I read this book for my adolescent literature course the summer between my sophomore and junior years in college. Many people told me it was a good book including my professor, and various other students in the class. I took their word for it and decided to dive into the book to see what was so exciting about Jerry Spinelli's "Maniac Magee."The book begins with a young boy, Jefferey Lionel Magee, running into a town in which no one recognizes him. Orphaned after his parents deaths, Maniac has no place to live. The town is a racially divided town with the blacks living on the East end and the whites living on the West end. "Maniac" comes into town and begins to make his mark. He can do everything from hit multiple homeruns off the the best little league pitcher in town, to intercept passes to the best receiver on the football team. After Maniac is rescued by from "Mars Bar" Thompson by Amanda Beale, she takes him to her house to live with her. After he hurts Amanda's feelings, he does not want to cause her anymore pain so he runs away to the zoo where he meets a former minor league baseball pitcher, Earl Grayson, who takes him in and allows Maniac to teach him to read. Just when it seems like Maniac has found a place to stay, Grayson dies, and Maniac is forced to leave. Maniac starts to run again, but runs into John McNab's (the best little league pitcher in town) two younger brothers, who are running away to Mexico. Maniac takes them home to the West end and begins to live with them; however, when Maniac beats Mars Bar in a race, and crashes a birthday party at the McNab's, he is forced into homelessness again. Maniac's final chance comes when one of the McNab kids is facing death in the same place where Maniac's parents died. Maniac and Mars Bar go to save him, but Maniac is too afraid and he leaves. Amanda Beale tracks Maniac down and finally invites him to come live with her and her family for as long as he wants to, and this is how the story ends.While there are many ups and downs in the story, it is a story that truly teaches all about friendship and love. Jerry Spinelli does a fantastic job of creating a story that can be seen as true in all minds and hearts. While it may not satisfy everyone's wants and needs for a good book, I can honestly say this is one of the greatest if not the greatest book I have ever read. SEVEN THUMBS UP!!!