Novel

The story Maniac Magee is a folk story about a boy, a very excitable boy. One that can outrun dogs, hit a home run off the best pitcher in the neighborhood, untie a knot no one can undo. "Kid's gotta be a maniac," is what the folks in Two Mills say. It's also the story of how this boy, Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee, confronts racism in a small town, tries to find a home where there is none and attempts to soothe tensions between rival factions on the tough side of town. Presented as a folk tale, it's "The history of a kid" and four parts of fun. Maniac Magee won the 1991 Newbery Award Medal.

Maniac Magee relates to self expression because it talks about how he feels about his community, family, friends, and Amanda ( a girl he met on the black end of town). This story also talks about how he felt when he became an orphan because his parents died on a trolley crash. Jeffrey felt unappreciated when he had to live with his aunt and uncle for eight years. He felt this way because they were always unhappy and didn't care about him or his parents. Jeffrey was Maniac Magee's real name and finally, this relates to self expression because this book talks about how he felt after he ran from the white end of town to the black end of town.