1. If you could change places with Maniac or Amanda, who would you be? Explain.
2. Write a letter to Maniac and ask him about a part of the novel that you didn’t
understand.
3. Who do you connect with best, Maniac or Amanda?
4. If Maniac met a character from another novel, who would it be and what would they talk
about?
5. If you changed the setting of Maniac Magee to another time and place, would the story
have been as effective?
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6. Write a newspaper article that briefly summarizes the novel and encourages people to
read it.
7. Describe the similarities and differences between Maniac and Grayson.
8. Describe the role of Mars Bar. Is he a major character in the novel? Explain.
9. Create a cartoon of six to eight boxes to summarize a chapter.
10. How did Uncle Dan and Aunt Dot feel when Maniac ran away?
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11. Create an award for the novel. Explain the criteria and why it was selected to win.
12. Create your own design for the front and back covers of Maniac Magee.
13. Compare Maniac Magee with another novel. Explain how they’re alike and different.
14. Explain why you think Jerry Spinelli wrote the novel.
15. Design a newspaper’s front cover that includes sensational headlines for the movie
Maniac Magee.
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16. Create a newspaper advertisement promoting the sale of the novel.
17. Design a movie poster using the characters in the novel, as stars of the movie.
18. You’ve been hired to write a critique or evaluation of the novel that will be published in
a magazine. Be honest!
19. Design a tri-fold brochure for Maniac Magee. Include the plot, setting and summary.
20. Create a collage of the novel using magazine cutouts or computer created pictures.
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21. Rewrite a chapter in Maniac Magee as a skit.
22. Choose a familiar tune (Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) and rewrite the lyrics to include
something about Maniac Magee.
23. Pretend you’re an observer at the frog ball baseball game. Write a narrative of what
you saw.
24. What character would you invite to have lunch with you? Explain why. Where would you
have lunch?
25. Create a word search using words from the story.
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26. Change a part of the story to make it more exciting or sad.
27. If a book publisher told you to eliminate one part of Maniac Magee, what would it be?
28. Plan a theme party for Maniac or Amanda. Design an invitation for the party.
29. Did you like or dislike the setting? Explain why or why not.
30. Describe how Maniac handled a certain situation and if you would have handled it
the same or differently.
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31. Maniac had good sense of justice. Write a definition of justice and describe two
examples from the story when Maniac displayed justice.
32. Write a letter to Jerry Spinelli and explain why you liked or disliked Maniac Magee.
33. Create another character and explain how his/her presence in the story might have
changed the outcome of the plot.
34. Write a letter from Maniac to you, explaining a part of the novel.
35. Maniac often didn’t display fear. Describe one time when he seemed fearless.
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36. Your class is going to invite Jerry Spinelli to school to talk about his novel. Design his
invitation.
37. Why did Maniac leave the Beale’s house? Would you have left?
38. John McNab, the leader of the Cobras, is a bully. Describe one instance when he
bullies someone.
39. Who would make a better friend, Maniac or John McNab? Explain.
40. Write about the most boring part of the novel. Explain how the Spinelli could have made
it more exciting.
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41. Describe the most exciting part of the novel. Explain how Spinelli held your attention
during that particular section.
42. Create a Cobble’s Knot and share it with your classmates. Have a classmate try to
untie it. Explain the real reason Maniac wanted to untie it.
43. Write a letter from Amanda to a “Dear Abby” column of a newspaper about a
problem. Write Dear Abby’s response to Amanda’s letter.
44. Describe how Amanda or Maniac changed from the beginning of the novel to the end.
45. Write a diary entry from Amanda or Maniac’s point of view about something that
happened in the novel.
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46. Describe a problem in the story and explain how it was solved.
47. Who was the better problem solver, Amanda or Maniac? Explain.
48. Write a paragraph describing a possible sequel to Maniac Magee.
49. Write ten of the most important facts you learned from the novel.
50. Write a letter to Mars Bars or John McNab explaining your reaction to something
he did.
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51. Draw a picture of something in the story that you found very interesting.
52. Draw sketches of Maniac and Amanda . Write a description of them including physical
characteristics and personality traits. Don’t copy pictures from the cover!
53. Draw three sketches of the plot. One for the beginning, one for the middle and one
for the end. Write a brief description of each one.
54. Create a timeline of important events from the novel.
55. Design a travel brochure featuring three of the settings in the novel.
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56. Draw a map of Two Mills. Label the sections described in the novel.
57. Write ten YES or NO questions about the novel. Be sure they’re questions that require
thinking and not just one word answers. Example: Did Maniac Magee teach Grayson to
read? Yes, Maniac taught him to read because ____________________________.
