A Teaching Tool

As an educator I use various methods and materials in my classroom.
Maniac Magee is one of the tools I use to teach reading with.
I chose to use Maniac Magee for two reasons. The first reason was
because it was written by Jerry Spinelli, an author whose work I admire
and is also immensely popular with middle age kids. Mr. Spinelli writes
in a manner that is believable and realistic. The other reason I chose
to use Maniac Magee was because it is a Newbery Award winner for excellence in children's literature.
Maniac is really a neat kid who struggles through life without com-
plaint. He teaches us a great life lesson in accepting others for who they
truly are. In this book we see that others should not be judged by the color of skin or by how one looks or how rich or poor one is. Maniac only asks for others to accept him for the person he is as he accepts others.
I've used this book for five years now and it never ceases to amaze me how children react to and understand Maniac Magee.