Looking for quick questions and vocabulary words to use in your class? Try the ones below.

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Maniac Magee

Vocabulary and Study Questions

Chapter 1:

1.  volley (p. 5) -

2.  trestle (p. 5) -

3.  kaboodle (p. 5) -

4.  smatter (p. 6) -

1.  What happened to Maniac’s parents?

2.  Why did Jeffrey scream at Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan during the musicale at school?

Chapter 2:

1.  Where did Maniac run to?

2.  What is the time period called from when he left Hollidaysburg until he ended up in Two Mills?

3.  Why do people think he stopped in Two Mills?  (4 possible reasons)

Chapter 3:

1.     suspicious (p. 10) –

2.     grungy (p. 13) –

1.  Why did Amanda carry a suitcase full of books?

2.  Why did Amanda think that Maniac did not belong in the East End?

Chapter 4:

1.  What was so amazing about what Maniac did in this chapter?

Chapter 5:

1.  commotion (p. 16) -

2.  mirage (p. 15) -

3.  hallucination (p. 18) -

4.  emanation (p. 18) -

5.  carcass (p. 19) -

1.  What are the “Finsterwallies”?

2.  Name one thing that has given you the “Finsterwallies”.

Chapter 6:

1.  Who was the kid sitting next to Duke at dinner?

2.  What did he do that other kids had never done?

Chapter 7:

1.  pandemonium (p. 25)

1.  Write down at least two similes used in this chapter.

2.  How did Jeffrey Magee hit the world’s first frogball for a fourbagger?

Chapter 8:

1.  maniac (p. 28) -

Chapter 9:

1.  Who was chasing Maniac?

2.  Why did they start laughing at him?

Chapter 10:

1.  befuddled (p. 35) -

2.  fishbelly (p. 36) -

1.  What did Maniac do that was unthinkable?

Chapter 11:

1.  Who saved Maniac from Mars Bar and the gang?

Chapter 12:

1.  Why did Maniac stare at the numbers on Amanda’s house?

2.  How did Mr. Beale know that Maniac didn’t live where he said he did?

Chapter 13:

1.  What were some of the strange things that were happening in the Beale house?

Chapter 14:

1.  solitude (p. 50) -

2.  converged (p. 51) -

1.  Why couldn’t Maniac understand when black people were referred to as “black”?

2.  What are the last two paragraphs of the chapter referring to?

Chapter 15:

1.  unbeknownst (p. 56) -

1.  Why did Maniac tell Mrs. Beale he loved her after she slapped his trash-talking mouth?

Chapter 16:

1.  Why did people dislike Maniac?

Chapter 17:

1.  gawked (p. 62) -

1.  Why is Old Ragpicker telling Maniac to leave?

Chapter 18:

1.  coot (p. 64) -

Chapter 19:

1.  What was Cobble’s Knot?

2.  Why did Amanda want Maniac to try to “overcome” Cobble’s Knot?

Chapter 20:

1.  yellowjackets (p. 70) -

2.  testimony (p. 70) -

Chapter 21:

1.  Why did Maniac leave the Beales’s house?

2.  Why didn’t Maniac go back to the West End or the East End?

Chapter 22:

1.  Where did Maniac find his new home?

Chapter 23:

1.  Why would Maniac not go to school without a home?

Chapter 24:

1.  What surprises Grayson about the Beales?  Why?

Chapter 25:

1.  rookie (p. 93) -

2.  immortality (p. 94) -

1.  Name 4 minor league ball teams Grayson played for.

Chapter 26:

1.  grappled (p. 97) -

2.  repertoire (p. 97) -

3.  blarney (p. 97) -

1.  What was the name of Grayson’s famous pitch?

2.  What did you learn about Grayson at the end of this chapter?

Chapter 27:

1.  What letters gave Grayson the most trouble when he was learning to read?

Chapter 28:

1.  groused (p. 105) -

2.  preposterous (p. 105) -

1.     What was Grayson’s accomplishment in this chapter? 

2.  Why was The Little Engine that Could a good book for Grayson to read first?

Chapter 29:

1.     What does Maniac get to make him feel at home again?

Chapter 30:

1.  languished (p. 111) -

2.  bittersweet (p. 111) -

3.  sumac (p. 111) -

Chapter 31:

1.  filigreed (p. 112) -

1.  What does Grayson want to “say” to Maniac by giving the boy his old glove?

2.  What happened to Grayson in this chapter?

Chapter 32:

1.  Why did Maniac begin running again?

Chapter 33:

1.  satchel (p.122) -

2.  desolation (p. 123) -

3.  phantoms (p. 123) -

1.  What does Maniac do after Grayson’s funeral?

Chapter 34:

1.  Who did Maniac meet in this chapter?

2.  What did Maniac do for his new friends?

Chapter 35:

1.  lambasting (p. 129) -

2.  jackals (p. 132) -

3.  carrion (p. 132) -

1.  Why did Maniac make up the story about John McNab?

2.  Describe in your own words the McNab’s house?

Chapter 36:

1.  Why did the McNabs become famous?

2.  What were 3 of the deals Maniac made with Russell and Piper so they would go to school for the week?

3.  What did Maniac do so they would go to school for 3 weeks?

Chapter 37:

1.  nonchalant (p. 141) -

1.  List some of the “heroic” feats that Maniac accomplished that kept Russell and Piper going to school.

Chapter 38:

1.  pandemonium (p. 147) -

2.  sanctuaried (p. 148) -

1.  What ultimate challenge did Russell and Piper give to Maniac?

2.  Who did Maniac race and why?  Who won?

Chapter 39:

1.  ludicrous (p. 150) -

2.  grapped (p. 152) -

1.  What is the “pillbox” the McNabs were constructing?

Chapter 40:

1.  Why did Maniac leave the McNab’s?

Chapter 41:

1.  Who did Maniac bring to the birthday party?

Chapter 43:

1.  What did Maniac believe about every house in Two Mills?

Chapter 44:

1.  footfalls (p. 170) -

2.  diverged (p. 172) -

Chapter 45:

1.  Why didn’t Maniac Magee save Russell?

2.  Where does Mars Bar take Russell and Piper after he rescues Russell?

3.  What happened when they got there?

4.  What does Mars Bar ask Maniac at the end of the chapter?

Chapter 46:

1.  Who came to take him home?

2.  Why had she come?

Questions, comments, suggestions? Contact me at: dumdummaster@hotmail.com

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