58. Design a board game using facts from the novel. Write the facts on the game cards
59. Write a rap about Maniac. Present it in class.
60. Design an anti-bullying button or poster.
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61. Select a quote from the novel and read it to the class. Explain its importance.
62. Write a letter to Grayson explaining how Maniac felt about him. “Dear Grayson….”
63. List five things that give you the “finsterwallies”. Describe them.
64. Was there parental supervision in the story? State your opinion about it.
65. Many people in the novel have nicknames. Create a chart and list the characters’
real names and nicknames. Do you think they liked their nicknames?
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66. Describe how Maniac related to Amanda and her family.
67. Amanda cherished her books and kept them safe in the suitcase. List five things you
would put in a suitcase to keep them safe.
68. Maniac took a bite of Mars Bar’s candy. Describe how Mars Bars felt when he did that.
69. Draw a picture of the Finsterwald’s back yard.
70. Would you have chosen to live with the Beales? Explain.
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71. Write five true/false questions about the story.
72. What were Maniac’s thoughts when he was called a “fish belly”?
73. Why didn’t Grayson tell Maniac that he couldn’t read?
74. Was Maniac better off not living with his Uncle Dan and Aunt Dot? Explain.
75. Did Maniac care about what other people thought of him? Explain.
.
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76. Why was Maniac impressed with Grayson’s time in the minor league?
77. Did Mars Bar hate Maniac when he first met him? Explain. Did his feelings change?
78. What lessons does this story teach?
79. Would you have saved Russell when he was stuck on the trestle?
80. What book did Maniac give to Grayson for Christmas? Why do you think it was an
appropriate book for him? What book would you give someone just learning to read?
Why?
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81. Write five fill-in-the-blank questions using facts from the story. Create a word bank
with answers to choose from.
82. Was Maniac a “bigger than life” character? Explain.
83. By the end of the story, Maniac has affected the town of Two Mills. How have the
people changed?
84. Maniac teaches Grayson to read. Describe something you did to help someone.
85. You just saw the movie “Maniac Magee with your friends. Compare it with the novel.
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86. Compare Maniac to a tall tale character. List specific feats they both do that
categorize them as tall tale characters.
87. Baseball is mentioned a lot in the novel. What’s your favorite baseball team and why?
88. Did Piper and Russell admire Maniac? Explain.
89. Maniac wins the race by running backwards. Is it realistic? Would it have been as
effective if he had, run the race going forward, the normal way?
90. Discrimination is a theme in the story. Describe one part of the story where there is
discrimination.
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91. How does Maniac define “home”? Write a description of your definition of home.
92. Do research about homelessness. On the chart, list five challenges that homeless
people have. List the challenges that Maniac had.
93. Describe tricks Maniac used to keep Russell and Piper in school. Why did he do that?
94. Create a character trait chart with all the characters from the book. List personality
traits and qualities for each of them.
95. Write a script of Maniac being interviewed on a talk show. Think of a unique name
for the talk show host.
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96. After the funeral why does Maniac run, run, run? Where is he going?
97. How does Jerry Spinelli portray bullies in the novel? Is the bullying realistic?
98. How did Maniac react to John McNab and his gang?
99. Maniac lives in many different places. Label and number the houses to show where he
lived. If he lived in one place more than once, label it twice on the chart. The places he
lived must be in sequential order.
100. What does having an address mean to Maniac?
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These are great activities for the whole group. Some teachers take their students to the
computer lab. I use the laptops in the classroom.
WEB DETECTIVE – EXTRA ACTIVITIES
Create a cartoon.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson195/comic-strip-planning.pdf
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/comic/ interactive, printable
Create a story map. Click on “Get Started” when you get to the site.
.http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/story-30008.html
Turn part of Maniac Magee into a skit following this lesson.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson46/GettingReadersTheater.pdf
Name _____________
MANIAC’’S HOMES
Activity # 99
#1
His Parents
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Name _____________
Character’s Name
Character Traits
Activity #94
Traits
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Name ____________
HOMELESSNESS
Activity #92
Challenges of the Homeless
Maniac‘s Homeless Challenges
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
4.
4.
5.
5.
Add any other challenges
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Name ______________
Character Nicknames
Activity #65
Characters’ Names
Nickname(s)
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Name ______________
Travel Brochure
Activity #55
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Places Maniac lived (activity #99)
With his parents, his aunt and uncle, the Beales, the buffalo pen, the baseball room, the McNabs,
the Beales again, the Pickwells, the buffalo pen again, backyards, the buffalo pen again, and the
Beales.
