Confessions of a Romance Reader: How Maniac Magee saved my reading...

For those of you who know about Maniac Magee, you may wonder how a children's book could have possibly saved my reading. I'll tell you...

First off, for those of you who don't know about Maniac Magee.... here's a little info:



Maniac Magee
By: Jerry Spinelli

BLURB: Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee might have lived a normal life if a trolley accident hadn't made him an orphan. After living with his unhappy and uptight aunt and uncle for eight years, he decides to run-and not just run away, but run. And this is where the myth of Maniac Magee begins, as he changes the lives of a racially divided small town with his amazing and legendary feats.

I was in a slump recently... a bit depressed... wanting to do nothing. That feeling sucks. Especially for a person that usually tries to keep busy so this doesn't happen. It did happen, though, and I didn't know what I was going to do about it. One of the worst parts... I hadn't read in over a month *sob*. No matter what I did, no book could hold my interest.

I have hundreds of books in my to-be-read pile, and not a one called out to me. I was getting more depressed. It got to a point that I was thinking of shutting down my blog. I didn't feel up to reading or writing anymore.

I was sick and tired of feeling this way...so I decided to try something. I got an idea to read a book I loved when I was younger. I had already reread The Giver by Lois Lowery last year, so that was out. I couldn't seem to find Uncle Vampire by Cynthia D. Grant, which would have been a good pick because it always has me in tears, and sometimes you need that.

Finally, I stumbled upon Maniac Magee... this was one I recently bought after not being able to find my original copy. It may seem silly, but I just love having my childhood books in the hopes of sharing them with my sister, the Brat, or any future children I may have.

I remember loving Maniac Magee when I was in elementary school. I loved seeing the world through the eyes of the main character, who's a kid known as Maniac Magee. He saw everyone as the same and treated them equally. Through his adventures, what he really just wanted was a place to call home and a real family. Now that I think about it, maybe I connected to the story, because at the time I first read it, that's all I wanted.

This story reminded me of why I loved reading so much. The joy I get out of escaping into a new place and meeting new people. To see the world through the eyes of someone else. To see someone through their struggle and have them triumph in the end. For that happily-ever-after. To forget about my worries for a bit and just relax into a good book.

Maniac Magee also reminded me of something else...


While I don't always read romance, I always look for romance in everything I read.

With life, I love to try new things... this includes books... and sometimes I like to take a mini-break from romance. I know some of you may be wide eyed and gasping right now, lol. No worries, because in the end, I always go back to what makes me feel warm, fuzzy, and happy.

Even when I'm taking a break from romance, my mind still looks for romance. Evidently, even in a children's book I can find romance, lol. Each time I read Maniac Magee I start to wonder about Amanda, a girl who becomes a friend to Maniac, and what could become of them when they grew up. I imagined that they would start dating and become a couple... crazy? Probably, lol. But, evidently the screen writers of the movie adaptation felt the same way I did, because the end of their movie had Maniac Magee and Amanda together with children.


After reading Maniac Magee I started to get excited about reading again... especially reading romances where a couple does get together by the end of the story. This isn't the first non-romance book where I tend to look for romance, either. I catch myself doing this in everything I read. I love love. Nothing makes me happier than a happily-ever-after story where two people ride off into the sunset together. To watch a couple overcome all obstacles just to be together *sigh*.

Yes, at heart, I am most definitely a romance reader... always have been... always will be.

TELL ME: Have you ever been in a reading slump or feeling down? What did you do to get yourself out of it?