´t cross Hector Street to the other side, especially not at night.

SET #2 CHAPTERS 10-21 1. How does Maniac end up living at 728 Sycamore Street?

Mr. Beale offers to drive Maniac home and when he realizes he doesn´t have a home he brings him back to his house and tells Mrs. Beale, who decides Maniac will live with them.

2. What sorts of things does Maniac do with Hester and Lester?

He plays with them and reads to them, unties their sneaker knots and generally does brotherly things with them.

3. Describe what Maniac loves about his new life with the Beale family.

Maniac loves his sneakers, walking “Bow Wow” , the silence and solitude of the early morning and the noise of later in the day. He loves going to church, the Fourth of July block party, the colors of the people and the East End and having an address.

4. How did the Beales discover Maniac was allergic to pizza?

Maniac becomes covered with round, red blotches after eating his first piece of pizza.

5. Jeffrey thinks everything in his new life is great, but there is something he doesn´t see. What is he blind to?

He is blind to racism.

6. Why does Amanda want Maniac to try to untie Cobble´s Knot?

She believes it will make it okay for Maniac to stay in the East End because those that like him will like him more and those that don´t will begin to like him for accomplishing such an important feat.

7. Why does Maniac leave town after he unties the knot?

Because someone tears out the “A” page from Amanda´s encyclopedia. He realizes things have not changed and he doesn´t want the family to get hurt anymore because of him.

SET #3 CHAPTERS 22-32 1. Where does Maniac go after he leaves the Beales´ house?

He goes to the buffalo pen at the Elmwood Park Zoo.

2. Describe one of Grayson´s baseball stories.

Grayson told Maniac how he had struck out Willie Mays in his last game before Willie went to the Major Leagues.

3. Why did Grayson never learn to read?

His parents were not involved in his education or his life. At school he was placed in basic classes and he heard his teacher say he would never learn to read. After that he stopped trying.

4. How do Grayson and Maniac celebrate on Thanksgiving?

They go to see the Two Mills High School football game, cook and eat Thanksgiving dinner and dance to polka music.

5. What did Grayson give Maniac for Christmas and why was it so special?

Grayson gives Maniac gloves, butterscotch Krimpets and a new baseball. He also gives him his old baseball glove and it is special because it is the one Grayson used to play with and it is his prized possession.

6. What does Maniac do when he realizes Grayson is dead?

He held Grayson´s hand, talked to him, read him books and then cried.

7. Why do you think Maniac runs away from the cemetary?

He doesn´t want to see Grayson burried by people who neither knew him or respected him.

SET #4 CHAPTERS 33-40 1. Where does Maniac go and what does he do after he leaves 101 Band

Shell Boulevard?

He went to Valley Forge to wait for death.

2. How does Maniac trick Russell and Piper McNab into returning to Two Mills instead of running away to Mexico?

He tells them that he is a pizza delivery boy and that they have won a free pizza and they must pick it up within the next 24 hours. He also tells them that if they go back he will tell them a shortcut to Mexico.

3. Describe the McNab´s home and their living conditions.

Their home is a pigsty with trash and food thrown all over the house. It smells because their dog goes to the bathroom on the floor and no one cleans up. There are dead animals and insects. The olnly food in the refrigerator is mustard and beer. There is no dicipline and Russell and Piper drink beer with the Cobras their older brother John´s friends.

4. What are some of the feats that Maniac accomplishes while staying at the McNab´s house? Why does he do these things?

He accomplishes many feats the twins ask him to do like enter Finsterwald´s backyard, race the train, hits a telephone pole with a stone sixty-one times in a row, sticks his arm in a mysterious hole by the creek and climbs into the bison pen at the zoo. He does all these things in exchange for the twins going to school.

5. What is a pillbox and why are the McNabs building one?

It is a small stucture used in war as a bunker or a fort. They are building one to prepare for the revolt when they go to war with the black people of the West End.

6. After the race how does Mars Bars’ view of Maniac change?

He no longer hated the white kid, he hated Maniac Mcgee. It was the first time he had separated the color from the person.

7. What idea came to Maniac when the twins invited him to their birthday party?

Maniac had the idea to take Mars Bar, by daring him, to the party. He thought that if they met a black person they would change their minds about going to war against them.

SET #5 CHAPTERS 41-46 1. How did Maniac get Mars Bar to go with him to the party?

Maniac told Mars Bar he was tougher than him because he crossed Hector Street, enticing Mars Bar to cross Hector Street and go to the party to show how “bad” he was.

2. How did the McNabs and the Cobras react when Maniac and Mars Bar showed up at the party?

They stopped dead in their tracks out of shock. Then they asked what Mars Bar was doing there and George McNab left the room out of disgust. Later they tried to make fun of him and dare him to fight. Maniac has to hold him back although he is outnumbered.

3. Why didn´t Maniac save Russell?

Seeing him on the trolley bridge where his parents had the accident scared him and he couldn´t go out to get Russell.

4. What happened after Mars Bar saved Russell?

Russell clung to Mars Bar and wouldn´t let go so he took him and Piper back to his home where he finally let go only to cling to Mars Bars´ mom. She gave them a change of clothes, fed them, made Mars Bar play with them and they didn´t want to leave. Finally Mars Bars´ dad drove them home at night.

5. Why does Mars Bar visit Maniac at the zoo?

He goes to see how he is and find out what happened to him at the bridge. He also went to invite him to his house.

6. How does Amanda find out Maniac is living at the zoo?

Mars Bar tells her after Maniac refused to go to his house.

7. Where does Maniac finally call home?

At the end of the story Maniac finally calls the Beale family house his home, at 728 Sycamore Street.