Themes
home, courage, friendship, prejudice, love, racism, poverty, running away, challenges, determination,
hope.
Students may think of others as they read the novel.
Other Activities
Do a class survey for favorite candies.
Muskateers, Junior Mints, Kit Kat, Cadbury, Baby Ruth, Butterfinger, M & M’s, Reese’s Peanut
ButterCups, Snickers, Nestles Crunch, Almond Joy,
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/authors/resource/10140.html?detoured=1 This is a good interview of Jerry
Spinelli. There are others online that provide other information about him.
I always like my students to learn about an author before they read his/her novel. I tell them that as
they read, they should be looking for personal facts about the author that might have been woven into
the story. They always find something connected with the author’s life.
Baseball is a major part of the novel and one would expect that Spinelli played baseball when he was
young, however, in two interviews I read, he said that he never played it.
copyright res2010
Copyright res 2010
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means.
PERMISSION TO COPY FOR CLASSROOM USE ONLY.
ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTION LIMITED TO CLASSROOM USE ONLY.
Thank you for purchasing my Maniac Magee Card Activities!
My products can be seen at: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Ruth-S
I have many packets, worksheets, assessments, graphic organizers and more for language arts, literature, science
and social studies - grades 4 -12. My products are original and designed with National and State standards in
mind.
See my Maniac Magee packet that includes 32 self-explanatory student worksheets.
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MANIAC-MAGEE-ACTIVITIES-comprehension
An extension of the Maniac bullying activity can be found here:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MANIAC-MAGEE-BULLYING
The following is a list of some of my novel packets and other items. All of them are $3.00 or less. The novel packets are from
17 to 25 pages and many are self- explanatory worksheets, that can be used independently, or in small or large groups. I also
have quite a few free items.
NOVEL PACKETS FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS
A Wrinkle in Time
Because of Winn Dixie
Brian’s Winter
Dogsong
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Hatchet
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Maniac Magee (20 activity cards, comprehension packet, bullying extension)
My Brother Sam, is Dead
Number the Stars
The Ghost of Cutler Creek
Tiger Rising
Where the Red Fern Grows
Woodsong
NOVEL PACKETS FOR OLDER STUDENT
A Single Shard
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Gulliver’s Travels
Huckleberry Finn
Lord of the Flies
Moby Dick
Romeo and Juliet
The Kite Runner
The Old Man and the Sea
The Crucible
The Glass Castle
Chasing Vermeer Novel Cards
SOCIAL STUDIES/HISTORY
American History Test
Articles of the Confederation, or the Constitution?
Culture report (generic forms to use with any culture)
First Ten Amendments/Bill of Rights
French and Indian War Assessment
Government Issue Packet
Inventors and Inventions Research Packet (Industrial Revolution)
Martin Luther King Packet
Revolutionary War Battles Assessment
Revolutionary War Flash Cards
Seven Wonders of the World
Social Studies rubric open-ended responses
Veteran’s Day
LANGUAGE ARTS
Compound words packet
Expository Writing Essentials
Fairy Tales Packet
Fantasy Packet
Facts or Opinions You Decide
Get to Know Your Novel
Historical Fiction Book Review
Homonyms Packet
Homophones are Fun
Idioms are Fun
Idioms for Kids
Irregular Past and Participle Forms of Verbs
Literacy Station Novel Ideas
Literary Elements Generic Worksheets
Literature Response Cards
Making Connections Packet
More About Novels
Novels Ideas Packet
Novel Response Cards
Persuasive Writing or Debates
Plural Nouns Packet
Powerful Prefixes
Reading response cards packet
Response to Literature -Packet
Similes, Metaphors and More Packet
Singular and Plural Nouns
Spelling Activities (Generic) 26 page packet
Stopping by Woods –Robert Frost
Subject/predicate Packet
Talking About Novels
Tall Tales Packet
Who, What, Why, When, Where and How signs for the classroom
Writing – Fluency, organization and elaboration
SCIENCE
Inventors and Inventions packet
Cloud Chart with answers
Cool Cells Packet (animal and plant)
Cool Cells Flash Cards
Isaac Newton Laws of Motion
Rocks Chart
Scientific Method packet
The Sun
BACK TO SCHOOL
Back to School Activities Packet
Behavior Forms for Teachers/Students
Back to School Novel Activities Packet
Fun Student Questionnaire
Reinforcing Students’ Responsibility and Behavior
Student Report card for Encouragement
Valentine Coupon Booklet
FREE
Free birthday choices
Free Daily Check List
Free Grammar Signs
Free Homework Passes
Free Homophones
Free Irregular Verbs Past and Participle Forms
Free Sequence worksheet
Have a great year!